Protein Skimmer

[Carl Cardarelli]

Does a skimmer go bad? All of a sudden mine doesn't seem to be collecting gunk anymore bubbles are present but intake flow needs to be all the way open any suggestions before I buy a new one? I presently have the Octo SX3000 or 6000 not sure about 3-4 years old, for a 600 gallon tank if I need a new one which one is the best for that size tank? Thanks

 

[dedragon]

i would try to clean the whole thing in citric acid, letting the pump run in it for 12+ hours, wipe the whole thing down and rinse, then try the skimmer again. Something could be clogged in it.

 

[dedragon]

impellers in pumps can break so i would also check that

 

[dedragon]

also did you start using any new additives or food etc that could be messing with skimmate production?

 

[Water Dog]

Check the venturi... where the airline mounts to the pump intake. Salt creep build up will often get gunked up here and adversely effect skimmer performance. I use the blunt end of a bamboo skewer to ream it out making sure it’s free from any buildup whenever I do my routine skimmer maintenance.