Help with setting up bak-pak 2.

[LongGrain]

alright, this is my first skimmer and i set it up per the directions and I'm having a few problems. So here are a few of my questions.

1. I know there is a "break in period) for this skimmer, what are the symptoms or behaviors of this period, and how long should it last?
2. My collection cup is filling up completely with crystal clear water every 10-20 minutes, no matter how high or low I set it in the skimmer, why? Its not collecting any junk. Just water.
3. my tank literally has 1/4" of froth at the top now from this skimmer, I know its normal for a few micro bubbles when the skimmer is new, but this is a LOT, my tank looks like it has bubble bath in it.
4. Should the powerhead be very noisy? Its crazy loud, and I'm not sure why.

Its also not making a lot of bubbles, just a .5-1" layer of foam/bubbles at the top of the inlet chamber.

My phone is dead at the moment, but I'll take some pictures/video of how I have it set up in a second here, I just followed the instructions and got it running last night.

[Pufferpunk]

Raise the skimmer cup so it is about 1/4" above the water line at the foot of the cup.
Make sure all the connections are tight & no bubbles are coming from elsewhere.

[LongGrain]

by water line I'm assuming you mean the top of the foam. When I put the cup above where the foam is, it just slides back down on its own. There are no leaks from anywhere else.

[LongGrain]

i messed with the adjustment knob and got some of the froth to go away.

still looks like this.

[Pufferpunk]

The cup should be about 1/4" above the water line.

Turn your output spout straight vertical to the tank.

[wagner7123]

you are currently medicating, which is going to cause a ton of bubbles. most would recommend turning off the skimmer until you are done medicating. also, the output spout is creating a lot of froth being pointed up like it is, point it level and turn the elbow so that it flows into the middle of the tank as opposed to right back into the powerhead.

[LongGrain]

then why does everyone (including CPR use in their youtube tutorials) say to have it at about a 45 degree angle with half the outlet in water, and half out? I just put it back to level and turned the elbow towards the center of the tank and it makes WAY more bubbles that way.

as for the collection cup, I'm still confused, ANY height I try results in a completely full cup in less than half an hour. I've even set it so high that the entire funnel is above the water line (so not touching the water/bubbles at all) and somehow the cup ends up full. I thought I had it before I left for work today (had what appeared to be the correct bubbling, about half way up the tube and slowly frothing) and just came home to find it overflowing and water spilling out from the air holes in the cap. Since I got home 12 minutes ago, I've had to empty it twice and its barely even touching the water.

I'm already sort of regretting buying this, Its so noisy I hardly got to sleep last night.

[wagner7123]

No idea, I haven't had any issue with mine at level. regarding the cup filling up, that is probably a sypmtom of breaking in a skimmer with meds in the water, have you tried letting it run for a while with out the cup in? that will let the skimmer break in, and prevent the cup from overflowing. Mine took about 3 days of running before it started to pull anything out of the water.

[LongGrain]

I'm going to try that, I just can't be here to empty it out often enough, and I don't want water spilling all over my floor. I'll let it run for a few days without the cup and then see. I'll be finished dosing with melafix on wednesday, then I'll do a water change and hopefully everything will be kosher by then.

[Pufferpunk]

The entire funnel is SUPPOSED to be 1/4" above the water line.

[LongGrain]

I can't even get it that high, the chamber is not tall enough to set the cup that high. I have the little rubber band thing as low as I can possibly get it without it falling off and the cup is still filling up super quick.

Maybe if my water level were 1" lower, but I don't know how to change that.

[Pufferpunk]

I don't get why the water level in your skimmer is so high. Mine is only about 3" from the top. It can only be as high as the hole between the 2 chambers.

[LongGrain]

yea its spilling through that hole most of the time. The top of the return chamber has foam too because of that.

Idk it seems to fluctuate like crazy. Right now I have the collection cup as high as I can possibly mount it sometimes the water/foam won't touch the bottom of the funnel, sometimes it will be rise up enough to be spilling over into the return and filling up the cup. And every time I try to adjust accordingly, the water seems to do something different. I know theres nothing wrong with my skimmer, I just haven't figured out how to work it yet.

[wagner7123]

my guess is all the bubbles from the meds are collecting at the exit pipe, making excess pressure at the elbow. that extra pressure is causing the skimmer to back up a little bit. maybe try removing the blue noodles, which will result in less plastic to break in and more water area in the return side allowing the bubbles to escape easier(maybe).

FWIW I am just guessing at this point, I don't actually know how to fix the issue.

[LongGrain]

this is why I can't set my collection cup high enough. I've been running it without one because it still fills up in minutes.



as you can see, its continually bubbling over the top.