H&S Skimmer Club

[JohnL]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...2#post10990812

[Reef Sponger]

Originally posted by Conceyted
H&S skimmers are always like this. They pull massive amounts when first getting added to a system. If you notice, 95% of the pictures people post of their H&S are from their first few days/weeks of owning the skimmer. That is simply when they perform the best.

Definitely makes me wonder how much my Euro-Reef left behind. I had the same experience when I switched over, first couple of weeks, the cup filled up within 5 days. After a couple of months, it's still consistently filling up, but in about 7-8 days. If we all weren't skimmerless before installing our H&S skimmers, that's got to mean that our previous skimmer was leaving something behind, so I've got to agree with CruzinKim's observation here. I sure love my H&S!!!

[Conceyted]

Oh, for sure.

By the way, I put my ozone back on the tank at 10mg/hr and the skimmer production fell on its face again. I am going to be taking the ozone off my system until I can find a crappy skimmer to inject ozone into the tank for me. My H&S runs 10x better without the T on the air hose and the ozone injected.

[Reef Sponger]

Chris, great on hitting the mark on balancing ozone with better skimmate production! Wow, I just realized that the H&S skimmer club thread was split!

You know, when a skimmer is breaking in, typically it really doesn't do much in the first 2 weeks, sometimes 3 weeks. Getting back to what my previous skimmer left behind, there must have been so much waste still in the water that a brand new skimmer, right out of the box can collection this in the first 4 - 5 days during the very 1st week?

[Conceyted]

Originally posted by Reef Sponger
Chris, great on hitting the mark on balancing ozone with better skimmate production! Wow, I just realized that the H&S skimmer club thread was split!

You know, when a skimmer is breaking in, typically it really doesn't do much in the first 2 weeks, sometimes 3 weeks. Getting back to what my previous skimmer left behind, there must have been so much waste still in the water that a brand new skimmer, right out of the box can collection this in the first 4 - 5 days during the very 1st week?

Well, my story is a little different than yours. I took my ASM G3 off of my tank and it sat for a week without a skimmer. Undoubtably a bad idea because a few of my SPS rtned. Upon adding the H&S it had only had a vinegar run for about 3 hours prior to putting it on my tank and it skimmed non stop for about 2 weeks. It filled the cup almost completely with foam in a single day. Also, from my experience, while some skimmers take days to weeks just to break in, the H&S is completely the opposite. Cleanings of some skimmers tend to kill the skimmer for a day or a few hours while it re-slimes, but the H&S never stops. You could clean the skimmer, put it back on the tank, and it picks up where it left off. This is the only skimmer I have ever experienced this with.

As far as hitting the ozone barrier, not only did I hit the barrier but I am beginning to see that ozone administered via your main skimmer might actually be a bad idea. I have yet to see anything positive about it and it definitely decreases skimmate production. Hopefully adding ozone to the system a different way will be the best of both worlds.

[Charlie's Angel]

Just joined the club...Ordered an A250. It is getting shipped on Monday. Can't wait.

[jwccwj]

Charlie's angel I'll be waiting for pictures when you get it,are you going to feed it from a overflow?

Jamie.

[DeltecRules]

This is since Sunday night on 75 gallon with 30 gallon sump. Previously I had a BK mini 200 which skimmed nothing. The pump was bad but PA took it upon themselves to test it saying it worked just fine!! Apparently I was told I had bad power and no bioload whatsoever. Wrong!!! I love this H&S skimmer!!


This was the bubbleking mini 200 after two weeks. I had to raise the water level to the point of it overflowing to get any kind of skimate.

[USC-fan]

Originally posted by Conceyted
Oh, for sure.

By the way, I put my ozone back on the tank at 10mg/hr and the skimmer production fell on its face again. I am going to be taking the ozone off my system until I can find a crappy skimmer to inject ozone into the tank for me. My H&S runs 10x better without the T on the air hose and the ozone injected.

Get a ozone reactor. You will be a lot happier. Then you can feed the ozone reactor into a carbon reator!

[Conceyted]

Originally posted by DeltecRules
This is since Sunday night on 75 gallon with 30 gallon sump. Previously I had a BK mini 200 which skimmed nothing. The pump was bad but PA took it upon themselves to test it saying it worked just fine!! Apparently I was told I had bad power and no bioload whatsoever. Wrong!!! I love this H&S skimmer!!


This was the bubbleking mini 200 after two weeks. I had to raise the water level to the point of it overflowing to get any kind of skimate.

Leave the drama on the other threads as you were asked. We all saw what went down, no need to keep bringing it up. You got your money back so move on and get over it. However, I am glad to see your H&S is working well for you. Good luck.

[Conceyted]

Originally posted by USC-fan
Get a ozone reactor. You will be a lot happier. Then you can feed the ozone reactor into a carbon reator!

I am assuming you mean the MTC reactor? Honestly, I am not looking to spend 400 dollars at the moment, nor do I Have the room near or inside of my tank for another reactor at the moment :-/ Maybe the coralife, but I have heard nothing but bad things about it.

[USC-fan]

Originally posted by Conceyted
I am assuming you mean the MTC reactor? Honestly, I am not looking to spend 400 dollars at the moment, nor do I Have the room near or inside of my tank for another reactor at the moment :-/ Maybe the coralife, but I have heard nothing but bad things about it.

