Ok seriously wth is my skimmers problem

[scubasteve06]

I've had a ASM G-2 with Sedra 5000 pump hooked up on my tank for over 3 weeks now. It has been pulling unbelieveable gunk out of my tank for those three weeks. I've got it adjusted just perfect and haven't touched it for those 3 weeks. Its in 8" of water and the riser tube is 5 3/4" from the rubber grommet on the output tube. Now tonight I go to turn my fuge light back on and its making crazy huge bubbles and overflowing my collection cup. I turned it off and back on again and bam it filled right back up and started overflowing. When it was working perfect it would take about 30 minutes to produce a good foamy head, now its doing it in 10 seconds. I took the pump off took the shaft and impeller out and found activated carbon granules in the needle wheel. Took them out cleaned out the venturi and venturi nipple and air hose and its still friggin doing it. I've waited a good 3 hours now and its surging now. It will fill the neck up almost to the top of the collection cup to spill over with tons of micro bubbles instead of popping down at the neck in big bubbles and creating a nice frothy head like it used too. WTH??? I am about to scream!!!! I didn't feed, add any thing to the tank NOTHING. I did dose a good bit of phyto around 6 hours ago. Not like I haven't done that in the past 3 weeks. I also cleaned out the cup, neck, and body back to factory squeaky clean and it still surges. I am about at my wits end. I have no job as of yet and I can't afford a new skimmer. I know I should probably wait a day or two before I get fed up, but what gives?

[scubasteve06]

I also drilled the venuri out one size bigger. I found that the venturi was 9/64" and the next size bigger bit I had was a 5/32". I don't think this would be my problem though, I wouldn't think at least...

[Porcupinepuffer]

Not at all familiar with this skimmer. But by the sounds of it. It's either lacking the suction of air somewhere along the line. Or whatever valve/ or standpipe that controls the outflow of the skimmer is not letting enough water out of it.

[Uncle Salty 05]

Sounds like the hose leading to the venturi is clogged.
Can you blow through it?

[scubasteve06]

Thanks for all the responses guys, It is working fine now. When I woke up this morning around 9 it was producing skimmate and is back to its ordinary nog making self. I did replace the O-ring seal on the neck of the skimmer to the collection cup about a day ago I don't know if it was when I restarted it again that it started to surge. It wasn't surging at first just making crazy overflowing big bubbles and no foam head. Then after shutting it down and back on it started surging with big fat heavy water laden bubbles and wouldn't rise or pop. I am now told that the silicone lubicrant from the O-ring seal makes the water laden bubbles heavier and doesn't allow them to pop. I'm just happy its still performing like it was and back to its old normal self.

[scubasteve06]

Just a quick picture of what my skimmer is doing after the issue with the silicone lubricant. I bored the venturi out one size bigger. I had to lower the riser tube a little and the whole skimmer looks like milk now where as it was kinda clear before it got to the top of the reaction chamber/transition neck where I am have the foam head set on mine.

I've also noticed that the way the skimmer pumps input just blasts water/air into the other side of the skimmer take note I have a pump that is from a G-3/G-4 instead of the G-2 3500 pump. It creates a good bit of turbulence on that side that it is blasting into. What would happen if I put a 90 degree elbow on there? And if I did what would be the best way to posistion it? Straight down would seem logical, but then again it may not rise correctly, straight up would seem the most logical but then again I don't know if it would blow the lid off the collection cup literally. Maybe If I did that I'm probably sure that I would have to lower the water level so it would have time to rise before being blasted up to rise so to speak. I was even thinking of retrofitting a bubble plate in there above the input if it would help anything.

there is a couple of pictures of the skimmer going with me showing where the water/airn is hitting the side of the reaction chamber, then a good 24 hour production nog shot. The first 12 hours were too wet for my liking so I lowered the out put and this is what I have now 24hrs. after surging went away, her old selfx2 it seems.

[Lynnmw1208]

I don't see a pic?

[scubasteve06]

Should be pictures now...