Back from vacation blues

[rayn]

Just got back from a week in Minnesota and South Dakota. My tank is still young and not a whole lot of corals going yet. 4 fish in total. I planned for a few fish and a good selection of corals and grew my system with this in mind. Easy maintenance and low headaches, especially for my very very inexperienced tank sitters (read MIL).

So off we went and everything was good. Told them to feed if wanted, but otherwise just top off the sump and left 20 gallons of ro/di. All was good till Thursday when apparently my skimmer/pump failed.

Home and lookin at it I don't understand or see a issue, but it still isn't working.

Panworld 250ps plumbed to a external bashsea Beckett style skimmer. I am getting very little water through it. I have checked the beckett and cleaned. Pulled the plumbing and it is clear. Aside from tearing the pump itself down, any ideas?

I've gotten water this high. Before it wasn't even clearing the bubble plate.

 

[domination2580]

You should have messaged me! I live in south dakota! Lol. Check the inlet of the pump to see if something got lodged in it.

 

[Psiber_Syn]

Make sure impeller spins can add lol Vaseline to lube it also make sure the water level is set right

Don't know much about that brand though

 

[rayn]

You should have messaged me! I live in south dakota! Lol. Check the inlet of the pump to see if something got lodged in it.

Where do you find fish?! We hit Souix falls and then Mount Rushmore. Talk about a road trip across the state.

I check the Beckett valve and it's clear. Nothing in the piping itself unless it is in the pump itself.

 

[twilliard]

Time to take the pump apart

 

[rayn]

Kinda what I'm thinking @twilliard

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Well that bites.

 

[rayn]

Yep. Once I can get myself going again I will tear it apart. My guess is the impeller is probably bad. Last time I tore it down it was about shot and I hoped to use it a bit more.

I think it ran dry and started to melt a bit inside, now it kinda whirrs while it runs or while it ran I should say.

 

[Zenlikeyoda]

Yep. Once I can get myself going again I will tear it apart. My guess is the impeller is probably bad. Last time I tore it down it was about shot and I hoped to use it a bit more.

I think it ran dry and started to melt a bit inside, now it kinda whirrs while it runs or while it ran I should say.

Oh no! That sucks. Not familiar with that brand but I feel your pain.

 

[rayn]

Finally got to it last night and figured it out. The drain line of all things was clogged. The skimmer is sealed up so tight that the drain is where air gets out and clogged the whole system.

 

[themcnertney]

Never fails. All seems good until you leave for vacay. Then all hell breaks loose.

I leave for Europe on Friday for two weeks, longest Ive been away from my tank. Lets hope all goes well.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Hey, look at the bright side. As long as you didn't lose any animals, equipment problems come with the territory. Hopefully your tank inhabitants made it through okay.