coralife superskimmer micro bubble problem

[espkh9]

my tank after 2 weeks from cleaning the sponge of the skimmer has gotten full of micro bubbles.. when I turn the skimmer off there are no bubbles the mag 12 just returns the water clearly into the DT..when I plug in the skimmer all of the sudden micor bubbles just come out constantly from the mag 12 does anyone know what to do this is a 125 reef tank and the skimmer is on the side of the sump/wet dry under the tank...the skimmers sponge and hose is in the sump with the sponge for the skimmer half way in the water of the sump and the hose shooting water deflecting off the sponge into the sump the the mag12 returns into the dt.. it was working good not perfect until tonight...so i shut off the skimmer now i have no skimmer running and no bubbles what can be the problem and how can i fix it ?

 

[espkh9]

bump.

 

[tizzo]

Lemme try to wing this...
You have the little grey box that the return flows through right??
There is a black sponge in the box right?
The water comes out the bottom. Do you have any sponge or media floss in the bottom of that box?

 

[espkh9]

yes there is a pad... it was filthy filled with brown stuff i cleaned it and put it back...why does this matter and what you said is exactly how it was setup...

 

[espkh9]

im trying to understand why when i turned on the skimmer thousands of micro bubbles came shooting out of the mag 12 and it made the tank really look bad...so since i have not been able to fix it just control it a little but still never get no micro bubbles...i decided tonight to remove the skimmer.to sell it to the LFS for whatever i can get. i cleaned it up washed everything its pretty much new 1 month old..i have the box all the parts and the instuctions are stilll sealed in the bag ...so for now my 125 reef has no skimmer with 90 corals..nitrates are 0...ammonia is 0.. i will feed very very little until i get a skimmer...but this time i'm making sure there will be no micro bubbles..my budget is $250..i need one that skimms for at least 180 gallons and hang on the sump with the pump in the sump... the sump has plenty of room but the cabinet is 25" high and 20" from the back to the front.

 

[jaymz]

the coralife super skimmer is a great skimmer. I do agree that the little black return box is way to small. This is why there are micro bubbles coming out. This also made me very angry. There are tons of mods for these skimmers. Here is one that I did.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/316195/a-fix-for-coralife-ss-microbubble-problem
Also I think one month is too early to give up on that skimmer its still isnt very broke in yet. The longer I let mine run the fewer bubbles it was producing. I was very frustrated with it at first and was upset with all that money i spent on it and it was throwing all these bubbles and I could not get it to dry skim. Now that I just kept running it it has broke in and now throws very few bubble, with the mod i did, and now dry skims well.

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by Espkh9
http:///forum/post/2600593
yes there is a pad... it was filthy filled with brown stuff i cleaned it and put it back...why does this matter and what you said is exactly how it was setup...

That filter floss is supposed to trap the bubbles. The link that jaymz posted is a good idea, but you can also use the existing box, just put more floss in the bottom... Mine sits on a little shelf in the tank so the water has to go through a little maxe before it gets into the tank, that also helps reduce the bubblage.

 

[espkh9]

sold the coralife ss 125, ordered aqua medics turbofloter multi...skimmer for 250 gallons fits for my sump/ wet dry...i will still have more bubble problems since the pump is prob stronger than the ss...and i have my mag 12 in the same chamber..im thnking of putting an acrylic piece in between pumps 7" high by 6" wide so that the 15" from front to back sump and 6"wide (the right chamber) there's lso 6" wide on the left...) makest he pumps separated i will also added some floss to the sponge im not sure how this one comes... ill prob get it thurs or fri...im doing 10% water changesbarelyfeeding the fish and the nitrates are going from 5-10 daily 5 after the change 10% 10-20 after 4 days of no changes bottom line idesperately need a skimmer..i noticed no water is evaportaing when theres no skimmer hooked up...just a thought.

 

[briand7878]

I have the same set up as you. I made a box out of 2 pieces of acrylic and glued them into a corner of the sump. I then drilled holes in one of the pieces so the water can escape. I placed my skimmer into that box that i made and let my skimmer drain directly into the box. I dont use a difuser at all. My return pump is on the other side of my sump so I dont get any bubbles at all. Here is a pic

 

[espkh9]

im getting the aquamedics turbo flotor skimmer in 3 days...its much more powerful and better than the SS 125 i had.. in my sump which is 15"front to back and 13"across...there is a divider 6.5 to the left 6.5 to the right its acrylic.. however the divider goes down to 1/2 inch from the bottom so the water can flow in the entire sump...my question is should i put the mag12 in the left side of the sump and the pump from the skimmer in the left ? or is it ok to have the mag12 in the from right of the sump and the pump from the skimmer in the back right of the sump with no bubbles the skimmers pump goes in the ump and the retuen water goes in the sump...and the body hang on the sump to the right under the cabinet...ill show you a picture of the new skimmer I ordered my first mission is too hook it up, second it so make sure no bubbles are coming out of the mag 12 return into the DT.
i wil post a pic when all is setup then well worry if we have a bubbles problem and things we can do. thanks for the help.
info for the skimmer :
Product Description:
The Turboflotor Multi SL hang-on is the among the most capable, versatile and effective skimmers of its size.
No other skimmer made today offers the same level of function, adaptability and ease of use than the revolutionary Multi SL design.
In this hobby, where so often a single aquarium set-up receives several skimmer upgrades in its lifetime, the Turboflotor Multi SL offers you a confident long-term solution.
This is the unique kind of skimmer that has the capacity to remain at the heart of your growing system and become your go-to skimmer for many years.
Equally at home hanging on a small quarantine tank or permanently installed at the heart of a 200 gallon reef display’s filtration system; the Turboflotor Multi SL is so effective and flexible that it will be among your most valuable tools as an aquarist.
Find out first-hand why this is among the best selling skimmers in the world.
Ocean Runner Pump Included
- Recommended for tanks up to 250 gal.
- Height: 22"
- Footprint: 13-1/4"x7-1/4"
- Allow at least 10" of depth behind tank for proper installation.

 

[espkh9]

bump.