Help with skimmer

[domination2580]

I have a coral life super skimmer 65. Recently noticed that i have no bubbles at all in the reaction chamber, took it apart cleaned the pump and still nothing unless it's full blown open. Anyone else have problems with these? What could it be. The venturi is clear i can blow throb it to creat bubbles.

 

[Waterjockey]

Check to see if your air silencer is clear. When you blew through the air intake hose, did you also blow through the silencer portion?
If that path is clear, and there are no kinks/restrictions in the air inlet tubing...this sounds odd...but you can try unscrewing the pump from the skimmer...like you were removing the impeller for cleaning, and then re-tighten it again gently....do not overtighten. For some reason, the first few months I had my Coralife 65 it would do exactly what you described. I would take the pump apart and put it back together a few times and all of a sudden it would start working again....I never found out why.
One mod I did to that skimmer that actually did anything, was drill out (by hand) the nipple where the air intake hose goes, big enough so a piece of rigid airline tubing fit in snug. I crazy glued a 2 inch length of the rigid tubing, and connected a larger diameter air hose to it. In my case, it made the skimmer perform better.

Cheers

 

[domination2580]

Check to see if your air silencer is clear. When you blew through the air intake hose, did you also blow through the silencer portion?
If that path is clear, and there are no kinks/restrictions in the air inlet tubing...this sounds odd...but you can try unscrewing the pump from the skimmer...like you were removing the impeller for cleaning, and then re-tighten it again gently....do not overtighten. For some reason, the first few months I had my Coralife 65 it would do exactly what you described. I would take the pump apart and put it back together a few times and all of a sudden it would start working again....I never found out why.
One mod I did to that skimmer that actually did anything, was drill out (by hand) the nipple where the air intake hose goes, big enough so a piece of rigid airline tubing fit in snug. I crazy glued a 2 inch length of the rigid tubing, and connected a larger diameter air hose to it. In my case, it made the skimmer perform better.

Cheers

It is cleaned.

 

[Waterjockey]

It is cleaned.

Back up and running again?

 

[domination2580]

It's running bit forgot to look when i was at the shop. Bit i do know i have issues with micro bubbles going into the tank when i do water changes, feed, amd just add top off. Would love to know why and how to fix.

 

[Waterjockey]

Do you have it hanging in the display tank or in a sump?

If you have it in a sump you can hang a filter sock or similar on the outlet tube so it discharges into the sock without restricting the outlet it will sort out your microbubble problem

 

[domination2580]

Unfortunately no sump. So it's in the tank. Was thinking finding some foam to put in the exit hole where the water comes out to help but not sure

 

[Waterjockey]

Unfortunately no sump. So it's in the tank. Was thinking finding some foam to put in the exit hole where the water comes out to help but not sure

You can't put it *in* the exit hole....it will restrict the outlet and probably overflow. Are you using the little basket with the foam that it came with? I've seen where some people have wrapped foam around the outside of the pipe to remove many of the microbubbles. I can only say, over time, the microbubbles will get less and less. Mine doesn't throw them out anymore unless it's after a particularly heavy feed

 

[domination2580]

Yes i am. It's been in there for almost 4 months now. I don't think it should be putting micro bubbles out anymore

 

[domination2580]

They do right after i clean it also

 

[Waterjockey]

Can you slow the flow down a bit? The little valve on the outlet from the pump (not the outlet valve with the red knob). A slower flow should pull less bubbles down to the exit tube. You can then close in on the red vavle to adjust the height in the neck

 

[domination2580]

Can you slow the flow down a bit? The little valve on the outlet from the pump (not the outlet valve with the red knob). A slower flow should pull less bubbles down to the exit tube. You can then close in on the red vavle to adjust the height in the neck

If i do i loose all bubbles in chamber and ive had it over half closed aready

 

[Waterjockey]

If i do i loose all bubbles in chamber and ive had it over half closed aready

Sorry.......I am out of ideas then.... short of wrapping foam around the outlet tube.

 

[domination2580]

Sorry.......I am out of ideas then.... short of wrapping foam around the outlet tube.

How does wrapping the foam around help?

 

[Waterjockey]

How does wrapping the foam around help?

Just like the little basket foam it comes with...but longer/deeper....gives more time for the bubbles to disperse and get trapped by the larger surface area of foam before entering the display water. I personally have never tried this (mine has always been hanging on the side of my sump so no issue), but I have read discussions with other coralife 65g skimmer owners who have reported that helps.

 

[domination2580]

Not sure i understand

 

[Waterjockey]

Not sure i understand

Imagine making a foam basket like it came with, out of a similar of more dense foam, but....deeper....like a well for the skimmer to discharge into. A bigger "well" means more time for the bubbles to disperse, and a bigger well necessarily means more foam area to trap bubbles in