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Unread 01/13/2009, 11:12 PM   #76
jnb
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when newish to me my level was even higher than you mention
I have the water level at the line suggested and have tried a tad higher to the bottom of the white where the neck meets the body.

So don't clean it ever? not the area I was talking about - never - I suspect it is a crucial area to start forming good bubbles and if it is always cleaned it looses the slime coat - it does not get much of a build up not like the neck at all

Is their supposed to be a o-ring at the bottom of the riser ya know the pipe you twist? not sure but as long as you can adjustment the level where you want it - where is the top line of you bubbles before they get big? mine is always around 1.5 - 2 inches into the visable cup as described above

The water level is 9" it was at 10 1/2 wasn't good their. it's better at 9"
The tank is a year old nothing new. Running a calcium reactor every couple days I add Mag.

I know it common sense about the air meter but it's hard to imagine I am the second owner of this skimmer who can't get it going. Could it really be a bad pump. Of course it could - but what are the chances in %'s - who the heck knows

Or a Air issue? Again, did you check the volute? You don't need to answer, if you did not check it, then you don't know if it has an obstruction but if you are getting fine bubbles and can adjust the water level around the line and have the fine bubble level anywhere near where I say 1.5 inches - 2 inches then I suspect from there it may be a waiting game for a few more days = that something needs to slime some more.

It may be oversized for your system but I can not find the non-gen2 mini200 specs where I am used to seeing them aquarium specialty

I don't know how the other guy had it and if he knew what he was doing - Every single skimmer I have installed goes through break-in sometimes 2 weeks and ih did not give his a chance to do so, and if that skimmer had a tad more manufacturing residue on it, and'/or if the guy that sold it to you washed it with something that further makes break -in longer - then wait it out

especially if you get the water level when running to the line with the bubbles where I said 3 times now.

Good luck - send a picture of it - a good one from the top of the cup to 1 inch below the line water level line

And I don't know if 1/16 of an inch swing in sump level is bad - THEY SAY KEEP IT LEVEL 1/16 swing is not necc. so.



Last edited by jnb; 01/13/2009 at 11:20 PM.
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Unread 01/13/2009, 11:47 PM   #77
lifeform
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Hi, I am having the same frustration as Reefkeeper, I have a 120gallon reef and a Bubble king mini 180 first generation. I have tried different water level heights, taken the pump apart to make sure there was no obstructions, moving one of my baffles in the sump to give the skimmer more room,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,. I have to raise the water level in the skimmer WELL above the water level limit line in order to get skimmate. My tank is has alot of sps and alot of fish,blue tang, yellow tang, mandarin, firefish, wrasse, 3 bartlett anthias, copperband butterfly, hawkfish, 3 neon gobies, clownfish, cardinal. Today I decided to try and run 5/8" inside diameter tubing from the air tube to an outside wall of my house in order to bring fresh air in. If this doesn't work is there any place I could send the skimmer to be serviced?


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Unread 01/14/2009, 12:54 AM   #78
moondoggy4
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How bout pouring a little skimmate in the sump and see how the skimmer reacts. The skimmer should go crazy and skim it out instantly.


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Unread 01/14/2009, 01:13 AM   #79
Johnny Reefer
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I like my BK SM 250 enough that I got a second one for the FOWLR.

Reef BK SM 250:


FOWLR BK SM 250:



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Unread 01/14/2009, 07:44 AM   #80
TheReefKeeper
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Yes I did check the volute. Their are no obstructions.
I have the water just above where the neck meets the body. It seems better but that's almost a half inch above where the mfg suggests. It appears the bubbles are reaching the overflow point into the cup. The problem is when the water is at the point the MFG suggests the neck gets so dirty it doesn't make it into the cup. The point where the water level sits now in the body the bubbles larger are as you said 1.5 -2 inches visible in the neck that seems right. The bubbles are fine and constant the air is too I seems to be a workhorse. I can tell that If the bubbles make it into the cup this would be a great skimmer until then I'm not convinced.
I was told it was give a vinegar bath before I bought it. I also cleaned it when the neck got dirty about 3 day's into it because it seemed it was too dirty to make it into the cup. That's just normal skimmer routine for me and I'm in that habit. After 10 year's in this hobby and about 8 skimmers it's just common sense that's what you do when bubbles aren't making it into the cup. Odiously this is a different breed of skimmer. I'll let it run it's course and post some pics later .
I can't imagine it's oversized I am reading 5 on No3. I have a ton of sps and fish.
Jonny Reefer-I hear the SM blow the mini's away. If I had the space I would have bought one of those. i think the skimmer's function was comprimised with the footprint.

jnb-I appreciate all the help!!


