Coralife SKimmer- Help setting it up!

I'm new to this, and have a 55 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump, where my coralife skimmer is. The setup was bought used.

I have the skimmer in the sump, and the pump is about 2" under the water level. I've read so many posts on questions about this skimmer, but I still don't have the answers I'm looking for.

Right now, there is a nice film of skim in the collection cup tube, where the bubbles are. My problem is, I can't seem to get a thick skim in the cup. When I control the dial, I either get water pouring over the top, and it fills up in hours/days, or the bubbles stay in the tube, and nothing seems to collect in the cup. I can't seem to get a happy medium. I want it, theoretically, to get a thich skimmate that I change about once a week.

Is this normal? Is it very finicky? What exactly am I aiming for - bubbles that reach the top of the tube, and just barely get over? Or should I leave it at the bubbles hitting an inch below the top, and someone the skimmate ...what, evaporates? Since this is my first, I'm not sure what I'm lookign for. I was assuming that the skimmer was garbage and I was going to buy a new $400 one, but reviews on the coralife seem to be good. I think it's my set up and inexperience.

Also, tank has been cycling for 7 days, with half live and half dead rock. Is it possible there just isnt much to skim right now? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

turn the valve that is above the pump to about half on.. let it flow like this for a few days until the skimmer breaks in and then you should be ready.. It took a few days to get mine working right..

 

Oh, I didnt read youre still cycling.. You wont get anything to skim out for the time being.. If I were you, just keep it running like I said before at 50% and then when you add your first fish is when you need to start trying to skim..

 

Thanks- so after cycling, when we have fish, how should I be skimming? Right now when I turn the dial to full on, it fills the collection cup. So I currently have it at about half way, where the bubbles are almost hitting to top, nothing is coming over. Is that right? Is that how I want it when we add fish?

It's been on for a week, and like I mentioned, there is a film already- and the water that gets in the collection cup IS dirty, just very lightly colored- not what i was expecting. But I guess this is probably because there's nothing to skim yet? So I shouldn't rush out and buy a new bubble king smimmer?

 

youre not going to get any skimmate right now, and I would suggest to not try and skim right now to help the cycle.

When you are ready to skim, set the bubble level to within the bottom inch of the funnel..

This will help you with all of your questions.. especially page 6
http://www.marineandreef.com/v/vspfiles/pdf/super_skimmer.pdf

 

*phew* i just fought with mine too trying to get it to produce skimmate. but yeah, no real bio-load i guess i/we are not going to get much.