cadlights pls50 elite review

[judd]

skimmer update:

after getting my sump up and running, I moved the skimmer down the sump instead of hanging on the side of my tank.

so far the skimmer has been kicking ass, haven't had problems with adjustments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

so here's my take on the pls 50 elite I received as a prize i won here on nano-reef.

 

first, i had a few micro bubbles first couple of days but it did went away, it is extremely quite and well built.

 

adjusting this skimmer can be a challenge. i find it very sensitive. i have to be very careful adjusting this skimmer.

 

when it skims, it skims great! i get a very dark green skim. i said "when" because every time i have to remove the cup to dispose of the gunk, i have to start all over again (adjusting, building foam head) and it takes a very long time before it starts skimming again.

 

overall, i am not completely happy with it (cant really complain, it was free). i need something that i can really set once and forget about it.

 

it just drives me crazy that every time i remove the collection cup, i feel that i have to go through another break-in process.

 

maybe other users can give me pointers on how to efficiently run this skimmer.

[MountainReef]

I've had mine for about three months, and mine does this also. Mine is in a Pico Aquariums 20g, and gets pretty good light leakage. I pulled it out about two weeks ago and ran it in vinegar for about an hour, while I cleaned and rearranged some things. It hasent "broken in" again yet.

I'll be following along.

[CronicReefer]

Mine was the same way and I never found a solution.

[theishkid]

I can report the same thing judd... and I think I was one of the first to purchase a few months ago.

It's pretty good when it's skimming. But my gosh sometimes I would rather pull out nose hairs than try to get it adjusted. And to think it's an improvement over the original... I really feel sorry for those owners.

[judd]

I hope guys from cadlights can share some info on this. I am planning to get the pls100 from them but if I have to keep adjusting the pls100 like the 50, I might have to look into some other brand

[mallek]

i have one as well and am contemplating manually wearing down the o-ring sealing the collection cup on for easier removal. only thing that i can think would make removing it not a chore, or a splash depending on how stuck that thing is in there

[D Z]

Add me to the list. I have the same love hate relationship with the damn thing. Really starting to contemplate a Tunze 9001 or the like.

[pgrVII]

Add me to the list. I have the same love hate relationsh

 

ip with the damn thing. Really starting to contemplate a Tunze 9001 or the like.

 

Let me know if ya do,I will have a 9001 for sale when my elite comes in.

[D Z]

Let me know if ya do,I will have a 9001 for sale when my elite comes in.

Wanna trade? LOL, just kidding, sounds like you already have an Elite coming.

 

Why did you decide to go from the 9001 to PLS-50?

[pgrVII]

Wanna trade? LOL, just kidding, sounds like you already have an Elite coming.

 

Why did you decide to go from the 9001 to PLS-50?

 

I really like my tunze,but after upgrading to a 40B I needed something I could easily put.in my aio section that provided more than 37 gallons of effective Ness. No tunze issues great and quiet skimmer. Just needed a bit more umph.

[hwk7072]

I've had mine in for four days in a new tank. My display is full of micro bubbles. I've been doing every kind of adjustment I can, but they're pouring out of the bottom of the unit. I guess I need to give it some time, but I don't understand what would change. Anyone know why they would cease after a few days?

[D Z]

I've had mine in for four days in a new tank. My display is full of micro bubbles. I've been doing every kind of adjustment I can, but they're pouring out of the bottom of the unit. I guess I need to give it some time, but I don't understand what would change. Anyone know why they would cease after a few days?

From what I understand, it has to do with the build up of bacteria. Mine did that for a while(couple weeks), but the tank was also still cycling and very clean, so it took a while to "break in".

 

Are you still cycling?

[hwk7072]

I see. It's a transfer tank, rock, sand, livestock. It's a larger tank, and it's pretty clean right now. I'm not getting any coloration in the skimmer. I guess once the bubbles have more to attach to, they go up instead of down.

[Don.Chaneaux]

mine took about 2 months to break in on my new tank ... few things I learned:

 

-do not tighten the red adjustment lock all the way ... just stop turning as soon as it slightly stops turning

 

-do not try to force push the body straight up while tightening the red adjustment lock ... just let gravity do it's thing

 

-be very careful with removing the cup ... I usually do the left to right to left twist motion

 

-maintain about a 5" to 6" water level measured from the bottom of the skimmer pump

 

it skims well ... just very touchy ... I adjust it usually after a water change if any.

[SonRK]

Just got mine. Ran it in an hour with RODI / Vinegar mix and just hooked up into the back chamber of my Nuvo 30L

 

Shooting out microbubbles, but less than the Non-Elite did. I placed a filter sponge to stop it from going into the return pump chamber and hope that it will break in soon.

[pgrVII]

Just got my elite from Dave fason today,no micro bubbles to be seen and quiet. So far so good.

[SonRK]

Mine actually seems quite loud. I wonder why my experience is actually the opposite of yours ?!

[judd]

I will give another update to this skimmer soon. now I have it running in my sump, seems a little bit more stable now that I am using the suction cups instead of hanging it.

[hwk7072]

Since my post about a week ago this thing has really started to perform. Nice dark skimmate and no microbubbles. Haven't had to make any adjustments once I got it set.

[judd]

just want to follow up on how this skimmer is going. after moving skimmer to my sump, Ive never had to readjust it.

 

back then every time I have to dispose of the skim, I have to mess with it a little. now, I just put the cup back on and it skims.

 

two thumbs up!

[CAD-Aqua]

Sounds GREAT! Thank you for the update.

[judd]

Sounds GREAT! Thank you for the update.

You are welcome... Still running great

[D Z]

For anyone who is still having some issues with tuning this skimmer, I have some advise. I added a couple inches of air line tubing to the intake on the muffler. Then, I attached a air line valve to the end of the air line tubing. This allows for minute adjustments to the amount of air being pulled in by the pump.

 

Then, this is what has worked well for me so far:

1) Open the air valve all the way

2) Take the skimmer cup off and tune the skimmer so that the foam head is right at the top of the skimmer neck, but not over flowing

3) Lock the skimmer in place using the red flower knob and set screw, but not so much that your foam head falls

4) Put the skimmer cup on, then increase your foam head up into the skimmer cup neck by closing off the air line valve. This also helps to somewhat descrease the size of the air bubbles, making the skimmer work a little bit more efficiently.

 

I would suggest leaving the main skimmer adjustment the same while fine tuning it with the air line valve over the course of a week or so. Make small adjustments and then wait a day or 2 to see how the skimmer reacts.

 

This has by far helped me to dial the skimmer in better. I still am not getting a thick dry skimmate, but I am getting a much dirtier wet skim than I was before, which I can deal with for now.

 

Oh and when it is time to empty the skimmer cup, do what others have suggested and use a left to right motion(not twisting) to remove it from the skimmer body.

 

Hope that helps. I'll try to grab a picture of the skimmate I am getting in a couple days once it has somewhat filled up a bit.

[D Z]

Pic of my skimmer cup last night, as promised.

https://flic.kr/p/qYaLL2'>https://flic.kr/p/qYaLL2'>20150128_010116 by https://www.flickr.com/people/89326890@N03/'>cchsoracle, on Flickr

[uppree]

I just bought the PLS-50 Elite for my Cadlight 18 Mini II. First impression is not good because there is no cover lid in the package and I have to drive back to my LPS for the replacement. The second impression is not good either when I assemble the skimmer the acrylic at the bottom chip off. However, it still works fine.

 

I will update in the next few weeks.