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Unread 01/14/2009, 08:02 AM   #81
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I have a BK SM200. Heres how i set it up.
First, the sump level must remain constant (set the initial water level at 9").
Second, leave the air inlet fully open.
Third, Adjust the intake nozzle on the red dragon pump all the way closed then opened it until the dots line up for the first time.
Forth, begin opening the nozzle more until foam head is almost overflowing into collection cup (For me thats roughly half a turn past the dots).
Fifth, do the final adjustment with the air inlet (this is the fine adjustment).

There are many ways to adjust the skimmate, but this is the easiest way, if its too wet and the air valve is wide open, decreases the water inlet and then you can fine adjust with the air inlet. Hope this helps a few, it took me many weeks to figure out who to dial it in.


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Unread 01/14/2009, 08:36 AM   #82
TheReefKeeper
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I don't think the mini has those adjustments?


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Unread 01/14/2009, 08:45 AM   #83
Rouselb
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The air adjustment is the tall red tube, and the water adjustment is the grey nozzle on the red dragon pump inlet.


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Unread 01/14/2009, 09:28 AM   #84
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i ignore the water level to be honest - I notice it but don't use it as a measure - the manual recomends but also says it is up to the user depending on what is happening and what he wants. So, I say ignore the water level and turn the water flow pipe slowly in small increments until the fine to larger bubble level is where I said - having said that, to get more precise I raise it a bit more . But taking into consideration that this skimmer may still be breaking in and you do not want it to overflow - take baby steps. After a full day of skimming I have a layer of skum about 1.5 inches from the top of the cup inner tube (up to its top). This is where I head for - if you are getting that thicker layer starting at say 3 inches from the top, open the pipe a little and raise the fine/large bubble level a bit more - baby steps we are fine tuning a skimmer that is probably breaking in.

Couple of observations - one I am only helping to fine tune - when you get it right this skimmer hardly needs adjustment - even after cleaning it - I clean mine once every 2 days because I need to - it gets dirty that quickly. On my 160 I did not take it out of the sump for 1.5 years - never took it apart, just cleaned the cup (again - not that crucial white inside bottom area of the cup). At 1.5 years I noticed that I finally had my water level even below (close but below) the mark - and it was skimming smelly 2 inches a day product - I was realy happy. But then I noticed a couple of months later that it seemed to hiccup/backfire/ for lack of a better way to explain - I took it apart, the impellor and inside of the pump was in good shape - nothing just nice slime (maybe a bit too much) But what I did notice to make me say - ok, here - was that there was a bit of salt build up in the air to volute area - I cleaned it out and it starting skimming more regularly and I had to move my water level back up a bit. - In my opinion don't grease the top of the lips/cup like some people mention - when you clean it the residue gets on the inside wall of the cup and impedes skimming. Be patient, if in a week or so you are still p....d then take the motor apart like the manual says and make sure everything there is clean of obstruction. Keep us posted. These are the best skimmers I have ever had. - mostly because of ease of cleaning, low noise, low wattage, very consistent - and I can not think of a way to measure the quality of skimate compared to others; just a thought that it in the race.

Quote:
Originally posted by TheReefKeeper
Yes I did check the volute. Their are no obstructions.
I have the water just above where the neck meets the body. It seems better but that's almost a half inch above where the mfg suggests. It appears the bubbles are reaching the overflow point into the cup. The problem is when the water is at the point the MFG suggests the neck gets so dirty it doesn't make it into the cup. The point where the water level sits now in the body the bubbles larger are as you said 1.5 -2 inches visible in the neck that seems right. The bubbles are fine and constant the air is too I seems to be a workhorse. I can tell that If the bubbles make it into the cup this would be a great skimmer until then I'm not convinced.
I was told it was give a vinegar bath before I bought it. I also cleaned it when the neck got dirty about 3 day's into it because it seemed it was too dirty to make it into the cup. That's just normal skimmer routine for me and I'm in that habit. After 10 year's in this hobby and about 8 skimmers it's just common sense that's what you do when bubbles aren't making it into the cup. Odiously this is a different breed of skimmer. I'll let it run it's course and post some pics later .
I can't imagine it's oversized I am reading 5 on No3. I have a ton of sps and fish.
Jonny Reefer-I hear the SM blow the mini's away. If I had the space I would have bought one of those. i think the skimmer's function was comprimised with the footprint.

jnb-I appreciate all the help!!



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Unread 01/14/2009, 11:52 AM   #85
TheReefKeeper
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Thanks Nick I'll keep you Posted!!!


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Unread 01/14/2009, 07:12 PM   #86
TheReefKeeper
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What should the SCFM be on a airflow meter for the gen 1 BK?


