Nyos 160 skimmer not starting

minus9 · Mar 15, 2018

I have a fairly new quantum 160 skimmer (bought it Nov. 2017) and it's having a problem starting up after shutting down during feeding. The needle wheel spins perfectly, except that it moves back and forth about an 1/8". Is this normal? I don't recall it having this much play before? Both end caps are on the prop shaft.

AquaLifeStudio · Mar 15, 2018

Sounds like you are experiencing what I am. I've had to break down and clean all the yuck out of the unit a few times for it to function properly. If it's still not "starting", try lifting the unit (in the direction of out of the water) so the pump input breaks the surface of the water and sucks in some air. That's what did it for me.

Treasure Coast · Mar 15, 2018

Same here, I have to lift mine out of the water to drain and then it re-primes.

minus9 · Mar 15, 2018

Well, I may have to adjust the height of the water level, because it should have enough pull to start up regardless?

minus9 · Mar 15, 2018

So, I just checked the water level and it was a little high. I adjusted it to the right level 21cm (aprx 8 1/4") and it started up. It took 30 seconds or so, but it started.

mandarin417 · Mar 15, 2018

I love my NYOS 160 which I have had for over a year now. When the pump needs cleaning I do have to lift the unit out of the water to get it primed and started. I know that's when it's time for taking apart the skimmer and pump for cleaning.

minus9 · Mar 18, 2018

So, after adjusting the height of the water to 21cm, it seemed to work for a day or two, but now it's back to not starting after shutting down during feeding? Everything has been cleaned and put back together properly, so I'm not sure what's going on? Anyone from Nyos have a suggestion/advice? The skimmer is only 4 months old and has been cleaned twice already.

Staggs · Apr 5, 2018

@minus9 I bought mine in November and am running into a similar issue. I opened a case with Ecotech with the exact same situation and was told not to shut it off during nightly feeds, only to clean it.

minus9 · Apr 5, 2018

It worked right after I cleaned it and changed the water level, but now it's back to not starting up again. I'll most likely pull the float switch all together.

Anthony'sreef · Apr 5, 2018

My Nyos 160 does the same thing regardless of how recently it was cleaned. I have to lift it out of the water as well. Nice skimmer but for the money I feel there are much better products out there

JDowns · Apr 6, 2018

Mine does the same thing although not the 160. I just remove the air hose and blow into it. It seems to have an issue creating enough initial vacuum.

adtravels · Nov 14, 2018

I bought one just before finding this thread, I had a reef octo in the past which did the same thing and I had to change skimmer as it was not workable as my apex shuts off the skimmer when it is in feed mode. This is an essential feature for me. If the Nyos is not going to fire up after a feed than I dont want it in my reef and will have to sell a brand new skimmer second hand. I am seriously annoyed by this, who makes a skimmer that wont start on its own. it was expensive to boot!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like I should have stuck with TUNZE, what a reefing fool!

JDowns · Nov 14, 2018

adtravels said:
I bought one just before finding this thread, I had a reef octo in the past which did the same thing and I had to change skimmer as it was not workable as my apex shuts off the skimmer when it is in feed mode. This is an essential feature for me. If the Nyos is not going to fire up after a feed than I dont want it in my reef and will have to sell a brand new skimmer second hand. I am seriously annoyed by this, who makes a skimmer that wont start on its own. it was expensive to boot!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like I should have stuck with TUNZE, what a reefing fool!

I tried everything. It was fine at first, but then started doing it. Even cleaning the pump didn't solve it. I ended up ordering a Deltec 1000i from Adam @Battlecorrals. Excited to get it installed this weekend.

Minus the startup issue the Nyos is a nice quiet skimmer that is super simple to dial in and adjust. But the cavitation issue is a pain to deal with especially with feed modes, or power losses.

I'll end up RAOK'ing mine in the near future.

amazongb · Nov 14, 2018

Same issue with mine, finally got tired of blowing in the hose to reprime, so I quit using it and got a different skimmer..

minus9 · Nov 14, 2018

I discovered that I had a power issue (low incoming voltage to the house). I got several errors from my apex for low voltage and also noticed that the incoming voltage to the house was around 104v to 107v (I have power conditioners in my studio that display voltage). I called the power company and after a few days of them changing some equipment at the local substation, problem solved. During this time I thought I lost an AP700, which stopped working. I was going to send it back to Kessil, but looked at the driver and noticed a voltage pot (which is adjustable from 100v to 211v). After resetting the pot to it's lowest setting, then turning it up to what would be the 120v mark, voila, it worked.
So back to the skimmer, once the voltage was stabilized, I haven't had any issues. I feed several times a day and the float switch shuts off the skimmer and it starts up just fine once the float switch is deactivated. But it very important to check that you have the right water level and you have the right power. Hopefully this helps anyone else having an issue? It's a beast of a skimmer.

adtravels · Nov 15, 2018

I am on 220 volts in my country so I am willing to give it a shot, the first time it fails I will be selling it!

minus9 · Sep 18, 2020

JDowns said:
I tried everything. It was fine at first, but then started doing it. Even cleaning the pump didn't solve it. I ended up ordering a Deltec 1000i from Adam @Battlecorrals. Excited to get it installed this weekend.

Minus the startup issue the Nyos is a nice quiet skimmer that is super simple to dial in and adjust. But the cavitation issue is a pain to deal with especially with feed modes, or power losses.

I'll end up RAOK'ing mine in the near future.

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I'm really tired of my 160 not starting and really want the Deltec 600i. How do you like the Deltec?

minus9 · Oct 8, 2020

Hey Nyos or Ecotech, is there a better replacement pump for the 160? Water changes, maintenance and sometimes power outages are quite common, so having to prime this skimmer with a turkey baster or blowing air in the intake tube is a major PITA when one of these things happen.
I take apart and clean the skimmer twice a year, make sure there's no obstruction, etc, etc, etc..... Too bad there's not a DC controllable pump that can be used in this skimmer?
I read in another post about someone else buying a newer pump for the skimmer that is stronger and fixes this issue. Any truth to this?

kruler · Nov 11, 2020

minus9 said:
Hey Nyos or Ecotech, is there a better replacement pump for the 160? Water changes, maintenance and sometimes power outages are quite common, so having to prime this skimmer with a turkey baster or blowing air in the intake tube is a major PITA when one of these things happen.
I take apart and clean the skimmer twice a year, make sure there's no obstruction, etc, etc, etc..... Too bad there's not a DC controllable pump that can be used in this skimmer?
I read in another post about someone else buying a newer pump for the skimmer that is stronger and fixes this issue. Any truth to this?

I would also like to know if there is a fix for this common issue. Can someone please properly tag Ecotech or Nyos?

AquaLifeStudio · Nov 11, 2020

Have you tried giving it a good cleaning? I've found that keeping the entire air intake pathway clean is paramount for the startup to occur after a shutdown. Blockages of any type will cause this problem to reoccur.