Skimmer question....

[fishguy_8]

Ok I got a Prizm skimmer today and i was just wondering how long i should be waiting for results in the collection cup? its on my newly set up 20g tank which has 20lbs of lr in it and several clean up critters.....eg. 2 stars, several hermits, several snails including 1 nass. snail, and one rather small and slow moving cuke.....i've never had a skimmer like this so its all very new to me. anyone have experience w/ these? also do you think this thing is enough for aeration? it says its made for up to a 100g tank but i've got it wide open and it doesnt seem to give off nearly as much surface agitation as i'd expect :S any input would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Jon

[tendar]

You should start getting stuff in the collection cup by tommorow in not allready. They like most skimmers need to build up a little slime coating on the inside of the skimmer to work best.
It will aeriat the water well but now they dont actually cycle very much water through them. Just adjust the the water flow to where it is puching just a little foam into to cup. It will take several days of fine tuning to get it right but once there it is good to go. Just watch it though because if you have to much foam going into the cup it will over flow it so watch it closly when makeing adjustments.

[fishguy_8]

ok i just woke up and still no bubbles or anything.....the water looks like its not bubbling up by the cup.....i'm a little concerned i dont have it running right.

[avifoox]

do you have ventury? if you don't you will have to put an air
pump and air stone(preferbly wood) and give the water as much air as possible if you have a ventury make sure you see bubbles going in
the skimmer.

[fishguy_8]

not really sure on the ventury like i said never had a skimmer or looked into the specifics much ......i just restarted it emptied the water and all......and it starts off like its gonna do som'n ....i see foam appear and start moving up the collection nozzle but then it like loses steam or something??? the water level in the collection cup area drops about an inch and that foam disappears.....anyone care to take a stab at it? Thanks for all the help folks.
Jon

[saltwaterdave]

If this is a new tank,it will probally take the skimmer a couple of weeks to start pulling out any skimmate.Skimmers usually go through a "breaking in period". You don't have much if any real bio-load on this tank. Just give the skimmer a couple of weeks and you should start seeing some results. HTH
David

[tendar]

Do you have the air hose pluged into the right hole on the collection cup? One hole for starting it up to get sucktion then you are to move it to the other hole so it can suck air. Try opening it up alittle more.

[fishguy_8]

tendar i figured it out yesterday i did forget to switch it over to the other tube notch i could have sworn that i did that but i must have forgot......but there is some scum gettin sucked out.....took me a li'l bit to get it to where i wasnt getting a dilluted skimmate....thanks for all the help
Jon

[tendar]

No problem sone times its the little things we miss. Every one does it.