Coralife Super Skimmer 125 Not skimming

[patedship]

My skimmer doesnt seem to be skimming anything, it has been hooked up in my sump for 3 days and hasnt really pulled out anything can you guys give me some help.

[Blown 346]

Sure, the skimmer wil have to break in, this is a time for the bacteria to colonize in the skimmer, or slime up.
Until this happens the skimmers efficiency wont be there. Break in times for skimer can be a few days to a week.
I would watch it closely, so you dont have the water level change and the skimmer cup over flow.

Once it does break in the water level will change and rise from production.

[patedship]

How far into the water should the pump be? What about the bubble diffuser?

[BS]

I cut the tubing down on my 220 unit and there is about 3/4 inch space between the pump and the intake on the skimmer......
Do you see any bubbles?

[patedship]

Yeah there are bubbles in the chambers and when i open the valve i just get a lot of WHITE watery foam. Enough that it will fill the collection cup in under 2 seconds.

[BS]

the red knob restricts the water flow and will raise the water level in the chamber........... a little move will make a big change.
Go slow with the adjustment.... I did the PVC mod and once the drain is set with little back pressure you can make small adjustments with the red knob until you get the foam where you like it. I broke mine in for 2 days before adjusting the water level and it is very consistant. once I got it skimming it made very dark skimate, looks like coffee. It makes darker skimate than my Turbofloater. I don't think I even need the bubble filter now but I think it helps stabilize the water level in the chamber. HTH's

[smeese]

you guys reccommend these or what?

[michaelm2431]

BS. Wher can I find info on the PVC mod? Thanks

[BS]

1'' pvc 1 elbow 2 tee's

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/9497stuff_007__Small___Custom___Custom_.jpg


Super Dark Skimate :smokin:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/583/9497stuff_003__Medium___Small___Custom___Custom_.jpg

[michaelm2431]

Thanks. I can smell the difference already. What does it do?

[patedship]

why does mine just pull out white watery foam?

[patedship]

There are no fish or any inverts in my tank all it has is cured live rock straight from another tank, and live sand from another tank but the live sand was stored in a bucket for a week so it was about 30lbs of live sand and 60lbs of "dead" sand. I dont understand why no skimmate is really pulled out. I used the bubble diffusor for 3 days, then i changed to the vertical PVC mod with a filter pad around the pvc, my pump is around 2-4" deep should it be deeper? BTW the pump is right under the new filter pad.

[patedship]

Also the live sand was stored in saltwater changed every other day.

[BS]

IMO the PVC mod allows the outflow to leave more consistantly than the flex tubing supplied with the unit.

[BS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7358667#post7358667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by patedship
why does mine just pull out white watery foam?

can you post a pic of the water level in the neck? the deeper the pump the less efficent the skimming.

[michaelm2431]

Thanks BS.

[BS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7358134#post7358134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by michaelm2431
BS. Wher can I find info on the PVC mod? Thanks

I don't have a link but if you can get the search to work look for CSS club or Coralife Skimmer Club I think that is where I found the MOD or it maybe under DIY :confused:

[BS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7358134#post7358134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by michaelm2431
BS. Wher can I find info on the PVC mod? Thanks

OK try here
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=694835
and here
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=5960384#post5960384

I hope you like to read..:eek2: :eek1:

[michaelm2431]

Thanks again.

[patedship]

The pump isnt deep, its no more than 3" deep as for a picture i cant do that right now, but bubbles are set so u cant really see them they end right at the gray neck of the collection cup. Should i set it lower?

[GreenBabe5]

I'm having a similar problem. At first i got the thing to work (the 65) and it pulled some semi dark stuff and the chamber stopped having bubbles at very bottom and mircro bubbles stopped filling my tank, now since i turned off and back on to change it it has just made white foam and the bubbles at the bottom chamber don't go away and the micro bubbles have returned. i want to see gross goo too!

[BS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7360588#post7360588 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by patedship
The pump isnt deep, its no more than 3" deep as for a picture i cant do that right now, but bubbles are set so u cant really see them they end right at the gray neck of the collection cup. Should i set it lower?

Did you rinse it in warm water before using it? Most plastic products have a coating on them left over from the manufacturing process. Can you see where the water level is in mine? and then where it starts to boil?

[BS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7362959#post7362959 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GreenBabe5
I'm having a similar problem. At first i got the thing to work (the 65) and it pulled some semi dark stuff and the chamber stopped having bubbles at very bottom and mircro bubbles stopped filling my tank, now since i turned off and back on to change it it has just made white foam and the bubbles at the bottom chamber don't go away and the micro bubbles have returned. i want to see gross goo too!

I would guess that the water level is too high and that is the reason for the white foam. My water level is about mid chamber.
Post a Pic.... If the venturi is not seated completely it will not work correctly also.