Skimmer Help for IM Nuvo 40

[92Miata]

Hey All -

We have a Nuvo10 with the IM Ghost skimmer that has generally worked fine - its not a great skimmer, but it works.

When we bought the Nuvo40, I bought a IM Nuvoskim DC midsize because it was what IM recommended - but I can't seem to get this thing to work correctly. I've got the return compartment set pretty low with the auto top-off, but any time we turn off the return to feed the fish, the water level rises enough to make the skimmer immediately overflow. (it rises enough to make the skimmer compartments go up about a half inch). I have to set the skimmer compartment really low to get it to skim anything.

Is this thing just junk? Or are there some tricks here? We've got all sorts of nutrient issues I need to sort out, and having a skimmer that doesn't actually skim isn't helping. It seems to pull quite a bit of air - but the body of the thing seems really turbulent if I look down the neck.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Skimmers overflowing when return pump is shut down is fairly common, I always put my skimmer in feed mode before killing return pump.. I don’t know anything about this skimmer but you may try turning it down if it’s adjustable, contrary to popular belief running skimmers full blast doesn’t always produce the most skimmate.
.

 

[92Miata]

yeah, it doesn't have any sort of controller - so no way to throw it in feed mode/shut down without just pulling the plug.

 

[DWill]

I had the same thing happen. Since there’s no feed mode on the skimmer the only thing you can do is shut it off. I set the power wire job so the plug between the power supply and skimmer is accessible. I just unplug it and put the pump in feed mode.

I just running the skimmer a couple days ago. I’ve been trying to adjust so it skims a little dryer; so far no luck. I think I need to raise the skimmer up or lower the water level in the return chamber, which I don’t want to do.

I‘ just let it go for a couple days and let break in; if I can’t it to skim dryer I may take it out for a while. The nutrients in my tank are really low, like undetectable nitrate and .01 phosphate, that may be part of their reason I can’t it to skim dry. I may end up turning it offans only using it when I need to.

 

[92Miata]

Just an update here - the thing started "chugging" for a week or two - like volume of pump going up and down, then the pump died. IM sent us a new pump and it seems to be running a bit better - we'll see how it does.

Wife has two tank raised mandarins who are being way over fed, so nutrients are an issue in this tank, so its got no excuses.

 

[92Miata]

I had the same thing happen. Since there’s no feed mode on the skimmer the only thing you can do is shut it off. I set the power wire job so the plug between the power supply and skimmer is accessible. I just unplug it and put the pump in feed mode.

I just running the skimmer a couple days ago. I’ve been trying to adjust so it skims a little dryer; so far no luck. I think I need to raise the skimmer up or lower the water level in the return chamber, which I don’t want to do.

I‘ just let it go for a couple days and let break in; if I can’t it to skim dryer I may take it out for a while. The nutrients in my tank are really low, like undetectable nitrate and .01 phosphate, that may be part of their reason I can’t it to skim dry. I may end up turning it offans only using it when I need to.

Wanted to update this thread because I accidentally ran into a trick to stop the skimmer from overflowing.

The airline tubing I had connected to the intake kept falling in the water - so I stuck it in the dosing tubing holder I have - just to get it to stay out of the water.

First time I turned the return pump off, water level starts to rise, airline tubing goes under, and skimmer starts sucking water instead of air - so it doesn't overflow. When the return pump comes back on, water starts to lower, and when it gets close to its normal running level, skimmer starts getting air again.