# How to break in a protein skimmer



## Midland (Jan 26, 2015)

Hi All,

My newly cycled tank has a small Ghost skimmer. Just wondering if there is any specific process in breaking it in considering that it is a small tank with very little bio load right now.

For about 48 hours after I turned it on micro bubbles were everywhere in the DT but they are pretty much gone now. The foam is climbing the neck a little but not enough to spill over and collect in the cup. I have been adjusting the air intake to try to get the foam to rise a little more. The only critters in the tank are 12 snails and one blood red fire shrimp. I am feeding them a little spirulina till I buy corals in a week or so.

Should I just wait for it to start working on its own or do I keep fiddling with the air intake? It has only been running for about 72 hours.

Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Slowly increase the air opening to 100%, all the while dialing back when the micro bubble begin to eject from the skimmer body into the DT. Raise the cup as needed if you are skimming too wet.

Once you start adding livestock, you'll be fiddling with cup height to get a consistent skimmate collection.

HTH


----------



## creature55 (Apr 3, 2014)

Following along!

I'm having same problem except I find either the flow is so low that no bubbles rise out of the column into the collection chamber or that flow is too high and there's quite a bit of water getting in the collection chamber. Can't seem to find a happy medium....


----------



## Midland (Jan 26, 2015)

wtac said:


> Slowly increase the air opening to 100%, all the while dialing back when the micro bubble begin to eject from the skimmer body into the DT. Raise the cup as needed if you are skimming too wet.
> 
> Once you start adding livestock, you'll be fiddling with cup height to get a consistent skimmate collection.
> 
> HTH


OK, will do. I did try full open but only for a few seconds. I will leave it longer and dial back as needed. Am I correct in thinking that the bubbles might not overflow into the cup if there is not enough crud in the water?


----------



## kwsjimmy (Jan 5, 2015)

*ghost skimmer*

Read the manual on ideal water level .. Its pretty specific, that's going to allow you to adjust the cup for a wetter or dry skim. My ghost took about 2 - 3 weeks to break in before it began making some skim. Once broken in if you find a micro bubble issue... Try opening the air valve more... Seams to work for me


----------



## J_T (Mar 25, 2011)

kwsjimmy said:


> *Read the manual on ideal water level .. Its pretty specific*, that's going to allow you to adjust the cup for a wetter or dry skim. My ghost took about 2 - 3 weeks to break in before it began making some skim. Once broken in if you find a micro bubble issue... Try opening the air valve more... Seams to work for me


This is so often overlooked! And normally is the root of many skimmer problems!


----------



## Midland (Jan 26, 2015)

kwsjimmy said:


> Read the manual on ideal water level .. Its pretty specific, that's going to allow you to adjust the cup for a wetter or dry skim. My ghost took about 2 - 3 weeks to break in before it began making some skim. Once broken in if you find a micro bubble issue... Try opening the air valve more... Seams to work for me


Yep. Read it from beginning to end before using it and noted the desired spot on the skimmer as determined by the height of the cup as it is now. I am assuming I just need to be patient and play with the air valve. The other issue this tank has is how much the water level in the back chamber changes which of course messes up the skimmer being at the right level. Over the March Break my son and I will figure out a way to hook up an automatic refill system to maintain a specific level.


----------



## kwsjimmy (Jan 5, 2015)

*skimmer*

As per innovative marine tech support start off with break , from fully closed, gently, open between 45 to 90 degrees,


----------



## Midland (Jan 26, 2015)

kwsjimmy said:


> As per innovative marine tech support start off with break , from fully closed, gently, open between 45 to 90 degrees,


Thanks - where did you find this tech support? Did you email them or find it on a post? So, start with the air valve closed and then turn 45 - 90 degrees? Not sure what you meant by "start off with break".


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Midland said:


> OK, will do. I did try full open but only for a few seconds. I will leave it longer and dial back as needed. Am I correct in thinking that the bubbles might not overflow into the cup if there is not enough crud in the water?


Sry...to clarify...you *ideally *want to eventually have the air opening at 100%. So once the microbubbles settle, increase the air opening a little bit more. You may be able to get to 100%, you may not based on the variables inherent in that skimmer design. Having the skimmer placed in an area of constant water height removes a variable in the fine tuning process.

Change once variable at a time and leave alone for at least 30mins or you'll be running around in circles fiddling with this and that.


----------



## kwsjimmy (Jan 5, 2015)

*oops*

Break = break in period. The problem with the ghost skimmer on 100% is its loud...


----------



## Midland (Jan 26, 2015)

Thanks for the help one and all. The good news is I now have skim forming. Just way to watery. I will now follow your advice and begin to fine tune in a more logical way than the hit and miss random thing I was doing.


----------