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Unread 01/15/2009, 11:29 AM   #87
Klaus Jansen
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@ReefKeepr,

we want look for a Upset for the Minis Gen1. Please wait a little bit.

regards.. Klaus


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Unread 01/15/2009, 01:59 PM   #88
TheReefKeeper
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Thank's
Klaus!


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Unread 01/15/2009, 02:30 PM   #89
jnb
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what did he say?

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Thank's
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Unread 01/15/2009, 02:39 PM   #90
jthao
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reefkeeper: keep the water level at 9", adjust the water level to 1"-1.5" or so into the neck, and adjust the intake nozzle two turns (from closed to where the dots meet, then one more round until they meet again, 2 total turns.)
try this and let it go for 24 hours. see if it works.
The BKs are tricky to tune honestly, the guy I bought my BK from never got it to work right. He had the same problem you're having with your skimmer, I just played with it over and over and now I found it's sweet spot. so don't worry too much, your skimmer should work, you just gotta tune it and let it break in.


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Unread 01/15/2009, 02:45 PM   #91
jnb
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he has a mini they do not have an intake adjustment unless 200s do I have never used one

Quote:
Originally posted by jthao
reefkeeper: keep the water level at 9", adjust the water level to 1"-1.5" or so into the neck, and adjust the intake nozzle two turns (from closed to where the dots meet, then one more round until they meet again, 2 total turns.)
try this and let it go for 24 hours. see if it works.
The BKs are tricky to tune honestly, the guy I bought my BK from never got it to work right. He had the same problem you're having with your skimmer, I just played with it over and over and now I found it's sweet spot. so don't worry too much, your skimmer should work, you just gotta tune it and let it break in.



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Unread 01/15/2009, 07:54 PM   #92
TheReefKeeper
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It's a bad pump!! I got an Airflow meter and it was pulling half what it should. I'll let everyone know what was done as soon as this is over. So far the customer service is far superior to any other company I have ever dealt with in 12 years. That includes every wholesale and retail company. This is the side of Bubble King not too many people have to deal with(Because of quality) but when you do they will not disappoint. A+++
Thanks
Klaus and Albert


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Unread 01/15/2009, 08:14 PM   #93
lifeform
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Hi, where did you get the air flow meter, what kind is it, what size, and where did you connect it to the pump? Sorry for all the questions.


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Unread 01/15/2009, 08:42 PM   #94
TheReefKeeper
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It's a dwyer airflow meter. I don't have a model # sorry. The airflow readings on Bubble King skimmer's are taken from the silencer. I got it from a local reefer.


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Unread 01/15/2009, 08:45 PM   #95
lifeform
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Did you take the airline off the silencer and plug the airline into the meter? What did the meter read when you tested and what should the meter read if the pump is good? Thanks


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Unread 01/15/2009, 09:31 PM   #96
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I Put the airline on top of the silencer. That's how Bubble king gets all their readings. It read 20-25 scfh. I don't know what it should have been I just know it was not what it was supposed to be. The best I could figure it was around 600-700 lph can't remember exactly. I Also never realized the pump was really hot to the touch after a few minutes of running. I was told they run extermly cool.


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Unread 01/15/2009, 09:52 PM   #97
jnb
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give us the final outcome - i.e. when it starts skimming

Quote:
Originally posted by TheReefKeeper
I Put the airline on top of the silencer. That's how Bubble king gets all their readings. It read 20-25 scfh. I don't know what it should have been I just know it was not what it was supposed to be. The best I could figure it was around 600-700 lph can't remember exactly. I Also never realized the pump was really hot to the touch after a few minutes of running. I was told they run extermly cool.



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Unread 01/15/2009, 10:04 PM   #98
jthao
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glad you found your problem..... not glad that it was the pump though (their expensive) but good luck fixing it and give us an update when everythings fixed.


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Unread 01/15/2009, 10:09 PM   #99
TheReefKeeper
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Quote:
jnb give us the final outcome - i.e. when it starts skimming
Will do!!
Hey' Thanks for all the help Nick-Creetin and jthao!!
I should have listened to you a couple of days ago when you asked if i had put a meter on it. Could have solved this days ago. I guess I'm still oldschool! I'm used to buying a skimmer plugging it in lil' tune let it run. That's why I bought a BK plug and play I did not want to mesh mod, change pumps etc. I'm am now a firm believer in air flow meters. It's the first thing I'll check and will also be the first thing I will suggest to anyone else with issues.
Boy do I hate being wrong!!!LOL


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Unread 01/18/2009, 07:52 AM   #100
Creetin
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I am glad you have it figured out. The air injected is a big factor in how your skimmer performs. Esp bubblekings which are designed to push that much air.
I have no doubt proline and BK will take care of you. They are top notch in my book!!
When you get the new pump check the air and then you have a set piont you know to go off of. I use my airmeter to know when the pump needs a cleaning.


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