help dialing in a EuroReef CS5-2

[tonkadawg]

OK, I bought this skimmer used from an RCer here. Didn't come with instructions, but from what I have found here, it should be sitting in about 6-8" of water. Did that. Using the riser tube, I either get so much foam that the collection cup overflows almost instantly, or nothing at all. There is no in between. So that done, I went and got some 1 1/4" tubing, an elbow, a T, and a gate valve. The only problem, the gate valve is 3/4" not 1 1/4". Thinking I would do the gate valve mod would work. With the pieces I got, it didn't. I am thinking the 3/4" gate valve, opened fully, still creates too much restriction of flow and causes the skimmer to overflow.

So if I get a 1 1/4" gate valve, will I be able to dial this thing in correctly? Or is it common that when you first fire these guys up that they overflow? I did run it in vinegar when I got it to clean it up.

[wpbfishguy]

I had to let my 5-3 run for a day and a half before I got any skimmate. The water level in the riser tube in the cup was very low the whole time and then over time it just kicked in and started foaming. I did not use the gate valve mod just adjusted the tube height to control the water level. In the end I kept the tube as high as it could go to keep it skimming optimally.

[jcorso]

I have a 5-2 and the thing overflowed or skimmed really wet for weeks. I finally put some egg crate under it until it was sitting in 5.5" of water. I've had it this way for a few months with the riser in the lowest position and it works excellent there.

The instruction manual which can be found here (http://www.euro-reef.com/ermanual.shtml) is the same manual for all the models all of which are bigger than the 5-2. I think because the 5-2 is smaller it was meant to be in less water.

Of course you could always flip the top over and do the paper plate mod that I invented.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/73602paperplate.JPG