Help wanted with Berlin Air-Lift

My 20 gallon reef is two months old and I have had more cloudy water than clear, plenty of green algae and now my Royal Gramma appears to have Marine Ich.  Realizing that most of my problems are a result of a new tank and an idiot who throws money into it, I thought that a cheap air driven skimmer would be better than none at all.  So, yesterday at Petco (ugg!) I noticed a Red Sea Berlin Air-lift on a close out price of $29.  Since I had made a large pot of beans that will feed my wife and me for a week, I purchased it.

Now, the questions are:  1.) Should it not produce a dry foam?  I it does, when?  2.)  All I see are small bubbles but nothing in the collection cap.  Should I have a higher capacity air pump?  3.)  Is it possible that there are only a small amount of proteins in the water? (I feed the fish every two days with brine shrimp.  All they can eat for two minutes).  Has any WMAS member had experience with this device?

I am waiting for a CPR HOB Refugium to arrive and I intend to place skimmer, heater and LR/LS Macro Algae in it.  Any comments are most eagerly awaited.

 

Fred

Edited by BrokeCurmudgeon

I have used an air powered skimmer and they are very tempramental. Just looking at your pic I notice that the water level is too low. U need to have it right up to the bottom of the collection cup. U can accomplish this by sitting the skimmer further down into the tank. I remember I had to remove some subtrate from under the skimmer to adjust the level as it was touching bottom in my tank. Let it run a few days and ull have some skimmate. if not lower it some more (raise the water level more) and wait.

Hope this helps

Asad

We ought to be addressing the ich before discussing the skimmer. You need to be IMMEDIATELY feeding with garlic soaked food. There is a frozen product that already has garlic so you don't have to try to do your own, or you can find the answers regarding garlic by searching here.

Just last week, my friends Blue Tang had ich and we immediately began feeding Adams concoction from the November meeting. The ich cleared in two days.

Other enemies of ich are the Cleaner Wrasse and the Cleaner Shrimp. The Wrasse is less than half the cost of the Shrimp but lives less than a fourth as long.

I agree with the two experts above, regarding the skimmer.
And you don't have to wait, just lower the skimmer until the top of the clear white bubbles are about two inches from where they overflow. if there is a need for the skimmer, the bubbles will eventually darken and reach the top where they will overflow a dark smelly liquid.

Be patient, It could be producing tomorrow or might take a few days. Tomorrow, if there is overflow (skimate) but it's not dark, raise the skimmer about an inch or until the clear white bubbles are 1-2" below the top of the overflow.

What type of airstone are you using?

And thanks for the pics, that totally helped.

Edited by Mark Peterson