Question on skimmer mod?

[ac7av]

I understand that there is plenty of air going into the tank. Not enough air getting into the skimmer will cause the increased water flow threw the skimmer to push what air is getting into the skimmer right out the drain of the skimmer. Or in your case also threw the collection cup and down the drain tube to the tank as well.

Skimmerwisper

Isn’t there some way to adjust that skimmer? The way that thing is pumping water into the cup doesn’t seem right. There is no break in that fixes that kind of overflowing. It almost seems like the exhaust is blocked.

 

[blk822822]

I think I read a deal some where that the return need to be higher and not in the water so deep. I have to run mine higher out of the water due to the tank I have , it has high sides.

 

[iroll253]

I understand that there is plenty of air going into the tank. Not enough air getting into the skimmer will cause the increased water flow threw the skimmer to push what air is getting into the skimmer right out the drain of the skimmer. Or in your case also threw the collection cup and down the drain tube to the tank as well.

Skimmerwisper

Isn’t there some way to adjust that skimmer? The way that thing is pumping water into the cup doesn’t seem right. There is no break in that fixes that kind of overflowing. It almost seems like the exhaust is blocked.

Sorry bro i meant skimmer i mis printed. But i understand my water level is generally high compared to other tanks i might just put an acrylic block ontop of my tank rim.

 

[iroll253]

taking off the filter pad on the output doesn't drop the water line, neither does sliding a 1 inch pipe in between the skimmer arms and the rim of the tank so i put it back to its original position. Im hoping it will fix itself since its still overflowing constantly.

 

[iroll253]

Heres a pic of it overflowing before i go back to homework. Dang RF always a distraction

 

[iroll253]

Also it doesn't change when i pull the silencer off of the air intake andd the pump seems to be pretty hot im worried about it a bit.

 

[iroll253]

I have the same skimmer and it took just a few days to break in and stop over flowing.

Sorry for all the posts. So it was overflowing continually like that? If so ill stop worrying about it lol

 

[noworries]

On a side note how are the clowns doing?

 

[iroll253]

There doing good bro checkin out the nem once in awhile but not hosting yet and your right about the biting, its a little annoying when feeding my corals but nothing i cant handle. The other little guy make it home?

 

[noworries]

Oh yeah he's doing good, gonna start looking for a mate for him.

 

[ac7av]

Any chance you got a Styrofoam peanut stuck in the drain. Sorry to keep going on about that, but that thing is just not right. I wouldn’t let it go on for 30 minutes like that let alone 3 day. Especially since you tried raising it and that made no change. You should have at least seen some change unless that drain is really not flowing out. Any chance that the dots on the pipe are marked wrong?

 

[Skimmy]

dude...
just let it do it's thing...
for now, I'd say just put the tube from the collection cup straight back into the tank. there is possibly something chemically in the tank to make it go crazy like this as well. I'd suggest changing out your carbon for some fresh carbon if you have any. it might be water conditioners as well if you happen to use any of those.
anyway, not an uncommon thing for askimmer to do in it's first days of operation. but do check that the outlet is in no way blocked...

 

[ac7av]

I know I know

The only reason I’m so interested it this bad boy is because I just ordered up one of these skimmers on eBay after talking to you this last weekend. If it comes in acting like that and there is no way to throttle that it back, I’m going to make something that will dial it back until things settle out. Valve on the intake or something to pull in more air and less water.

 

[TJL]

OK I've been following this thread for a couple of days now, and there is definately something wrong with this particular skimmer set-up I have the same unit and it took maybe 3 hours to completely settle in, I to modified my adj handle to fit under canopy. The pump has never gotten beyond slightly warm to the touch has never overflowed. Something has to be restricting outflow or its dialed down to far.
First two pics show mod ( I cut a coin slot with a dremel for adj) and the last pic shows a tipical 4 day skimate collection

Todd

 

[iroll253]

I already sent one previous skimmer back due to the pump not working at all. Im gonna let it chill everything needs to chill today anyway. If it doesn't stop ill take the pump apart and put it back to together when i do the intake mod. But there is no way anything is stuck in any of the pipes or pump i'm sure of it.

 

[Skimmy]

I already sent one previous skimmer back due to the pump not working at all. Im gonna let it chill everything needs to chill today anyway. If it doesn't stop ill take the pump apart and put it back to together when i do the intake mod. But there is no way anything is stuck in any of the pipes or pump i'm sure of it.

im gunna laugh if you find a styro peanut in that thing...

and really, it's not bad advice, they can be really super sneaky..
I mean did you really check ALL the plumbing from the point it leaves the skimmer body, all the way up to the wedge valve??

and, are you using any water conditioners, like prime or amquel, or any dechlorinators?

 

[iroll253]

yeah and blew in the pipes lol and there were no packaging peanuts just bubble wrap.

 

[iroll253]

And no on the water conditioners i think its over flowing cause the tanks been running for 5 months with bi skimmer??

 

[ac7av]

Ha when I started looking over this skimmer on line I found a lot of them on eBay that were returns with bad pumps or pumps that would not start. I see there are some being sent out with the needle wheel impellers and some that say they have mesh impellers. I wonder if this makes a difference. Skimmerwisper told me that if there is too much mesh on a mod impeller it could have a lot of startup problems and run hot. What impeller is in your?

 

[iroll253]

its not mesh but its that style i should have taken a pic. Its like a mesh but with hard plastic cylinder shapes.