Vertex Alpha 170 Skimmer problems

[Braves Fan]

Ok, I have new skimmer problems this is a new Vertex Alpha 170 skimmer, I am in contact with Gen at Pro Line and with BRS who I bought the skimmer from. Just thought I would post here to see if anyone has a clue, I am at a loss.

Skimmer is in 32g Brute container of saltwater from a water change. I will shorten this story a lot, if need be, I will go into it more. This skimmer is a replacement skimmer from BRS, this skimmer is doing the same thing the first one was doing, the first one ran for 10 days, nothing got better, stayed the same as what you see in the video. The noise you here the skimmer motor making, I swear, you can here from 10 feet away from my Brute container, the motor also is pulsating water out of the motor into the skimmer section. causing the water in the skimmer to bounce up and down. After 10 days of running the skimmer, nothing has changed, still the same as when I first plugged it in.

 

[tigerdragon]

What depth water? The vertex's like nothing deeper than8"

 

[tigerdragon]

They also can take at least 2 weeks to break in.

 

[Braves Fan]

The skimmer, that this new Vertex Alpha 170 skimmer is replaceing was a Vertex Alpha 170 skimmer. My point here is, I have had this same model of skimmer for several years now in my sump tank. When I originally bought my first Vertex Alpha 170 skimmer, I went thru several egg create platforms till I found the best operating depth for that particular Vertex Alpha 170 skimmer, that depth turned out to be 10 inches. Although I didn't run the new skimmer for a full two weeks for it to break inself in, I did run it for 10 days, the sound you are hearing, stayed the same, it didn't get any less the longer I ran the skimmer, the pulsating you see in the video, also didn't get any less. I think that no matter what the skimmer does during the break in period as far as the skimming side of the skimmer goes, the motor, dosn't/shouldn't need a break in period. It shouldn't be making a noise like that or pulsating the water from the motor section into the skimmer section. You plug it in, the motor should just run and run right, no noise, no pulsating. The one difference between this new skimmer and my old one ,,,, The old one had a Red Dragon pump ,,,, this new one, I have no idea what kind of pump it is ,,, that maybe why this is happening, I don't know. I really don't care what the brand of pump, it shouldn't be making this noise or pulsating the water, I just want a working skimmer. If it takes to weeks to break in and start skimming,, so be it, but these two problems shouldn't be there from the get go. Oh,, I have the skimmer running at a depth of 9 inches right now.

 

[tigerdragon]

Have you checked the impellar make sure the shaft didnt break. I have an omega 150 the pump is dead silent. Its not running the red dragon pump

 

[MikeAndrews]

Something is definitely wrong with the pump(s). The only skimmer issues I have ever had were the air inlet clogging leading to increase in water flow to the chamber, and impeller sticking due to calcification buildup. I run Reef Octopus and Es200 Eshops.