skimmer noob

I'm new to salt, just got a 12g cube with filtration compartment and a skimmer. The skimmer cup just fills with water, which, from what ive read, is not the goal. Its a little bit of a diy, the guy I got the tank from put a pump on one side of a back divider (cut hole) and the purchased skimmer (which one I can't figure out) in the small final compartment. I'm not sure what's wrong with how its adjusted (which is prob the problem). The top cup doesn't fit snug into the middle comprment (creates foam swirl), and I'm not sure how the floss is supposed to fit in the underside of the cup to adjust spray. Any pointers or tips would really help

I'm cycling with a bit more rock than was in the tank when I got it (ammonia is 0.5ppm), should I run the skimmer at this stage? Wait til I'm feeding something?

 

HI there

Skimmers need bedding in if they have been dry for a while.
What adjustments are there for you on the skimmer, generally you get an air valve to control the foam production and often a water level adjustment to get the level right in the neck of the skimmer.

What do you mean by " floss in the underside of the cup" skimmers don't generally have floss in them.

If you can post a picture showing what you mean it would help, A picture is worth a thousand words as they say.

 

Giimie a bit....ill get what's going on, parts n pieces, and see what we can figure out. I wiggled it some more got it to stop puddling the collection cup as quickly

 

heres the skimmer in the tank


heres the bubbles the bottom puts out powered by the pump (into the collection cup)


this is what it looks like out of the water



and this is the collection sup, top and the bottom full of floss




the tank was operating as a holding tank for live rock when I got it, skimmer and lights on. (water quality horrid)

 

HI again

Is the pump adjustable for flow as it looks like it is just pumping too much, Being a DIY one the pump may be too big for the skimmer.
Can the skimmer be raised up to make the water level inside the skimmer reduce or can the collection cup be raised to stop the foam rising so high.
Try reducing the air to it to reduce the foaming and see if that drops the level down.
In short I think it is definitely a setting problem, skimmers are a balance of water flow to air, try playing with the settings and see what effect they have.

 

Can anyone direct me to a pic or video of one working correctly?

Ive got the water level to the top of the cup, without just filling it. Foam popping a little on the cups lid

Should I run the skimmer during cycling?

And to clarify my reading on skimmers, it removes organic material before its decomposed and part of the nitrogen cycle? Or can it help with nitrate removal? Thanks again!

 

The water level needs to be about 1/3 the way up the cup the foam will then rise up the tube and into the cup taking the organic particles with it.

I have a video of one of my old skimmers working, it is a much much bigger skimmer but the principle is the same.

Yes, run the skimmer during cycling as it does help with the cycle by removing the dissolved organic particles before they decompose thereby helping to reduce ammonia production before it ever gets to the nitrate stage, your LR will remove the rest hopefully.

 

That helped so much, thank you Malcolm!

I'm going to keep checking, but I have a simm level of foam, with popping bigger bubbles! Fiddling helped.

What are salt safe tools/supplies I can build I better mount for the collection top with? My first impulse (quickly repressed) was plumbers tape is just the thing for a loose fitting like this! My cup doesn't snug well into the middle piece (pressure from below doesn't help). The cup is the male poirtion of the connection.....a layer or three of plumbers tape (need tank safe alternative) could keep thus in place and still removable. I currently have it snugger against the overflow/airline plug on the cup against the tank wall (awkward, delicate to set, and bound to come loose randomly), making a clip would take more supplies and tools

 

HI there

Plumbers tape would be fine, if it is suitable for potable water (human consumption) then it is generally okay for aquatics use.