Skimmer help

[09bumblebee]

I don't get it, I cannot get a bubble column in my skimmer to save my life. I thought the pump was going bad or weak. So I just put the new pump in and same thing. I cleaned it a month ago and everything was fine. In my new system it just seems weak. I've raise it, lowered it and nothing. It's a vertex in-250 that's 1.5 yrs old. What's wrong with it lol.

 

[daveydoodle]

Mine took a while to dial in before it was producing, however mine was new. Sounds like yours was already up and running. Maybe it was cleaned to thoroughly and just needs some break in time. Is the pump producing the fine bubbles and they're just not making it through the neck into the skimmer cup? Or no bubbles being produced at all?

 

[09bumblebee]

No It's making bubbles but this thing used to make a wicked bubble column and it just doesn't do that anymore the skimmate is half what it used to be. Is it possible using the red sea po4x stuff that the system is that much cleaner and not much to skim out?

 

[daveydoodle]

I've read a lot of good reviews on this. Here's one from another site, could be you have very little to skim. Sound like the skimmer itself is functioning, just nothing to produce.

Opinions on Red Sea NO3 PO4x *

I have to say of all the products that have come out of the years there seem's to be one that does exactly what is is supposed to. I am amazed that more people are not switched on to this atm.

I have been using it for 3 months now and it has held my po4 at 0.04 or below and nitrate at 0-2ppm.

The colour in my SPS is coimg back and the growth is fantastic at the moment. I also reported a Byropsis issue some weeks back and this has all but gone from my system. I put this in part down the the true mexicans that have certainly damaged it's growth, but then with such low po4 it has failed to recover.

I dose 3ml daily into around 340L direct into the sump section that houses the MCE600. I empty the skimmer cup every 3-4 days and its black!

One thing I would say is it strips nutrients from the system and I would advise adding some amino acids in some form to balance things out and keeping up with water changes. I have been so impressed with this stuff I have just started using the reef energy A+B to balance out what the no3-po4x takes out, but I guess thats all part of the program that redsea promote

I would like to say well done to red sea for producing something that for a change in this hobby does what it's supposed to do

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[09bumblebee]

Well I got a little exited, came home and the bubble column is awesome back to normal. It was the pump all along. The new pump just needs to break in. I love this newer product it's working wonders in my system and I've been dosing their a and b product for a few days now. Everything has become extremely happy my phos has come down to .21 now with a normal skimmer my nitrates should drop back down to normal.