It depends some on the model of the skimmer, It will
take some getting used to, and it will depend on how
wet you want the skimmate. Also every time you put
your hand in the water, the oils from your body will
pop the foam, and cause it to not function properly
for a while. Also it takes a few days for the new
plastic of the skimmer to break in.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets


ITGuy wrote on 6/5/2007 12:17 AM:
Well here is what is happening. The videos I see of skimmers show a frothy
foam boiling over into the collection cup.

Right now all I have is bubbly water, no foam or froth. When I adjust the
air inlet valve, where should the top of the bubbling water be? down in the
tube, or up top about ready to boil over?

The instructions weren't too clear and I have no idea what I should be
seeing in the very first day of operation.


"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:CL39i.7933$V01.78@trnddc02...
ITGuy wrote:

Anyway, it seems to operate...the column is filled with bubbles. But no
gunk is coming out and the return water puts lots of micro bubbles in my
tank.

I even stirred up the tank so that some of the crap rose up into the tank
hoping it would suck alot of it out.
Skimmers don't work that way; at least, you hope they don't pull out crap
you have to stir up.

Skimmers remove suspended proteins from the water. These are usually
invisible, but some can be seen as sort of an oily film on the surface. If
you don't have decay products, such as dead fish, uneaten food, or fish
urine and feces, there isn't anything for the skimmer to remove.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess
to anything.