Setting up a Skimmer is easy
Protein skimmers are available in a variety of styles and types, so there's a skimmer to fit virtually every aquarium system. Some models are installed internally, while other are considered external, hanging either on the tank or off the filter's sump.
Installing a protein skimmer is easy. Provided below are step-by-step instructions for installing a
Turboflotor 1000 Multi. Assembly for most other skimmers will be very similar. The model we chose includes a pump and all fittings, and we opted to hang this one on the outside of the wet/dry filter's sump, where it is out of sight and doesn't take up any room inside the sump.
Step One: Initial Assembly
Assembly is so easy, cutting the tubing is the hardest part!
- Attach the strainer to the pump's input and place the pump into the filter's sump.
- Slide the black box with screws onto the skimmer outputs and tighten.
- Attach the suction cups to the two screws extending from skimmer base.
- Slide the tubing over the grey barb on skimmer and tighten clamp over tubing and barb.
Expert's Tip!
When working with flexible plastic tubing, soak one end of the tubing in a cup of hot water. This softens the tubing and makes it more pliable so it's easier to slide over barbed fittings. |
- Hang skimmer on sump and adjust base screws to create a 5 degree lean towards sump.
- Mark the tubing where it needs to be cut to fit on pump.
- Remove skimmer and cut the tubing.
- Remove pump from sump and attach tubing and clamp.
- Attach airline tubing to the back of the pump, and put the pump and skimmer back into position.
The two black boxes on the output allow for any remaining bubbles to dissipate.
Step Two: Installation
- Add the collection cup on skimmer (placing the lid on the top of the cup with the concave side down).
- Add the second black box to the end of the skimmer outputs.
- Add the flow control taps on top the output tubes. (Make sure the holes in the tap face the sump.)
After installing the airline silencer, make sure the sump contains water before proceeding.
Expert's Tip!
Try to place the skimmer's intake on the opposite side of your system's main water pump intake. |
Step Three: Adjusting Flow Rate
- Add the air silencer to the airline tubing.
- Attach it to side of sump.
- Plug in the pump.
- Adjust the flow control taps to bring the water level up to the black ring.
It may take a while for enough pressure to build up to spill foam into the collection cup.
