Skimmer Help

[pass1over]

Ok, so i have a JEBO skimmer (yes, i know its crap, but i cant get anything else atm)
The skimmer came with like 0 instructions. So I have no idea how exactly its supposed to be set.
Where do i want the bubbles to be? do i want the water barely overflowing or what?
right now, the bubbles are building up all the way to the top of the cup and forming like a mushro0m cloud of bubbles on the lid, and they stay there mostly.

To me it doesnt seem like my skimmer is skimming anything. Can anybody help me out and tell me what the bubble lvl or whatever needs to be at for proper skimming?

Thanks in advance

[Amphibious]

pass1over

First, I'm not familiar with the jebo skimmer. From your description of the bubbles (foam) it sounds to me like you have a light bio load on the tank and the skimmer is performing it's job. We need to have a little more info. How long has the tank been set up and what critters do you have in there (the bio load).

If you run a skimmer on a cycled tank that has little or no bio load your skimmate (bubbles) may just dry off at the skimmer cup. This is ok because there isn't much for it to clean out. If you are pushing the skimmer hard you will experience a wet skimmate that is mostly clear because it's mostly saltwater. With a normal or heavy bio load your skimmate will look like coffee.

Help me out, what kind of critters do you have in there?

[pass1over]

Yea, I would call it a light bio load. Didnt realize that would affect it like that.

1-lawnmower blenny
8 or so snails of different kinds
7 hermit crabs
1 sea urchin
1 green chromi
3 emerald crabs
1 banded coral shrimp

tank is 55gal
sump is roughly 10 gallons
tank has been up and running about 3 years

Tank used to have more life in it. Had a yellow tang, a blue tang, a koran angel, mated pair of banded coral shrimp, and 3 sea urchins. Introduced a smalls chool of 5 green chromis and slowly lost them. Then lost both tangs and the angel in 1 weekend. that chromi is the last remains. moved 3 states away recently and now tryin to get it back and adding better/more filtration

[dakar]

Which skimmer from Jebo do you have? Any markings on it?

[pass1over]

its like this one
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-JEBO-Reef-Style-Protein-Skimmer-Reef-Aquarium_W0QQitemZ7744855117QQcategoryZ46313QQrdZ1 QQcmdZViewItem

[dakar]

Just guessing here since I've not seen that model, but most likely you want the water level a bit below the taper of the riser tube in the collection cup.

[pass1over]

You mean where the angle of the slop changes on the riser cup?
Thats where I want the water level to be at? what about the bubbles?

[dakar]

During break in you'll want to keep the top of the bubble column right around where around where the neck starts making the narrow down, right around the bottom of the collection cup. And tweak from there.