----- Original Message -----

From: BC

I know a lot of you use this particular skimmer (Berlin XL), and I know from all the posts I've read, it's a pretty good one. It looks totally overwhelming compared to my little BakPaks, and I have a few questions for all the Berlin experts out there. According to the instructions, the ideal place is to set it inside your sump. Well, it's too darned tall!! It won't fit under my tank, so what I'm thinking of doing is setting it behind the tank with the pump (Rio 2100) inside the sump, and the return water from the skimmer flowing back into the sump. Does this sound okay? Also, there is a little flat-bottom plastic screw only about a 1/4" long that was in the goody bag... don't have a clue what it is for, it doesn't say. Also a clear, small in diameter, plastic tubing about 15" long. On the back of the book it lists it as an "waste connection pipe", but nowhere can I find it mentioned in the instructions. I don't know what to do with it! Another thing.... it comes with another cup that sits on top of the collection cup called a carbon air filter, that from what I gather its use is optional. You are supposed to put a carbon filter in it. Does anyone use this extra cup, or should I not bother with it?

From: A

I use the Berlin Classic XL - I think it works great, in fact I'm sure it's saved the lives of my fish on more than one occasion by removing pollutants so quickly. I use mine with an Eheim 1060 pump. I've had it running for just over a year now with no problems. The only criticism I have of it is that it's a bit (a lot?) noisy - doesn't bother me though as my sump is outside! Well the way you intend setting it up is OK. The little plastic screw goes in a small threaded hole in the side of the skimmer, adjacent to where the neoprene air tube passes through the top casing. It is intended to compress the air tube slightly if you need to reduce the air supply for any reason. - I don't have to. The small diameter clear plastic tube is a drain tube. You should also have in the bag of 'goodies' a threaded outlet. You remove the threaded stopper from the base of the collection cup, and fit this outlet instead. Then you fit the clear plastic tube onto this outlet. This is so you can drain the collection cup into a bigger container if you need to. I do this if I go away for a few days to prevent the collection cup overflowing, but it's quite large anyway so it probably would never overflow, but it's a handy facility. The top cup section is for activated carbon as you say. It's for removing any traces of Ozone if you use that in your skimmer. It may also be useful for removing any smell from coming from the collection cup, but I haven't tried this as mine is outside in the open anyway.

From: HL

The Berlin XL is a great skimmer, but the instructions are really very vague.

You can operate the skimmer outside the sump, with the pump in the sump, without any problem. Just keep the piping as short as possible, to minimise friction loss. The ideal would be to drill a hole in the side of the sump, and take the piping through a bulkhead, but piping it "over the top" will also work.

The "air filter cup" is only necessary if you add ozone to the skimmer (Ozone increases skimmer efficiency a lot, but is rarely used on reef aquariums these days). You then add activated carbon in this cup to remove the ozone from the air before it enters the room atmosphere, as it can be harmful to your health (causes headaches, etc) and destructive to plastics, etc. If not needed, you can just leave this cup off the skimmer.

On the side of the large collection cup there should be a small black "elbow" protruding from the cup. The little black screw can be used to block this hole, by unscrewing the "elbow" and inserting the flat topped screw. The collection cup is then a closed container, which needs to be removed from the skimmer for emptying. To "automate" the skimmer, you should connect the thin clear tube to the "elbow", and put the open end into a collection receptacle (I use a Tupperware "serial jug", but any plastic container will do). This will then collect the skimmate, and you can easily remove the jug for emptying. I hope this makes sense - for a clearer picture check the photo of my sump in the "Technical" section of my web page at: http://home.gardenet.co.za/landman

When you first start the skimmer, it will probably generate a very weak, watery skimmate, which will quickly overflow your receptacle, and possibly flood the room. To prevent this, I just turn the "air regulating valve" (the little white screw) in as far as it will go (don't force it). This will block off all air. Then open it only one or two turns. After an hour or two, or the next day, if you're not in a hurry, you can gradually increase the airflow, until it's all the way open. It should produce a thick foam, and dark skimmate. To prevent flooding the room, I've installed an overflow pipe from the top of the skimmate receptacle that leads back into the sump. If the power goes off, and the skimmer produces a "watery skimmate" when it restarts, the effluent can return to the sump when the receptacle becomes full. This is not ideal, but IMHO it's better than to empty the sump, and flood the room.

From: ??

I installed a Berlin classic on my 55g last Tuesday (I had the same problems with the crappy instructions) I left the screw thing fully open and it took about 12 hours before it produced anything. Then I started to get lots of horrible yellowy coloured liquid, so I stopped it, emptied it and started it again but only opened the screw a couple of turns (like Hennie says he does) then after a few hours opened it fully and it started producing lots of foam. A week later and I'm still amazed at what it's pulling out considering I've only got 2 clowns, 5 Turbos and 5 red leg hermits.
Just hang in there it'll foam...

