A Protein Skimmer is an integral part of aquarium filtration.
Here is what you’ll need to get started:
- Skimmer Pump connected to a WiFi Outlet
- Optional: Water Sensor installed and configured.
TIP: If you have not configured your water sensor input, please follow the instructions here [1].
Step 1: Create the Protein Skimmer Output
- From the STATUS screen on your HYDROS app, top on the three horizontal dots to the right of the OUTPUTS label and select “Add / Edit Output.”
- Tap on the + symbol at the bottom right of the page
- Type in the name of your new output and then tap “Create.”
Step 2: Configure your Protein Skimmer
- Family: Select “Protein Skimmer”
- Skimmer Level Sensor: Here, you select the Skimmer Level Sensor input. If you created a sensor input, it would be listed here.
TIP: To see a list of all inputs available on MULTIPLE devices, you must first create a Collective [2]. Otherwise, only inputs on the same device will show. - Output Device: Here, you select the location of your Skimmer Pump
- Power Safe Range: You can specify an “acceptable” power use range. If power consumption is outside the range, a notification will trigger if selected.
WARNING: This option is NOT available if the “Output Device” is assigned to an outlet that cannot monitor power, such as a WiFi Strip outlet. - Power Notification Level: You can select the notification level that triggers if the power consumption falls outside the “Power Safe Range.”
WARNING: This option is NOT available if the “Output Device” is assigned to an outlet that cannot monitor power, such as a WiFi Strip outlet. - If Input/Depends On Unavailable: It allows you to specify what the output will do should an input or output it depends on becomes unavailable.
WARNING: If using a WiFi strip or WiFi outlet, this is NOT a “fallback” state. If you are using an XP8 or a Drive Port, it IS the “fallback” state. - Enable Advanced Settings: If you are an expert, you can customize the default output settings to suit your system better.
- If Input Unavailable: This allows you to specify how the outlet should act if the sensor is not found or is missing.
- Minimum OFF Time: Allows you to specify what is the minimum time the outlet should be OFF
- Maximum OFF Time: Allows you to specify what is the maximum time the outlet should be OFF
- Minimum ON Time: Allows you to specify what is the minimum time the outlet should be ON
- Maximum ON Time: Allows you to specify what is the maximum time the outlet should be ON
- Run Past Max ON time: This allows you to specify if you want the outlet to remain ON even if the “Max ON Time” has been exceeded.
- Notification Level: Allows you to specify the level of notification you want when any of the advanced settings have been exceeded
TIP: You will get notifications when one or more advanced settings have been exceeded. If you set the Notification Level to NONE, then the particular outlet you configured will not send you any notifications.
- Power Safe Range: You can specify an “acceptable” power use range. If power consumption is outside the range, a notification will trigger if selected.
- Active Modes: This allows you to choose which modes this output will be active and in which modes the output should turn OFF
- Depends On: This feature allows you to turn the output based on the status of another output. To enable, select from the list of available outputs.
- Dependency Mode: You can turn the output ON or OFF based on the other output.
- OFF if OFF: Will turn the current output OFF if the output it depends on is OFF.
- OFF if ON: Will turn the current output OFF when the output it depends on is ON.
- ON if OFF: Will turn the current output ON when the output it depends on is OFF.
- ON if ON: Will turn the current output ON when the output it depends on is ON.
- Dependency Mode: You can turn the output ON or OFF based on the other output.
EXAMPLE: A common dependency is your Return Pump. If your Return Pump turns OFF, the water level in your sump will go up, and it will cause the Protein Skimmer to overflow. In this case, you would set the Protein Skimmer Outlet to depend on the Return Pump. If the Return Pump is OFF, then turn the Protein Skimmer OFF.
- Is Invisible: If you choose to hide the input from the status screen, it will only become visible on pages that have “Show Invisible” selected.
Step 3: Save
- After configuring the output, tap the yellow bar at the bottom to upload your changes to the cloud and each HYDROS device.
Rename Output & Change Icon
- From the STATUS screen, tap on the Output you wish to modify.
- On the popup, tap on the “Gear” icon on the bottom right.
- From the Output setup page, tap on the “Pencil” icon on the top left.
- Type in the new name you wish
- If you wish to change the default icon, tap “Change Icon.”