Aquamaxx HOB 1.5 not working?

[OrangeCountyReefer]

I have had this Aquamaxx HOB 1.5 running on my tank for a little over 3 weeks now and it has produced ZERO skimmate. I know they take time to break in but I thought it would have pulled something out at this point. The skimmer is set up exactly as it should and is producing tons of bubbles. Any thoughts?

 

[Water Dog]

Have you tried moving the red gasket a bit higher so that the skimmer cup sits lower on the skimmer body?

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Have you tried moving the red gasket a bit higher so that the skimmer cup sits lower on the skimmer body?

Yes I have. Doesn’t change anything, there is no foam being produced at all.

 

[Water Dog]

If you can, check the volute, where the airline hose connects to the fitting on the pump. This will require breaking the skimmer down. The volutes clog with salt creep fairly quickly on those Aquamaxx HOBs reducing the foaming ability. I’m gonna guess that as you waited for the skimmer to break in, salt creep build up over the 3 weeks in the volute has decreased your skimmer‘s ability to produce foam properly.

When I had one of those, after a manual cleaning of the salt creep in the volute with a toothpick, once a week, I would take a cup of boiling hot RODI water and stick the end of the airline hose into the cup of hot water. This would suck the hot water down the airline tubing and flush it through the volute preventing salt creep from building up in the volute.

 

[Water Dog]

Also, how old is your tank and what do you have for livestock?

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Also, how old is your tank and what do you have for livestock?

thank you I will try this today. And the tank is a little over 5 months old. 5 small size fish, 20 various corals, and CUC

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Check the air in tube to the silencer, I found it gets build up in there. Just remove the silencer and disassemble it and wash it out, put back in place. I had the same issue

 

[JustinMN18]

Any updates @OrangeCountyReefer ? I bought my skimmer 4 days ago, and the red ring is low on the cup, so the cup is sitting up high. The bubbles get about half way to the top and then pop, leaving the middle of the collection cup funnel pretty disgusting, but nothing getting into the cup. If I lower it, some gets into the cup, but it's insanely watery, taking out a lot of tank water.

 

[OrangeCountyReefer]

Any updates @OrangeCountyReefer ? I bought my skimmer 4 days ago, and the red ring is low on the cup, so the cup is sitting up high. The bubbles get about half way to the top and then pop, leaving the middle of the collection cup funnel pretty disgusting, but nothing getting into the cup. If I lower it, some gets into the cup, but it's insanely watery, taking out a lot of tank water.

It took almost 4 weeks but yes it eventually started skimming but overall it doesn’t skim as well as other skimmers in my other tanks. I am disappointed

 

[Cerberusfish]

Check the air in tube to the silencer, I found it gets build up in there. Just remove the silencer and disassemble it and wash it out, put back in place. I had the same issue

Just wanted to add, wash it with FRESH water. I was originaly told to rinse with tank water (salt) and that only made things worse once it dried out.

 

[Cerberusfish]

It took almost 4 weeks but yes it eventually started skimming but overall it doesn’t skim as well as other skimmers in my other tanks. I am disappointed

One thing I've found with mine is that it seems to work better if I feed heavier. Granted that does give it more to skim out so maybe its skewed analysis, but I noticed peak performance when I was feeding several times a day, and my tank oddly stayed cleanest back when I had time to do that.