Hi, the purpose of this video
is to explain how to set up & adjust REEFER DC Skimmers,
which of course, include self-leveling features
to prevent over-skimming and collection cup overflow,
while maintaining maximal water aeration at all times.
Before getting into the set and adjust details,
let’s take a look at some of the features of the product:
This is the PSK variable flow skimmer pump.
It is used to power all 3 models of the REEFER Skimmer
which cover the range of hobby aquarium sizes.
This is the precision geared manual skim regulator,
which is the primary tool
for setting the desired wet-dry consistency of the foam,
by adjusting the height of the foam point inside the neck.
This is the ReefRun skim sensor.
The long probe sits in the neck
and measures the wetness of the foam,
which is used to activate a self-leveling procedure
when user-set over-skim wetness threshold is reached.
The short probe sits above the skimmate chamber,
and lets you know when the cup is full.
So how do we set up the skimmer?
There are 3 user settings that can affect the performance:
Pump flow intensity, the manual Skim regulator,
and the sensor wetness threshold.
When setting up the DC Skimmer pump on ReefBeat App,
the default intensity will be set
will be set according to your specific model of skimmer.
This intensity has been set to provide
the optimal air-water ratios and air-water contact time
inside the reaction chamber.
While you can raise pump intensity for smaller models,
we strongly recommend that you resist the urge,
as this will not improve performance
and will make them harder to regulate.
Since each aquarium system is unique,
and hobbyists differ in how wet or dry
they like to run their skimmers,
ReefBeat App has a user adjustable wetness threshold
for triggering the over-skim prevention.
Start with the default settings and adjust as I will explain.
Each skim-sensor needs calibrating for your system.
This should be done in a cup of saltwater
taken from your sump, and not directly in the sump,
to avoid interference that will affect the performance
of the self-leveling.
Adjust the manual skim regulator
so that the water level in the skimmer body
is approximately at the base of the neck.
If the foam is too dry
or it starts to accumulate lower in the neck,
gradually rotate the Skim Regulator in the “+” direction,
until the desired foam consistency is achieved.
Alternatively, if the foam is too wet,
gradually rotate the Skim Regulator in the “-” direction.
How do the self-leveling features work,
and how do you know if they are working well?
When the wetness of the foam in the neck
exceeds the over-skim wetness threshold,
skimmer pump intensity is immediately reduced
by about 30%, to prevent over-skimming,
and then gradually increased, a bit at a time,
according to the foam wetness,
until the preset pump intensity is reached
and stable skimming is restored.
If the over-skim conditions were momentary,
normal skimming will be restored in about 12 minutes.
If, however, the over-skimming conditions persist,
the pump intensity will vary a few percent at a time,
for as long as it takes till the preset intensity is restored.
If a full cup is identified,
pump intensity is lowered by about 65% of set intensity
and will keep running at this level,
to ensure continued aeration of water til cup is emptied,
and normal skimming is resumed.
You should be aware that the full cup state
may automatically start and stop a few times,
until the system identifies that the cup has reached
its maximum capacity.
All this information helps us understand the skim log,
that presents a record of the pump intensity,
which indicates how well the Self-levelling is performing.
In this log for a REEFER 900 DC Skimmer,
you can see the following events:
Here the skimmer is running at the set intensity of 100%.
Here the skimmer was at 0%, for 2 hours,
when it was switched off for feeding.
When it was turned back on,
we can see a very short over-skimming event,
which often occurs when skimmers restart after feeding.
Here the skimmer cup became full
and continued at the full cup intensity
until the cup was emptied
and full intensity was reinstated by the user.
By the way, in addition to the graph
there is more detailed log in 15-minute time slots.
If you have the 300 or 600 models,
running at their default intensities,
the percentages will be different
but the principle is the same.
If you have created a daily schedule for your skimmer
that includes a period at a lower pump intensity,
you should also take that into account
when looking at the skim log.
Adjustment of skimmer settings once it’s up & running
should be based on a combination of your observations
of the skimmer and the pump record from the Skim-log.
As I mentioned, we recommend leaving pump intensity
at the default setting for your model of skimmer,
so the adjustment tools
are the manual skimmer regulator & wetness threshold.
Observe what the foam looks like in the skimmer neck
and monitor quantity & consistency of skimmate in cup.
If you are happy with the performance,
then don’t touch the settings,
however, if not,
this chart will guide you
how to deal with the expected situations:
Less than expected or no skimmate at all
is probably due to the foam point being too low,
however,
it could also be due to the wetness threshold
being set too low and preventing good foam rising.
If the skim log does not show any self-leveling events
or only a very few short events
then the foam point needs to be raised
by turning the regulator in the “+” direction.
If the skim log shows that there was self-levelling activity
for a large part of the day,
then the wetness threshold needs to be raised.
More than expected or a clear and watery skimmate
is probably due to the foam point being too high,
however,
it could also be due to the wetness threshold
being set too high and is not preventing over-skimming.
If the skim log does not show any self-leveling events
or only a very few short events,
then the wetness threshold needs to be lowered.
If there was self-levelling activity a big part of the day
then the foam point needs to be lowered,
by turning the regulator in the “-“ direction.
Now that we know what to do,
here are a few useful tips regarding the DC Skimmers:
In general, adjust only one parameter at a time
and wait for a few hours to see the effect
before making a different adjustment.
Each self-leveling sensor
can be activated / deactivated
by toggling each one individually in the App.
At any time during the automated self-leveling processes
the skimmer can be returned to normal skimming
by pressing the resume button in the App,
or the pause/play button on the controller.
Feeding, dosing, water changes, tank/sump maintenance,
will all affect water condition and skimmer performance.
It is best to try adjusting the skimmer settings
well before any of these events,
so that the self-leveling will be set correctly
to deal with any over-skimming which can occur after.
New skimmers sometimes need a short break-in period
of a few days before they begin to function efficiently.
Over-skimming is common,
while harmless chemical residues
affecting water surface tension are neutralized.
Using the self-leveling feature during the break-in period
may not be effective and should be disabled.
When inserting the skim sensor to the skimmer lid
make sure that it is seated properly
and that the full cup probe
is not above the foam-view window
as this could generate false full cup notifications.
The skimmer pump is programmed
to continue aerating the water
even when over-skimming or full cup is detected.
In the event that over-skimming is detected
when there is a full cup
the pump intensity is reduced to Zero
until you empty the cup and resume normal skimming.
Full instructions for setting up & operating DC Skimmers
are included in the skimmer and DC pack manuals
provided with the products,
and on our website, where you will also find the most
up to date FAQ’s and troubleshooting guide.
We hope you enjoy your REEFER DC Skimmer
and get the most out of this innovative product.
Thanks for watching, and happy reefkeeping!