Hi, I just bought a used Kent Nautilus TE skimmer for my 55 gallon (main) and 20 gallon (sump). So far, it's not skimming all too well. Lots of water, but isn't real black and foamy. The pump is a Sedra (pushes about 500 gph). Are there any mods that I can do on this to make it perform better? Thanks!!!
Kent Nautilus TE
- Thread starter tangale
- Start date
- Location
- Queens, NY
How long has it been running for? It usually takes some time for a skimmer to "kick" in
tangale said:
Here's the manual for the Nautilus EX : Kent Marine
Here's an excerpt: "The Nautilus EX may need a few minutes to several hours of steady operation before it begins to ?break -in? and remove organics from the system; this is a result of harmless mold release agents and oils that may be present on parts of the skimmer. Because the skimmer may appear to ?suddenly? begin working (and therefore creating a lot of foam), we
reiterate the importance of checking the unit?s performance on a regular basis during the break-in period. In aquariums with a high concentration of organic matter, a wet, light-colored foam may be produced at first, as the organic-laden bubbles carry a lot of water up through the foam-rise tower; this can be compensated for by opening the exhaust gate valve up further to lower the height of the water in the reaction column or by reducing the rate of water flow into the unit with a flow-reduction valve (i.e. ball valve). As the concentration of organics begins to decline, the foam will become progressively darker and drier, eventually becoming dark brown or green, sticky foam. The amount of time it will take the skimmer to break in depends on the initial concentration of dissolved and particulate organic matter in the aquarium and the pump flow rate through the unit."
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