I use the coralife and have no problem with it....what have you heard?

[Conceyted]

In Randy Holmes Farley's articles on ozone found here:

Ozone

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 2: Equipment and Safety
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 3: Changes in a Reef Aquarium upon Initiating Ozone
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-05/rhf/index.php

How do you have your coralife reactor set up? Is it run off of a return pump or a feed pump? What air pump is pumping the ozone into the reactor? Etc.

[jwccwj]

Sorry,but whats a MTC reactor???

[DeltecRules]

Originally posted by Conceyted
Leave the drama on the other threads as you were asked. We all saw what went down, no need to keep bringing it up. You got your money back so move on and get over it. However, I am glad to see your H&S is working well for you. Good luck.

No drama just FACT!!

[Charlie's Angel]

I will be pumping it from my sump with an Eheim 1260. This is what will work best from a design standpoint for my system. I will get some pictures posted once it is setup.

[USC-fan]

Originally posted by Conceyted
In Randy Holmes Farley's articles on ozone found here:



How do you have your coralife reactor set up? Is it run off of a return pump or a feed pump? What air pump is pumping the ozone into the reactor? Etc.

I using a Mini-Jet 606 feed pump. My ozone reactor then feeds into my carbon reactor.

I'm using a whisper air pump the goes through an air dryer before it goes into my ozone generator.

[Zoom]

DeltecRules....What you feed the skimmer with?

[Conceyted]

Originally posted by USC-fan
I using a Mini-Jet 606 feed pump. My ozone reactor then feeds into my carbon reactor.

I'm using a whisper air pump the goes through an air dryer before it goes into my ozone generator.

Cool. I have one lying around. Maybe ill get the coralife ozone reactor and give it a go.

[Capt. Nemo]

The general consenus is that a skimmer will perform better and produce more skimmate if it is gravity fed versus pump/powerhead fed. Can someone explain to me why? If its all about water flow and I can get the same gph for optimal skimmer performance with a pump/powerhead as I would with gravity feeding then why would I bother with all the plumbing to get the same results. There must be more to this that I am missing. It seems that people like DeltecRules are getting great results by pump feeding their skimmer. I'd like to hear more testimonies from those who are employing the feed pump/powerhead method. I am seriously considering getting the A110 but I am a little aprehensive since I really would rather pump/powerhead feed the A110 than have to go crazy with all the plumbing if its not really necessary. This would be for a 55 gal. FOWLR with 15 gal. sump. Everyone's feedback/advice woiuld be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Gary

[Conceyted]

While I do feed from the overflow, I do not see there being a large difference between pump feeding and overflow feeding the skimmer. People might argue that you get more "raw" water coming from your tank if you feed from the overflow rather than getting water from the sump that could have already been skimmed. Personally, I have been toying with the idea of pump feeding my skimmer for a while now. I find pump feeding to be more consistent than overflow feeding because depending on your drainage setup, the amount of flow through the skimmer might not always be consistent depending on the water level above the drain.

[DeltecRules]

Originally posted by Zoom
DeltecRules....What you feed the skimmer with?

Maxijet 1200, but I want to plumb it with a new Eheim 1250 I have. Problem is that the adapter that comes with the eheim is 1/2 inch and the vinyle hose I am using is 5/8 of an inch. Need to find some way to fit it on.

[Capt. Nemo]

I would need to locate the A110, feed pump/powerhead and return pump together in the last chamber of my sump. Would this setup work? Would it be okay to have the skimmer's output in this chamber?

Thanks,
Gary

[DeltecRules]

Originally posted by Capt. Nemo
The general consenus is that a skimmer will perform better and produce more skimmate if it is gravity fed versus pump/powerhead fed. Can someone explain to me why? If its all about water flow and I can get the same gph for optimal skimmer performance with a pump/powerhead as I would with gravity feeding then why would I bother with all the plumbing to get the same results. There must be more to this that I am missing. It seems that people like DeltecRules are getting great results by pump feeding their skimmer. I'd like to hear more testimonies from those who are employing the feed pump/powerhead method. I am seriously considering getting the A110 but I am a little aprehensive since I really would rather pump/powerhead feed the A110 than have to go crazy with all the plumbing if its not really necessary. This would be for a 55 gal. FOWLR with 15 gal. sump. Everyone's feedback/advice woiuld be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Gary

I have never gravity fed my tank before. Even when I was using my Deltec AP600 which is similar to the A110. I never had problems getting dark muddy nog using a powerhead. If you have to use a powerhead go for it. The external skimmer is alot more flexible than the internal skimmers you can put it anywere you want. I am not a plumbing expert or a DIY guy. I just elected to go the powerhead way because I don't want to re organize my plumbing and I like the consistent flow from the powerhead.

Scott

[Capt. Nemo]

Thanks Scott. I'm not a DIY guy either. I was considering the 110, but the externals such as the A110 get better reviews as far as performance and versatility goes. With my setup everything will be located in the same chamber. Its the last chamber and only chamber that has room for everything. Is it okay to have the skimmer's output in this chamber as well?

Thanks,
Gary