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4.
Starting the skimmer
•
The air tube has always to be installed upward over the water level in the skimmer.
This air
tube must not hang down.
Therefore, it should always be connected to the silencer (Fig. 1,
No. 5). Connect the bottom end of the tube to the air intake of the pump. The air inflow (Fig. 1,
No. 8) should principally be fully open. An adjustment of the inflow would change the water flow
at the same time and therefore, should only be done in exceptional cases.
•
The foam cup is simply inserted from the top.
•
The ideal water level in the filter sump is 17 ± 1 cm for the aCone 3.0 EVO. With higher or
lower water levels, airflow rate and skimming power will decrease. The filter sump should either
contain an overflow edge that keeps the water level in the ideal range or it should be equipped
with an automatic refill unit, such as Aqua Medic Refill System. The drain from the skimmer has
to run freely into the aquarium or filter sump.
•
The skimmer will be filled by starting the venturi pump. To do so, first of all open the lower
drain valve (Fig. 1, No. 7) completely.
With high water load, the valve can also be unscrewed
completely. If the water level remains constant, it has to be closed only so far until the skimmer
is filled to half or two-thirds. Afterwards, wait for some time and make the fine adjustment with
the upper adjusting screw, best one to two hours later. A water level too high leads to very fast
overflowing of the foam cup. Here, special caution is required, if one connects the outflow
nozzle of the foam cup via a hose with a container standing beside the filter sump. There is the
danger that the container overflows if the skimmer cooks over. Thus, this would also lead to
strong loss of water in the filter sump whereby other devices could run dry and therefore, could
be damaged.
•
Ensure, when filling the skimmer that the water level of the aquarium resp. filter sump is not
lowered too much. Possibly, keep freshly prepared saltwater ready for refilling.
•
After first use or after cleaning the skimmer, it takes some time for the initial foam to build up
in the reaction pipe of the collection cup. This is because the cleaned acrylic initially reacts with
the water until a build up of fatty acids naturally takes place.
•
After approx. 24 hours, the foam should be pushed slowly and evenly into the collection cup.
The quantity of liquid and organic substances depends on the pollution of the aquarium.
5.
Maintenance
•
Foam cup:
Depending on the organic load, the cup should be cleaned daily to weekly.
•
Skimmer pipe:
This only needs occasional cleaning. We recommend intervals from 6 to 12
months.
•
Reaction pipe:
For a complete cleaning, the base can be unscrewed.
•
Venturi pump:
The maintenance of the pump should be done at least every two months, if
necessary, even more often:
-
Drain the water out and dismantle the pump. Flush the pump housing and 3D-needle wheel with
clean water and, if necessary, use a brush. The same should be done with the air injection
nozzle.
6.
Failures
The pump is designed to operate over a long period of time with little or no maintenance. If the
pump gets noisy, the pump head and rotor (Fig. 2) have to be cleaned. If the impeller is damaged,
it has to be replaced.
Problem:
The ratio between supplied air and the water volume is not correct.
Cause:
Possibly, the air injection nozzle is clogged or the pump head resp. 3D-needle
wheel is dirty.
Action:
Dismantle the venturi pump, clean it thoroughly, carefully clean the air injection
nozzle with a thin brush or blunt instrument and re-assemble the pump again.
Problem
:
The skimmer skims off too heavily. The foam cup is filled too fast.
Cause:
The water level in the filter sump is not optimal.
Action:
Adjust water level.
