DIY protein skimmer. Why is the waste water clear?

[Ryan seymore]

Hi everyone ive been trying to make my own protein skimmer and i finaly finished it last night
but i have it all set up and running but when i woke up today i checked the waste cup and
there is only about an inch of what seems to be just clear water...
It was producing a massive amount of macro bubbles last night and filled the cup in
about 15 minutes but the water was again clear and i thought it was way too fast
so i raised the pvc tube a little higher so it wasnt completely
under the water level in the lower half of my system and now its like its not even working.
i get a very small amount of foam about every 5 minutes or so...
i know this is not enough info to completely fix my problem
and ill get pictures soon but im just wondering if anyone else
has had this problem and what your opinion on this problem could be..?

Thanks everyone, Ryan

[Reefing Madness]

You say you moved the pvc higher.? Did you add a valve on the return section so were are able to adjust the water level in the neck? Do you have a recirc pump on the skimmer? Is it air intake or needle wheel? Mesh mod? What size pump is on the skimmer? If its making clear water sound like the bubbles are not small enough to gather.

[Ryan seymore]

Hi thanks for the reply and im sorry no pics

I have no valves on it just an in at the top and an out at the bottom im using a 402 powerhead with
an airline to produce macro bubbles no air stones and its a needle wheel. not alot to it really but
Needless to say it went from not working at all to over filling in my refugium just a few minutes ago...
Im going to start over and i need some help please! anything is helpful and i greatly appreciate all help
and opinions on whats best and how to build it. my sump is a 10g and i only have 2 1/2 feet to work
with as far as height from my refugium floor to the bottom of my show tank so it cant be too big
my refugium area is 10"x10"

[Original Fin]

Afraid I won't be any help in the design of it, but I do know that new plastics and acrylics give off a bit of oil and/or gas (not sure what it is exactly, just that there is a curing period) in SW for a few days, and that can be enough to screw up the best of skimmers when they are brandy new.

[Ryan seymore]

Thanks for the heads up fin i had heard the same but wasnt sure if it would affect anything so its
nice to know i will have to cure whatever i build if its made with plastic or acrylic.

[Reefing Madness]

As stated above, yea they do come with a shelf resin that screws with the water for a few days. But, with your situation, don't trash what you have, add a gate valve on the return line so that you are able to control the water level in the skimmer. This way you can control it overflowing or not, and also the break in period. Take your needle wheel and put some 5lb fishing line around the wheels, this will chop up the water and make fine bubbles.

[Ryan seymore]

Alright ill give it a try i appreciate the help this is my first time trying
this so hopefuly i correct the problems im having with my project.
i appreciate your time and help and ill be sure to post pics when
i get it done thanks!

[The R/C Man]

Hey Ryan!

As mentioned there is a break in period. It could even be up to a week with the pvc. Skimmers will even stop producing for about an hour after you feed your fish do to oils in the foods. With that said, smaller bubbles are better at collecting dissovled organics as they provide more surface area per volume. But don't get to caught up with tiny bubbles, there is a theroetical limit on the bubble size. I am at a loss right now for an analogy for bubble sizes... Maybe check you tube fo some commercial made skimmer videos. To provide the best control over water flow and level within the skimmer use a gate valve on the return side as mentioned and you can also add a vavle after the pump to control its output going into the skimmer. That will give a little bit extra adjustability. For example my Barr Aquatic skimmer has an Iwaki 100 on the imput side and is a bit over kill. The valve helps to tame it down. Also do you have a baffle of some type in the bottom of the skimmer to direct the bubbles up toward the chamber?

[Ryan seymore]

Thanks RC! i appreciate the help and i didnt have a baffle i did add my ball valve
on the out and my pump i was using had a valve as well but i think i found
the problem my pump is barely working so i took it apart an cleaned it but
i think its shot so ill be getting a new one and rebuilding and adding
a few things so hopefuly it will work.