Coralife Skimmer not working???

<3scopas55

<3scopas55

Member
Hey guys, I have a Coralife protien skimmer that seems to have stopped producing foam or any bubbles at all...
I was setting up a 55 reef a while ago but due to money issues the project went under wraps and i shut down all of my equipment. Today I decided to give it a go again and i took apart all of the equipment, cleaned it, and gave it a once over. Everything seems to be in working order except the skimmer.
It is pushing water normally but there are no bubbles in the chamber and no foam is being produced at the top, just flat water
I tried playing with the many dials to see if anything changes but it only makes the water run faster or slower.
If anyone knows what could be going on help would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
 
<3scopas55

<3scopas55

Member
Hmmm, so i checked the tube and it wasnt clogged but there was a small amount of water in the last inch of it where it connects to the pump. I turned it of and took the tube off and got the water out and it stayed fine until i turned the pump back on, then it filled with the same amount of water again...
 
briand7878

briand7878

Member
This may be a dumb question but, you have it in saltwater right? I tested one out one time in freshwater and got no bubbles. I was absolutely dumbfounded and contacted coralife. They sent me a new pump. Much to my surprise when i tested the new pump in freshwater it still didnt work. I called them up and asked them what the deal was. As soon as they asked me what my salinity was I knew instantly that i had screwed up. My second thought was the same as the previous post. My tube that connects to my venturi clogged periodically causing low bubbles.
 
<3scopas55

<3scopas55

Member
No it is definitly saltwater, 1.23 or so. Thats really interesting though that it doesnt work in fresh water, i wonder why?
I still cant seem to keep water from getting into the tube, its really strange

I guess ill just keep trying!
 
S

sawtydog

Guest
just a thought but did you try it without the little defuser attached?
 
<3scopas55

<3scopas55

Member
I just did and that works! But its really loud now. I thought the diffuser was clogged somehow so i drilled down through to hole in in the diffuser and now its working! Im not really sure what exactly was clogging it but now its fixed

The only issue now is that the skimmer is churning a lot of micro bubbles into the main tank
Now what do i do???
 
windlasher

windlasher

Member

Originally Posted by <3Scopas55
http:///forum/post/3062551
Hmmm, so i checked the tube and it wasnt clogged but there was a small amount of water in the last inch of it where it connects to the pump. I turned it of and took the tube off and got the water out and it stayed fine until i turned the pump back on, then it filled with the same amount of water again...

make sure the pump is in LESS than 8 - 10 inches of water.
 
S

sawtydog

Guest
I have the 220 on my 75 gal and my 90 gal. and had the same problem for a few hours and then it went away. coralife skimmers are touch on the settings or so all the ones i have had are anyway just make sure your water level from pump to top of water line is really close to specified settings and that the return water going into the catch filter is correct setting and you should be fine
 
woody189

woody189

Member
I have the same pump and the same thing happens. All I had to do was let it soak in in warm frewshwater.
Put warm tap water in a bucket, and put the whole unit into the water just like you would in a tank. Let it sit for a little while, maybe a few hours, and try it again.
It's happened to me multiple times, and this fixed it.
 
woody189

woody189

Member
Ohh... I just realized you fixed the problem. What I said won't hurt, but IDK if it'll help your current problem... A lot of times, especially when the unit is off, the salt water remains in the lines, and the water evaporates, but the salt remains. The salt clogs the tubes so soaking it in warm water clears the lines.
That's not your problem anymore so IDK..
 
<3scopas55

<3scopas55

Member
Hey sorry guys! Yes the skimmer is still working and doing a great job but I am still battling a swarm of micro bubbles! I think I've tried everything from cutting the outlet tube shorter, lowering the box, raising the box, switching to different medias in the return box, raising the black foam above the water (whoch seems to stop bubbles overflowing the box but they still stream out the bottom slits). I Have also played with the different flow nobs and if I throttle the intake pump back about an 1/8 of the circle the bubbles stop but then the skimmer doesnt have enough power to skim

I have no clue what to do next and I ended up just turning the skimmer off last night because I am afraid of my new fluval filter sucking in too much air and wrecking it.
Any other ideas??? Im desperate! I really cant have a sump again and I can't go out and buy a different skimmer
 
windlasher

windlasher

Member
Originally Posted by <3Scopas55
http:///forum/post/3063586
Hey sorry guys! Yes the skimmer is still working and doing a great job but I am still battling a swarm of micro bubbles! I think I've tried everything from cutting the outlet tube shorter, lowering the box, raising the box, switching to different medias in the return box, raising the black foam above the water (whoch seems to stop bubbles overflowing the box but they still stream out the bottom slits). I Have also played with the different flow nobs and if I throttle the intake pump back about an 1/8 of the circle the bubbles stop but then the skimmer doesnt have enough power to skim

I have no clue what to do next and I ended up just turning the skimmer off last night because I am afraid of my new fluval filter sucking in too much air and wrecking it.
Any other ideas??? Im desperate! I really cant have a sump again and I can't go out and buy a different skimmer

When you said drill, did you really mean drill? Those holes are kind of the size they need to be and making them larger probably didn't help. I have just retired two of them and the only time they did what you explained was when the pump was too low in the water. when I raised it up it worked fine.
If you cant figure it out, PM me and I will send you a diffuser cause they ain't doing me any good sitting on my shelf.
 
<3scopas55

<3scopas55

Member
No, I didnt actually drill the holes larger, I just stuck a very thin drill into it to unclog it.
Also the micro bubbles seem to have slowed a bit but they are still coming. I hoping that they will eventually just work them selves out
 
<3scopas55

<3scopas55

Member
alright guys, the bubbles in the main tank have almost completely stopped

The skimmer is running almost full power, the water is crystal clear, and the bubblmania is almost no longer!!!!
Im not entirely sure what finished off the bubble problem but at this point it doesnt really matter

Thanks to everyone who gave me help or advice!!!!
 
number1gsxxr

number1gsxxr

Member
I did one of the tyler merrick mods and I'm very pleased with it. No more big grey box taking up space in my sump and no micro bubbles.
 
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