Tank Journal Archive

[Jacques Pels]

Hi,
set the new skimmer up this week. It is the Marine Sources Monsker 3500 with 2 Red Devil DC pin wheel pumps.
It came with a single photo-copied page to set up the parts, but no owners manual on tuning, ideal water level etc.

Started with just the one pump on, and after the usual lag, it started to form a nice foam head. Then turned the first pump to lowest setting, and turned on the second pump, also at lowest setting, but it pushed water up and filled the Cup in seconds.
I have been fooling around with the red stand pipe, which is the only control I see, to alter the water exit, but every time it overflows.
I have been running on just 1 pump, and getting a decent foam head and medium dark green in the cup.
I initially had it on 70mm legs to raise it in the sump, but when I visited a store, they had the same MS units, just smaller ones, and they sat deep in the water, so i placed mine on the tank floor, so the water level was about 300mm. It still worked, but with only one pump on. Any time I started the second pump, it overflowed.

Any advice or experiences appreciated.

Tks
Jac

 

[Sam Parker]

Ah marine sources..... Not known for their instructions, that's for sure.

OK, well, if that is the skimmer you have to work with then let's get it going. You effectively have three variables to work with, which it seems you've already discovered:

1. Pump speed
2. Skimmer depth
3. Stand pipe

Being a new skimmer, it may need to flush all the residue off before settling down. Take the cup off the skimmer (or open up the drain in the cup) and let it overflow for a day. This will get all the manufacturing residues off it and "bed it in" ready for actual work. Then, fire up both pumps, set them at a medium speed and adjust the red stand pipe so that it is in the fully open position (it will usually have a diagonal cut in the bottom which controls the amount of water it lets out of the skimmer body based on where the cut out is facing). I couldn't find any height settings for this model online, but I wouldn't base the depth off smaller models as they can all vary. Raise or lower the skimmer (or water height if you can do that in your sump) till you get the skimmer to not overflow. Ideally, on these settings you will want the water only sitting about half way up the body or even less. It is easy to dial it up later once settled in via pump speed or the stand pipe settings.

Take some pics or videos of how it's running and we might be able to suggest some more :)

Sam

 

[Jacques Pels]

Sam,
When I first set up the Skimmer, with just 1 pump, and on 70mm legs, it took about 6 hours, but then started to get darkish green spumate in the cup.
Tried activating the second pump, even with both on the lowest setting, but each time it overflowed the cup.
Then I took away the legs, and ran with just 1 pump - pretty good, but same overflow with the second one on.
Since then, I tried putting it up on 90mm legs.

 

[Jacques Pels]

With 90mm legs. the foam head never reached the rim, even after 12 hours on one pump. As soon as I tried to add the second pump, it overflowed.
Dropped it to 50mm legs, with 1 pump, ok, but after 6 hours just a light geen foam into the cup.

 

[Jacques Pels]

Next day back onto 70mm legs, and with 2 pumps, each at lowest setting - just wet foam. Let it run overnight, but still overflowed by morning.
Asked the dealer, who suggested I try adding 2 taps, to regulate the air intake.

 

[Jacques Pels]

With skimmer on 50mm legs, both pumps on at lowest setting, I got a wet foam head about 25mm below the rim of the cup after fiddling with the air taps to avoid overflow.
I let it run overnight, to see if there would then be a decent foam head, but nothing in the cup at all, except some clear water.
After playing with this for a week now, I just took it off the legs again, and back to one pump at 70% setting. This is where I was last week, where I was getting decent spumate in the cup

I will wait to see how it settles in today.
With the skimmer raised on 90mm leags, I though it will limit the water depth inside the skimmer, hence the foam head, but the water level with 2 pumps on, inside the skimmer, was up into the narrow collar, so a limited space fo a foam head to form.
I am wondering if the 2 Red Devil 5000 pin wheel pumps are too strong for a pair in this skimmer. We were going to go with the JNS skimmer, but then this one turned up - wondering if it was a mistake.

Jac

 

[Sam Parker]

yeah taps in the air intake can help, but probably shouldn't be needed. Can I ask if you always run the same pump when running just one? Just trying to rule out if it is one particular pump causing trouble

 

[Jacques Pels]

Hahaha.... we are on the same page - I tried alternate pumps, to see if it made a difference, but no, same result.
Twisted the red stand pipe all sorts of directions, to adjust the water discharge side, but did not make much difference.
Marine Sources replied, and sent a "Owners manual "... explained all the same we have discussed, but at least gave an indication on optimal water depth of between 200 and 250 mm. Thats why I raised , then lowered the legs.
It has been running since about noon, on the sump floor, so water depth of 300mm, with one pump, and 70% RPM, and it has started withna decent semi-dry foam head with color... you go figure

Jac

 

[Sam Parker]

any updates Jac?

 

[Jacques Pels]

Hi,
not much 'progress' to report. Skimmer is back down on sump floor, with 1 pump at 90% speed, and I get a decent dry foam head, with dark yellow/green spumate.
Tried several variations in the interim, but each time , with 2 pumps on, it overflows.
For now it seems to be doing its job, BUT I am concerned once i introduce corals, it will not, and I need to resolve this by then, to be able to get this skimmer to perform to its billing for a 3500 ltr tank.

Jac