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eightonex 
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Joined: April 02 2016
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 Topic: Skimmer help
Posted: July 03 2016 at 9:57pm |
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I have a red sea berlin triple pass protein skimmer. I cant afford to get a new one right now. So I have been trying to make it work. I have a rio 1700 pump for it. It's pretty much not skimming at all. Every once and awhile it will skim. I would say maybe 1% of the time. I have pulled it out and cleaned all of it. My water level in my sump is good. Nothing I do works. Anyone have any ideas?
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badfinger
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Posted: July 03 2016 at 11:23pm |
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What size tank do you have it on?
If it's skimming 1% of the time it may be too big, and won't skim until there is enough DOC's for it to pull out.
Maybe send a pic of it in action. It may also be your venturi is clogged
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eightonex
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Posted: July 03 2016 at 11:57pm |
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It's a 90g. I don't ever see bubbles in it. It's for sure not clogged. I took it out last night and looked at it. It's pretty much not skimming anything.
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eightonex
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Posted: July 03 2016 at 11:58pm |
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I can send pics via text but it's hard to post on forum via mobile
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: July 04 2016 at 8:58am |
First off, take it from me, a grouchy old 23 year veteran hobbyist that started this club and coincidentally, hardly uses skimmers. It's not a big deal that it's not working. The tank is looking good, is it not? Secondly, those Red Sea Berlin skimmers are sorely ineffective, inefficient and problematic. One of my maintenance accounts has one and, like yours, it was hardly working so I unplugged it 4 months ago. The tank is doing wonderfully and looking as good as ever.
Okay, now that's out of the way, let's look at the basics. The key to most skimmers is the Venturi, as badfinger said. The Venturi is where water rushes past a plastic part with a small opening sucking in air as it goes. The tiny opening where water rushes by and air goes in must be cleaned periodically with a hard metal wire, small screw or small drill bit. Be careful not to enlarge the holes but only dislodge the calcium buildup. The plastic part has a nipple for attaching the air line. Without an airline leading up to open air, it could not suck air in, as the Venturi is usually underwater. The Red Sea Berlin is a very touchy skimmer. Not only does the venturi have to be perfect, but the pump has to be just right and the water discharge outlets have to be tuned in perfectly as well. If I were you, I'd trash it and if you absolutely must have a skimmer, save your money and get one for a good price here on the forum.
In the meantime, feel free to post in a new discussion thread, or send me pics of your tank and sump/refugium. Email pics to [email protected] or send pics to 435-632-3366. I can help you learn how to maintain your tank beautifully, skimmerless. 
Aloha, Mark  |
Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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eightonex
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Posted: July 06 2016 at 4:23pm |
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Ok ok I give up with this thing lol. Show me the ways
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: July 07 2016 at 8:16am |
I hope that old skimmer makes a nice decorative lamp.  What I have found to be the key is making maximum use of natural biofiltration. BTW, this will be part of the discussion at the August meeting.
The WMAS had a visiting guest speaker many years ago that taught us how to use Macroalgae in an RDP Refugium. He said that in building the first ever and now longest running, marine ornamental fish hatchery, C-Quest, in Puerto Rico, (now in Wyoming), he came to the conclusion that growing algae in the system, along with the use of AC, was a great substitute for a skimmer. This is how I came to have my first Macroalgae - AC filtered system. Using AC is fairly simple. Growing algae is more complicated. Algae grows best under bright light of the right spectrum. At this writing, VHO or HO fluorescent lighting with spectrum emissions from 5000-12,000 K is the best substitute for sunlight.
Aloha, Mark
Abreviations legend BTW - by the way WMAS - Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society AC - Activated Carbon RDP - Reverse Daylight Photosynthesis VHO - Very High Output HO - High Output K - Kelvin
Edited by Mark Peterson - July 07 2016 at 8:30am
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Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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