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what skimmer are you using? Assuming you are using the same one as mine, you can turn the stick that coming out from the top, clock wise (more water from top) or anti clockwise (more water from bottom).
Hi Bro/Sis,
I need an urgent help. Does anyone know how to 'tune' the skimmer such that both the top and bottom can suck in water? I had just invested in one skimmer but it caused a major problem now. During skimmer installation, I turned off the 'in' and 'out' valve on the canister filter. After installation, I turned on both the 'in' and 'out' valve. After a while, my filter stop functioning as the water was completely drained out of the filter. To jumpstart the filter, I used the knot outside the filter to 'pump' water in but the output from the filter was all the 'dirt' (as well as water) collected for the past 2 months. Again, after a while, the filter stop working. And I have to pump the knot.
The tank is now a mess as I have no idea which direction to turn the skimmer handle (for water flow). Can some expert pls advise how I can get my skimmer to work? I don't think I want to experiment again till I'm sure how to get it to work.
BTW, mine is a shrimp tank 3 x 1.5 x 1.5. Atman CF600 canister filter.
what skimmer are you using? Assuming you are using the same one as mine, you can turn the stick that coming out from the top, clock wise (more water from top) or anti clockwise (more water from bottom).
I should be working not posting
Yup, ideally not too much from the top as it will suck in air and cause the canister to airlock.
You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung
Thanks Shadow. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to illustrate. From your description, I maybe using the same type as yours. There is a piece of long plastic at the top, and that can be rotated.Originally Posted by Shadow
Thanks Stan. I think that's the problem I created 2 days back. I have emphasize too much from the top hence 'draining' the canister filter.
Baton courtesy.....service with a smile!
Kwonghui, you'll need to switch off the surface skimming capability and use the bottom part of the skimmer kit to start your filter. Only when the canister filter is capable of pulling in water in then you start to tune your surface skimmer. Tune slowly for a certain range and stop and wait. If you need more surface skimming, then tune again, stop and wait.
What to look out for when tuning your surface skimming kit.
The clear plastic tube is also an indicator to judge visually when you should stop tuning your surface skimming kit. The water level in that clear plastic tube is the indicator you should be paying attention to. The trick is to get the water level in the clear plastic tube to be at the halfway mark. Not at the halfway point of the entire clear plastic tube but halfway of the actual clear plastic tube that you can see. If you reach that point, that is your safety mark.
Is that the end of tuning the surface skimming kit?
Actually no. The safety mark is just a neutral area and it also indicate that you are successfully surface skimming your water. There is a point where you should not venture and a point where the surface skimming might be negligible.
When and why do I need to go beyond the safety point?
If you need aggressive surface skimming, you can lower the water level in the clear plastic tube. The water level should be lower that the safety mark earlier mentioned. If you need less surface skimming, then you must set the water level above the safety mark. Do not, at any point, let the water level below the black plastic tube as this will let in air into the surface skimming kit and this air will flow into the canister filter causing problem to you.
Hope this helps!
If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.
Kwonghui,
From my experience, I'm not too sure that your Atman 600 can be bridged with surface skimmer.
The only canister that works best with surface skimmer is Eheim (Classic 2215,2217,2260)
I should be working not posting
To restart your canister...
Make sure your water level is high enough to allow the surface skimmer's tube thing to float.
[Your canister should be switched off in anycase]
Raise canister 1 ft and put outflow to the lowest level you can in the bucket to restart siphon action.
If needed, you have to suck on it. [yuck unless you have a device to draw out the water.
Then tune your skimmer as per Rohaizal's advice.
If you can hear bubble chopping sounds ans see bubbles being drawn in, it means the bias for the skimming action to too high.
You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung
Thank you BFG, a_scape, and StanChung. My surface skimmer is beginning to function now. I'm quite happy with it. Will be tuning further as instructed by BFG.
I tuned my surface skimmer according to BFG instruction. Although water is flowing in from the top, the layer of firm/oil was not. Do you know what else I can do to suck in the firm/oil?
I should be working not posting
If you use a fan, put the fan on the opposite side of the tank from the surface skimmer. The fan will help the blow the bio film over to the other side.
You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung
Hi StanChung,
My fan is already on the opposite side. I realised if I take out the transparent plastic tube and washed it, the firm/oil will be sucked in for a while and it would stop again.
maybe you should take photo of your skimmer, that way easier for people to comment on your setting
Baton courtesy.....service with a smile!
You need to do aggressive skimming. From the safe point ( where the water level in the tube is halfway ) tune it until the water level in the clear tube is below that point, slightly above the black tube. Also, there might be excessive air under the clear plastic tube that helps to keep it afloat. This is preventing it to work properly.
If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.
I took picture of my surface skimmer, hope it help.
Last edited by Shadow; 27th May 2007 at 11:03.
I should be working not posting
IME, you can afford to have water level a little lower. [for the inner tube]
Last edited by StanChung; 10th May 2007 at 05:43.
You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung
yes you can, little lower mean more agresive skimming.
Thank u all. I'm outstation now and will give it a shot when i return. Will update again soon. Once again, thank you so much.
Hi All,
My surface skimmer is finally working. I found the culprit cauing the skimmer to not function. It's the net I used to prevent shrimplets from being sucked in. The net was placed at the top portion (input) of the skimmer. As soon as I removed the net, the firm/oil was sucked in.
Thank you all for the patience.
I should be working not posting
Got net? Can't see it though from your pic, but good that it's sorted out. Shrimps will get sucked in but normally you can recover them when cleaning canister.
You can if you dare to fail - Stan Chung
The pix that you referred to was not mine; it was Shadow's. Mine had netting to prevent shrimplet from being sucked in. Now, instead of tying the net round the top skimmer, I can into 4 quadrants and used only 2 quadrants.
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