From: BC

Okay, guys.... installed my Berlin XL tonight. Am really excited!! I so much appreciate everybody's input. I let it sit in my kitchen for a week because I was waiting on everyone's input. SO...got it all hooked up and it is running. I'm a little concerned. It's been running now for about 2 hrs.... No leaks, everything seems copasetic (?). BUT.... I have millions of bubbles, but nothing is coming into the cup? I was under the impression that it would go overboard at first and just go crazy filling the cup with nothingness fluid, but it hasn't happened. I'm watching and watching, and bubbles galore in the tubes, but nothing in my cup. I don't even see any foam in the little cup tube. What is the gig here guys? Am I being impatient, or is my tank just extremely clean?

From: Dr. Z

WHOA there! ubok! I've got same unit and @ first start-up it took maybe 24 hrs to become really efficient (explanation was the pristine surfaces needed a bit of residue to form and help break down the bubbles). Also the cup will fill a fair amount before it starts to drip into the overflow tube (if you are using it--are you?)

From: BC

I'm a CPR BakPak fanatic (as most know), so this Berlin is rather new to me. And I'm not saying that it isn't doing the job, it's just that the job it's doing is very different than what I am used to. With the BP I normally empty the cup(s) every day and what I get is a nasty, foul smelling liquid; with this Berlin, I'm not really getting a bunch of liquid that I'm used to but just nasty foul smelling grunge. It's not really liquid, it's more of a paste. I have to use a paper towel and clean out the funnel. I have the clear plastic tubing running into an empty gallon milk jug. I only have to empty it about once a week and even then it is only about 2" deep. This seems to be not enough. However, today when I cleaned the funnel, (or what would be the actual cup, if I weren't using the milk jug), the crap I got out from it was enough to make me gag. I'm assuming this is good huh? In a strange sort of way :-). I got loads of nasty stuff that was not really a liquid that I'm used to with the BP, but more solid (pasty). Is this what I am supposed to be getting? I am so used to the other, that I keep feeling like something isn't right, but I'm also thinking I am just paranoid (who, me?) and that I am worrying over nothing.

From: HL

It's quite normal for the Berlin to produce a very thick, "dry" skimmate. This is good, because it does not waste water. The pump must not only be able to deliver the required flow rate, but it must also have a "head" (pressure) of at least 3 meters. I use the recommended Eheim 1060. I don't have the figures with me at this time, but I think the flow rate is around 2200 litres/hour, and a "head" of 3.1 meters.

How often do you clean the "cup". The inside of the cup and pipe through which the foam enters the cup builds up a thick, oily layer of gunk. After about a week the skimmer loses it's ability to pass the foam through this pipe, and loses probably about 75% of it's efficiency if not cleaned. I remove mine once per week, and wash it with warm water. I also clean the inside of the (black) pipe onto which the cup fits (just wipe with a paper towel). After this, the air valve needs to be closed for a few hours, else the foam becomes too wet, and the skimmer overflows. Slowly open the air valve over a few hours, and you should get a good, dark skimmate for the next few days. As the "gunk" builds up, the outflow will become less, until you clean it again.

From: VL

From your homepage, I saw that you are using a Berlin XL skimmer. Since I'm thinking of using this same one as well, can you tell me the height required for that skimmer (not just the height of the skimmer itself). I only have 31.5 inches under my cabinet, is that enough? Second question, is it wrong to use the skimmer while the tank is cycling?

From: HL

The total height from the floor to the bottom of my tank is 900mm, which leaves me with only 100mm clearance between the top of the XL and the bottom of the tank. This in *just* enough to remove the collection cup for cleaning every week.

If you are using live rock (the recommended method, IMO), I personally think that it is good to use the skimmer while the tank is cycling. I would not skim if I tried to cycle a tank using dead prawns, but would use it if there was anything alive in the tank (such as when cycling with Damsels - NOT recommended)

From: FE

Ok, I'm back finally...I got the hair algae under control but have another problem. We bought the Berlin Protein Skimmer that is wonderful! (even though it took the place of my vacation. LOL) but now suddenly it doesn't work! I unplugged it to clean the collection cup and when I started it up, no bubbles, and no water flow into the chamber. The pump seems to be working but that's all. Has anyone had this problem? Is there a simple, quick fix for this? Oh please, I do hope so.

From: HL

OK, let's start at the beginning:

You say the skimmer did not work after you unplugged "it" - did you disconnect the skimmer from the pump, or did you just unplug the pump from the power socket?

If you disconnected the skimmer from the pump, you could have damaged the venturi when you re-connected the pump. Alternatively, you could have some blockage in the airline or venturi. Or, you could simply have closed the air regulating screw, shutting off the air.

On the other hand, the pump could be damaged or blocked, and it is now not pumping enough water to suck the air through the venturi.

So, let's try the following:

Check that the air regulator screw is turned out - you should be able to move the airline tube up and down through the regulator.

Blow into the top of the air inlet tube, and see if you get bubbles rising on the inside of the skimmer - if not, then the air supply line is blocked somewhere.

Disconnect the skimmer from the pump. Then run the pump in a bucket of water. It should produce a strong flow of water, at a high pressure. If not, check the pump's pre-filter, and/or open and clean the pump.

If you have a clear air supply, and the pump is producing sufficient water flow, then the skimmer should skim.

Good luck in solving your problem.