Troubleshooting; Safety Precautions - Sera Marin Precision Protein Skimmer PS130 Instrucciones De Montaje

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®
Protein Skimmer PS 130
US Information for use
sera marin Protein Skimmer PS 130
Please read these instructions carefully and keep for
future use.
The sera marin Protein Skimmer PS 130 is a small and
powerful skimmer suitable for small aquariums up to
approx. 150 liters (39.6 US gal.). It is attached to the
aquarium glass edge or the filter chamber by means of
the gray holder bracket. The unit is included with the
sera marin Biotop Cube 130 kit. However, it is also suit-
able for smaller tanks due to its size. It is therefore also
optimally suitable for aquarists who wish to start a
saltwater aquarium after having kept freshwater aqua-
riums.
Included items (fig. 3)
3.1 Skimmer with integrated dispergator pump
3.2 Outlet tubing with adjustment valve
3.3 Air hose with adjustment valve
3.4 Vertically adjustable holder bracket
Skimmer tasks
A skimmer is the heart of saltwater aquarium filtration.
It removes protein that is permanently released into
the water by micro organisms, invertebrates and fish.
The skimmer removes particles such as floating matter
and aerates the aquarium. Protein not removed from
the water will lead to an increasing amount of harmful
substances such as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate (bac-
terial breakdown chain beginning with protein). Keep-
ing saltwater organisms in closed systems would be
considerably more difficult or, depending on the re-
quirements of the species in question, even impossi-
ble.
Function principle (fig. 4)
The dispergator pump draws in air through the hose
(4.1) and blends it with water drawn in through the
slits of the bottom part of the unit (4.2). The water/air
mixture (flotate) is directed into the inner reaction
chamber of the skimmer (4.3) and rises to the water
surface inside the unit. The bubbles form, pass the flo-
tate cup sieve (4.4) and collect in the flotate cup (4.5),
whereas the water enters the outer chamber of the
unit and leaves the skimmer through the outlet tube
(4.6) with adjustment valve attached on the side.
Assembly instruction (fig. 5)
5.1 Cover
5.2 Flotate cup with sieve
5.3 Internal tube of reaction chamber
5.4 Outer tube/Main tube
5.5 Bottom with integrated dispergator pump
5.6 Rotor with removable shaft
5.7 Bottom part with slits
5.8 Intake opening of the pump
5.9 Vertically adjustable holder bracket
5.10 Air hose connector
5.11 Air hose
5.11.1 Hose fixture for air intake
5.12 Adjustment valve
5.13 Outlet tubing with adjustment valve
Attachment to the filter chamber (fig. 2)
or the aquarium glass edge (fig. 1)
The sera marin Protein Skimmer PS 130 is installed in
the right filter chamber, where the water enters filtra-
tion in case of the sera marin Biotop Cube 130. The unit
can of course also be operated in other similarly sized
aquariums. The unit is attached to the upper edge of
the back or side aquarium pane by means of the gray
holder bracket. The snap-in points allow for precise
vertical adjustment of the skimmer. It is recommended
to immerse the skimmer in the aquarium up to the
upper gray ring. The air hose of the unit must protrude
out of the water, and the stick-on valve that allows
adjusting the air intake must be entirely open. The
adjustable outlet of the unit is located below the water
surface.
The skimmer is now ready for operation and can be
started.
Operation
After switching on the pump, air is automatically
drawn into the skimmer and scattered into fine bub-
bles by the rotor of the pump. The water level inside
the skimmer rises slightly above the water level of the
filter or the aquarium, respectively. The pump will now
blend water and air. Starting a skimmer for the first
time will often lead to relatively strong foam forma-
tion: Extremely moist foam will end up in the flotate
cup (5.2) which quickly runs full of water this way. In
that case a temporarily reduced air intake at the air
regulator (5.12) or a very low water level inside the
skimmer will help. For achieving this purpose, re-ad-
justing the holder bracket (5.9) allows placing the unit
in a position protruding higher above the water sur-
face. Additionally, the water level inside the skimmer
can be adjusted by the outlet valve. Each aquarium has
its own biology and its own protein level.
One day after starting the unit you should adjust it
more precisely for the first time, in case too much liq-
uid is skimmed as well as in case no foam has formed:
If no foam has appeared so far, the skimmer should be
immersed deeper. The air supply should not be re-
duced at all if possible. If the flotate is too watery, the
skimmer should be placed in a higher position by re-
adjusting the holder bracket. Also, the outlet valve
should be opened further in this case.
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Cleaning
Pull mains plug before cleaning.
The flotate cup (5.2) with the integrated sieve must be
cleaned regularly. Adhering fat remainders from the
flotate would make newly formed foam burst quickly.
Therefore, the flotate cup must be taken out of the
main pipe and cleaned under running tap water
without using detergents at least twice per week.
Then the flotate cup is pushed back into the main tube
up to the snap-in points.
Deposits may form on the bottom of the skimmer over
time, which reduce outflow at the bottom and thus
affect the skimmer performance. Therefore, the entire
skimmer should be cleaned regularly.
The skimmer can be dismantled completely. You can
remove the bottom part with slits (5.7) from the pump
and clean it without using detergents. When looking
into the pump part from underneath you will see the
slightly bow-shaped intake opening of the pump (5.10)
directly beside the pump body. It must always be clean
and never clogged. Pulling the main pipe of the skim-
mer (5.4) off the pump part will make the internal pipe
(5.3) accessible. This part can also be pulled off in an

Troubleshooting:

Problem Possible cause
Insufficient air intake rate Intake valve (5.12) insufficiently o-
pened
Air hose (5.11) is encrusted with
lime or dirty
Intake nozzle (5.8) on the pump is
dirty
Pump performance is too low
Foam too moist/ Water level within the unit is too
too much foam high
Foam too dry/ Water level within the unit is too
very viscous foam low
Insufficient pump performance
Insufficient foam formation Insufficient amount of air
Foam formation too strong, very Water strongly polluted
brownish flotate, very sticky foam
see: Insufficient foam formation
Foam formation breaks down Feeding fatty food (fish, mussels)
Air intake congested
upwards direction, allowing to take the rotor (5.6) of
the pump out and clean it. Lime may deposit in the
intake connector (5.8) where air is drawn in, and
obstruct the air supply. You can drip sera pH-minus
directly onto the lime deposits to remove them. This
must be done outside the aquarium.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:

• Always unplug all electrical accessories before any
kind of work is carried out in the aquarium!
• The power cord of the pump must not be repaired or
replaced! If the power cord is damaged, the entire
unit must be replaced or disposed.
• The maximum temperature of the water must not
exceed 35°C (95°F).
• The pump performance will considerably increase in
case the air supply is suddenly switched off, the skim-
mer can overflow, and large amounts of water may
be pumped from the tank!
The sera marin Protein Skimmer PS 130 is an open flow
unit. The unit cannot work, and the oxygen supply of
the aquarium will be strongly inhibited, if the outlet
into the aquarium is clogged or otherwise obstructed.
Troubleshooting
Open intake valve (5.12) further
Clean
Clean
Clean rotor and shaft
Place skimmer in a higher position
Immerse skimmer deeper
Clean rotor, shaft and intake nozzle
Open intake valve (5.12) further
Partial water change, feed less
Increase flotate moisture
Foam formation will begin again
after a few hours
Clean air intake or open further
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