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View Full Version : What's wrong with my skimmer???


Nick S
11/07/2012, 02:09 PM
Hey guys n gals. So I got a used lifereef sump and skimmer (36" tall venturi) to get my system going again and it had been running just fine for a few months. Then the other day I noticed that the skimmer wasnt filling up with water and assumed it was a problem with the pump (brand new blueline 40). So I took the pump off the skimmer and hooked up a backup pump but am still having the same problem. The flow going into the skimmer is too weak to bring the water column up. Any ideas on what happened? Should I change the venturi? It's still making bubbles just not with enough pressure. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Curious George
11/07/2012, 02:12 PM
Things like oil from your hands being in the tank, feeding, and water changes can cause the skimmer to break its head, reducing the height of the foam column inside the skimmer body (Way down). If you leave it alone and give it a couple of days, it will probably build again.

Nick S
11/08/2012, 12:05 PM
Thanks for the advice George. I took apart the skimmer and it turned out to be a snail shell blocking the venturi.