Mp10 closer to the surface?

[MizTanks]

I'd like to place my Mp10 closer to the surface to help with agitation and to disperse the surface protein. Is this ok?

[nate_newton]

Yeah, mines about 2" from the surface. Just watch it for when its speed goes the highest so that it doesn't suck in air. Also I'm in Reefcrest mode.

[MizTanks]

Mines already about 2" from the surface and is barely touching it. Maybe a different setting? I've got it on the #2 Eco Smart setting.

[jimsflies]

Turn it up and it will move more water and break it up some...but at some point (more flow or closer to the water surface) it will likely start a vortex and suck in air. If you go with the pulse mode it will do it on every wave cycle as the water level dips down low enough/pump ramps up.

Keep in mind a protein "skimmer" isn't the same as a surface skimmer...you need a weir that will break the water surface in order mix the surface film with the water column where it can be processed by the protein skimmer. I'm not familiar with the slim skim, but if you can overflow directly into that, you would improve the efficiency of protein removal as that is essentially what is floating on the surface (your influent would have a higher concentration of proteins to remove).

[nate_newton]

Maybe try a random mode, the yellow. Reefcrest is first and lagoon is second.


Mines already about 2" from the surface and is barely touching it. Maybe a different setting? I've got it on the #2 Eco Smart setting.

[jimsflies]

I think without surface skimming there will always be some floating in a corner.

[nate_newton]

Definitely if there is no surface skimmer

[MizTanks]

Freakin A! Right back where I started from. Bought the skimmer because it stated it *surface skimmed* and it's NOT :(

[nate_newton]

Any chance you have a pic of skimmer in your tank? The skimmer does have an overflow that takes water from the surface.

[MizTanks]

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j338/NanaReefer/IMG_1971.jpg
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j338/NanaReefer/IMG_1972.jpg
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j338/NanaReefer/IMG_1970.jpg

Surface protein:
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j338/NanaReefer/IMG_1975.jpg

[Tom@HaslettMI]

An MP10, eh? Nice addition to the gear!

Can you raise the skimmer (even just a fraction of an inch)? If so the weirs should pull more from the surface.

Tom

[nate_newton]

I second trying to raise the skimmer

[jimsflies]

I have not personally seen one of these skimmers...Are there any intake slots below the water line? If so, they need to be blocked so that all the water goes over the wier.

[MizTanks]

.....BRB gotta go look up the meaning of...weir?

[WillBattle]

.....BRB gotta go look up the meaning of....wier?
I think the slots.. as in like a weir basket Could be wrong though lol

Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk

[MizTanks]

I'm back :) I'll try an raise it some more. In the first pic you see slots. Sort of like the ones found on an overflow box. I'm assuming this may be the weir your speaking of. The water is supposed to flow down through these and then the pump forces the mixture up through a tube into the nog cup.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

In the first pic you see slots. Sort of like the ones found on an overflow box. I'm assuming this may be the weir your speaking of.

That be them.

Tom

[jimsflies]

Here is some advice from another reefer:


give it some time, your brand new skimmer isn't going to suck all the protein out of the tank in minutes, it needs to be dialed in and settle in some, if u look at the pic she showed she either just cleaned the cup or its not doing much yet!

Also, instead of raising the mp10 u might want to try aiming one of ur old power heads straight up....and lower the mp10 and turn it up some.... even with it at 2" below the surface like u claim the top appears 100% stagnant, so its either turned off for the pic, or its turned waaaaaaaaaay down because if it was moving any kind of water it would have ALOT more surface agitation and less protein at the top then in that pic!

btw, you don't need to raise the skimmer, the way it sits it should be sucking off the top of the tank water anyways, if anything you needs to lower it to get more water flowing into it,not raise it which will decrease the amount of water going into the skimmer since it doesn't appear to pump from the tank to the skimmer,it seems to overflow into the skimmer and then the pump just adds air to work.

---------- Post added at 12:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:37 AM ----------

Yes wier refers to the slotted thing at the top. :)


I also agree, that if you don't have more slots that are submerged, try raising the height of the wier (or skimmer if you can't adjust separately). That will help with getting a higher volume of water off the surface rather than just under the surface.

[MizTanks]

Thanks for the help everyone :)

[rmalone]

That surface protein/junk can be taken off the top by putting a small piece of thin acrylic on the bottom half of the "weirs" where you overflow into the back chambers. This will increase the amount of water that flows from the surface, rather than pulling water from 2" under the surface. This worked perfect on my 12g cadlights nano. Water pressure will hold the acrylic against the overflow, just cut the acrylic the width of the over flow and about 1.5" tall. You will have to play with how high you place the acrylic, go just high enough on the overflow to get rid of the garbage on top of the water. Oh keep in mind that the little acrylic piece will fall off when you turn off the return pump.

[MizTanks]

Great advice rmalone but really doesn't apply to my set up at all ;) thanks though.

[rmalone]

Sorry about that I didn't realize you dont have back chambers. If your skimmer has an overflow type inlet to the pump you could do about the same thing.

[MizTanks]

At only 4w I don't think the pump would be strong enough to hold anything to the vent/weir.

[jimsflies]

Have you moved it up yet? Basically you need to create a situation where the water surface of your tank is above the water surface inside the skimmer when the pump is running....it should look like a waterfall from inside the skimmer.

rmalone's suggestion is still applicable, it just needs to be tailored to your situation. If moving it up doesn't work, temporarily block some of the slots and see if that works (just use a piece of plastic to do this..maybe cut out from a milk carton or something).

[MizTanks]

Taaaa Daaaaaaaaa! I couldn't raise the skimmer any more as my lights are in the way. I now understand what y'all were trying to tell me and I did it. Here's the results!

Plastic covering vents
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j338/NanaReefer/IMG_1993.jpg

Crystal clean surface!
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j338/NanaReefer/IMG_1994.jpg

Now for the best way to make this permanent :)

[slapshot]

Tie wrap a piece of black plastic. Run the tie wrap through the slots on the intake. Use black tie wraps and black plastic and you will never see it

[MizTanks]

Tie wrap a piece of black plastic. Run the tie wrap through the slots on the intake. Use black tie wraps and black plastic and you will never see it

Very wise grasshooper-lol