Help With Modding A Mce600

[zeo]

Hi guys,

I currently have a MCE600 connected to my tank.
My tank is quite mature, no new salt has been added within the last month.
However I did add some fresh RO water to top up the tank yesterday.

In the last week after connecting an OZONE to my skimmer, the skimmer started producing alot of microbubbles into my system. The main reason I could come up for this is that due the ozone being connected, the airflow to the skimmer has been reduced. When the ozone is in operation, the the microbubbles are reduced but not enough. The skimmer is collecting crap as per norm.

I found a couple of post on a forum in regards to modding the MCE600 outflow to reduce bubbles completely... but I think I may have done this wrong, as it hasnt worked too well. Hopefully some of you are familiar with this mod.

I removed the bubble difuser plate that allows the water to run back to the system. I then connected a 40mm 90 degree eblow pipe to the outflow of the skimmer (pointing downwards), this was then connected to another pipe atleast 6" long, then to another 90 degree pipe, so there shouldnt be any splash as the water hits the tank.

Here is a ROUGH plan on this mod: (hopefully someone can tell me where I've gone wrong)

This has removed the normal splash back bubbles.. but I'm still finding quite alot of small microbubbles coming into the system. And due to my flowrate of the tank, causes these to spread thru out the entire system.

I tried pointing the last 90 degree eblow down, but small microbubbles still came out. I tried pointing it complete up, this did remove the small bubbles but cause the returning water to make large splash bubbles. Tried mid way aswell, to allow the small bubbles to difuse up with contact with the air, and let the water return peacefully to the tank... but this didnt work as I intended either.

Any ideas please?

 

[SkiFletch]

Usually the microbuble problem in a skimer is caused by either too much water flow through it, or too much air flow through it... I'm not familiar with the deltecs, but if there are ways to alter water or air flow, try a little tweaking first

 

[zeo]

I'm not really sure how to. Previously I had no problems at all with the skimmer.
Only once I connected my ozone unit (which has a built in airpump) to the airline of the skimmer did the microbubble problem occur.

I realised that if I were to disconnect the skimmer from the airline connecting the ozone unit the skimmer would then operate as per norm (I mean no bubbles being realised into the tank). With the ozone unit connected to the skimmer, the airflow seems to be reduced.. releasing alot more microbubbles into the system. I found if I turned the ozone unit ON, then the microbubbles decreased... but only slightly.

If I were able to regulate the amount of air the ozone produces to the skimmer I could properbly control the microbubbles completely. But apart from having a dial to control the % of O3 being produced, there doesnt seem to be any other way to regulate the airflow.

Thats why I thought if I could stop the bubbles at the tank, then I could leave the ozone running as per norm (TBH it hasnt seemed to have affected the effiency of the skimmer in any negative way at all).

I've also tried adding a bottomless/topless box to the end of the piping to collect the water kinda like a reservoir with no intensive flow in the box, the bubbles should have time to rise to the top, whilest the water should flow freely (without many bubbles thru the bottom of the box.

Problem is.. the microbubbles would sink atleast a foot before starting to rise up...

 

[SkiFletch]

Ok, so what I think is happening is that the air pump that's supplying the Ozone unit is increasing the flowrate of air into your skimmer. The extra air is over-filling the reaction chamber, causing bubbles to escape out the discharge hose in the bottom. The solution is to go to your LFS and buy one of those little air flowrate valves they sell (commonly used in freshwater systems with UGF's). Put that in-line and dial the air flow back until the bubbles stop

 

[zeo]

I dont suppose you know where I could get my hands on one that is ozone resistant?
Is there even such a thing?

 

[SkiFletch]

I dont suppose you know where I could get my hands on one that is ozone resistant?
Is there even such a thing?

Put it between the pump and the ozonizer. So your air circuit looks like: Pump-->Valve-->Ozonizer-->skimmer

 

[zeo]

Cant. The ozone unit has a built-in airpump.