New skimmer

Whysosalty · Feb 16, 2018

Alright everyone so I just bought a Bubble-Magnus Curve 5 skimmer and it’s not skimming any bubbles. The water is just being taken through it. It’s on a 60 gallon cube with a pintail wrasse, algae blenny, mandarin goby, neon blue goby, two orange spot gobies, pistol shrimp and three electric blue leg hermit crabs.

Justfebreezeit · Feb 16, 2018

Is the airline hooked up to the pump?

Mark Derail · Feb 16, 2018

Skimmers use the Venturi effect to suck air while the pump sucks water. Usually a flex tube that connects near the water entry point.

MaiReef · Feb 16, 2018

Verify that the tube is connected to the intake on the skimmer and it is attached to the cylinder outside of the water. I love the Curve 5, but it needs to be in less than 7" of water as well(6-6.5" is optimal in my case). I had Marc from Melev's Reef build me a skimmer stand. I use it for a 100 gallon and it does well. Pictures of the setup will help diagnose the issue.

Whysosalty · Feb 16, 2018

This is the setup

Dom274 · Feb 16, 2018

The airline and muffler on the left there looks like it's below the water line...

MaiReef · Feb 16, 2018

Take it out and put it in a bucket of water 6 inches high.

When you do that and turn it on. What happens?

A hum? Water being pumped somewhere?

Whysosalty · Feb 16, 2018

It does hum. The water is just being pumped up to the top. No bubbles. Like there are tiny little bubbles and I can see the water being whipped around in the middle but no big bubbles like it’s supposed to

Greybeard · Feb 16, 2018

Is there an air inlet valve on the silencer on this model? You should have an opening somewhere going into the silencer, then through the silicone tube, and into the venturi fitting at the pump entrance. That, too... meaning the venturi fitting, might be adjustable... some of them are. Does it turn/unscrew?

See if you can blow into the air opening on the silencer... could be something blocking it.

Greybeard · Feb 16, 2018

You know, the more I look at it... The venturi assembly looks just like the one my friend has on his Skimz... and it's adjustable. If it's closed, you wouldn't get any air. See if you can turn it counter-clockwise to adjust the air inlet.

Whysosalty · Feb 16, 2018

I did all that you have mentioned. Even raised the water level to 10”. Still nothing. Should I just leave the skimmer running and wait and see tomorrow if it’s skimminf bubbles?

Greybeard · Feb 16, 2018

No... something is wrong. No bubbles is not a normal breakin thing... What happened when you blew air into the silencer? Either you couldn't, in which case it's blocked somewhere, or the air had to come out somewhere...

Pump firmly attached to the intake venturi?

Whysosalty · Feb 16, 2018

Greybeard said:
No... something is wrong. No bubbles is not a normal breakin thing... What happened when you blew air into the silencer? Either you couldn't, in which case it's blocked somewhere, or the air had to come out somewhere...

Pump firmly attached to the intake venturi?

When I blew air into the silencer it went right thru, there was no bloackage. The pump is firmly attached.