Aqua Medic Midiflotor Protein Skimmer

[TigerIssey]

This is the protein skimmer I now using to replace my old V2 Nano skimmer.

Operation Manual

Picture of Skimmer on Aqua Medic Website

I am not getting any skimmate at all from this skimmer where I was getting a full cup everyday from the V2. I have made a slight alteration to the level of water in the first chamber of the sump by adding some acrylic to the baffle. I am not sure if I have it set correctly at all.

Could someone with a little knowledge on Counter Flow Skimmers give me a little help as to where the water level should be in relation to to centre pipe that delivers the air bubbles.

 

[BigC]

May I ask why you have gone for an old Berlin Style air driven skimmer
Regards
C

 

[TigerIssey]

Because I bought it ages ago now.

Here is a picture of it in the sump.

From what I read at the time, they seemed to work very efficiently.

 

[BigC]

Looks pretty straight forward to me and it probably falls down to the supply pump... what size of air pump are you running to it, Is that pumping out the recommended ltr/r if not are the diaphragms intact. Are you using a wooden air stone.
Just a few questions in the mix
Regrads
C

 

[TigerIssey]

Yes to wooden airstone.

Using Brand new Eheim 400lph dual outlet. It says 200-300lph in the PS instructions.

I am wondering if I need to join the 2 outlets somehow and then take a small amount out for the little BBS hatcher along the pipework somewhere??

Increasing the water height by adding some acrylic to the first baffle does seem to have helped rather as has lowering the airstone down to to the bottom of the tube rather then having it half way up. However the bubbles seem to only occasionaly get up to the bottom of the collection cup.

I have a feeling, once set up right, it will be a ###### good skimmer.

I seem to be having a blond moment or two with it at the moment though

 

[BigC]

Does you tank have a high bio-load at may well be that may have something to do with it.
Try joining the two outlets with an Algarde airline "Tee" piece then this into an Algarde dbl Gang-Valve. Bleed off just enough for the hatchery and let the rest go to the skimmer
see if that helps Blondie
ATB
C

 

[TigerIssey]

Reet, off to see what bits I have in the house, if I don't have enough for the hatchery at the mo, the BBS have hatched so that would mean tea tonight for the darlings. I can then source anything I do not have tomorrow to reconnect the hatchery for the next batch.

 

[BigC]

Stupid question really
Arn't those new Eheim pumps adjustable
check if the adjuster knob/dial is up to the max. on the pump body.
Just a little thing you may have overlooked
or
perhaps not
ATB
C

 

[TigerIssey]

Hope this works ok for now, I haad 3 T pieces but only one gang valve, so what I did was tto cnnect te 2 outets usng a T piece then use 1 piece of tube to come out. I have then used another T piece with one going to the PS and the other going to a gang valve which lets the minutist bit of air through the hatchery. I have also ensured that both air outlets are set to maximum on the Eheim pump.

There seems a greater concentration of bubbles now, I am presuming that like any PS it will need to bed in and as the protein coats the inside, it will then pull more and more out.

Am I OK with this or have I gone doolally

 

[BigC]

So technically speaking you just have a valve, as opposed to a gang, which would signify more than one

Am I OK with this or have I gone doolally

NO not in the slightest. Sometimes I get so intense doing a certain job that I often forget even the simplest solution.
Looks good if you've joined the two outlets and limited the air flow to the hatchery, whereby sending more volume of air to the skimmer.
Even if your method was a little Ad-Hoc
ATB
C

 

[TigerIssey]

Ad hoc is OK by me if it does the job.

I have sat with the cabinet door open watching the bubbles.
I seem to now have a section of bubbles that rise independently of the other bubbles lower down which actually do go up into the collection cup slightly. They then lower down and begin to rise again. I think it may be cracked once running for a few days I think now I will start to get a nice dry skimmate.

It is highly possible that the skimmate I was getting from the V2 was too wet so pulling more out in fluid than was actually necessary.

At the moment for the size tank I have (and I have just added a couple of gallon to the amount in the sump by increasing the height of the first baffle) that my bioload is actually very low. 4 juvenile fish in a 40g + sump is quite light I think, definately time for another fish.

 

[BigC]

If the skimmate in the V2 was too wet you just turn it down on the dial on the skimmer itself which reduces the height of the bubbles in the collar.
I never have wet skimmate unless I turn this up as I said.
Did you have the flow adjuster valve attached to the Rio pump to regulate the flow also. You turn this down a little also
Again it takes about a week to bed in.
ATB
C

 

[TigerIssey]

To be honest when I got the V2 to skim, I let it do its thing. There was a litlle knob you twiddled that moved the bubbles up and down and then there was the height you had it in the water.

I am not hugely technical with these things as you can see, it is an amazing feat that I plumbed my sump myself.

Have removed the V2 now though, am keeping it for the time being incase any more projects take my fancy

I suppose the other thing to think about was that I added quite a bit of new live rock when I swapped the tank over, probably pulled alot out from that aswell.

I will let this one bed in now, will not mess again till next week if it is still not doing much.

 

[TigerIssey]

I have some skimmate in the cup, not a huge amount but it is quite dry. Seems the combination of tricks worked.

 

[BigC]

There you go!
ATB
C