Protein Skimmer Not Producing Bubbles

[garnet13aj]

So, I just got a new protein skimmer and I set it all up, but it isn't producing any bubbles. Got any bright ideas on why that might be, before I sit on the phone for an excruciatingly long time? it's a Coralife super skimmer. Water is flowing through the system, but like I said, there are no bubbles

 

[sign guy]

coralife skimmers need 24 to 36 hours to break in befor you can use it. they rarly just start right up

 

[firerescue]

You may also want to make sure the air line is connected that goes to the pump and sits on the top out of the water, but it is probably was was already said since it is new. I have the coralife 125.

 

[dude23455]

Blow into the air silencer to start the bubbles.

 

[garnet13aj]

The air line is connected, no problem there. When I blow bubbles into the silencer a small amount of bubbles start up, but the eventually dissapate. Sign Guy (or anyone else who knows), are you saying that after about 24-36 hours the skimmer will be warmed up and spontaneously begin making bubbles? If so, I'll wait a bit to see if that happens before I pursue the "problem" further.
Thanks for the help!

 

[sign guy]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
The air line is connected, no problem there. When I blow bubbles into the silencer a small amount of bubbles start up, but the eventually dissapate. Sign Guy (or anyone else who knows), are you saying that after about 24-36 hours the skimmer will be warmed up and spontaneously begin making bubbles? If so, I'll wait a bit to see if that happens before I pursue the "problem" further.
Thanks for the help!
yep it takes a cupple days. if after tonight it still isint working Id try unpluging it and pluging it up a few times I have the ss65 and the ss125 they both did this

 

[gman08016]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
So, I just got a new protein skimmer and I set it all up, but it isn't producing any bubbles. Got any bright ideas on why that might be, before I sit on the phone for an excruciatingly long time? it's a Coralife super skimmer. Water is flowing through the system, but like I said, there are no bubbles
I have the 220 model and had problems from the start.Thought it was a bad unit untill i found it had to do with my sump water level.If your water level is real high it will not produce bubbles in the chamber.Drop your water level and see if it changes.

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
are you saying that after about 24-36 hours the skimmer will be warmed up and spontaneously begin making bubbles?
You should be getting a crap load of bubbles immediately upon plugging the pump in. You may not get skimate for several days but you should have bubbles. This problem cant be that hard to figure out. when you close the red valve all the way does water overflow into the collection cup? If it does then the pump is working and connected properly to the skimmer. From there you could have one of too problems:
A)the pump is too deep under the water. follow directions recommendations (no more than 3-4" below the waterline. much lower and you wont get many bubbles).
B)Air is only drawn in way and it follows the same path as the water so there must be a blockage somewhere from the strainer that connects to the pump up to where air is drawn in on top of the silencer. I would start by removing the silencer and just running an airline from above the water line to the pump/strainer input. IF you now get bubbles you got a blockage or water in the silencer. IF you still dont have any bubbles run a toothpick all the way thru the strainer so you can see it on the inside to make sure its clear and make sure the strainer is connected all the way on the pump. Air is only drawn in thru vacuum produced by the pumping water. follow the path and eliminate possibilities one at a time.

 

[ameno]

also make sure your airline that is connected on the pump strainer is pointing up, mine would not make bubbles unless it was pointed in the upward position.

 

[garnet13aj]

Got any ideas what could be wrong if NOTHING happens when I turn the red nozzle? I was wondering about this earlier. If I turn the black nozzle on the pump the water level rises (and incidentally as it's rising a LOT of bubbles are produced). But obviously, that can't be the answer because the water level needs to stay even. As far as I know, I hooked everything up just like directions indicated, but there's no sort of reaction when I turn the red nozzle.
Sorry, I'm a bit of a gadget novice!
And, the silencer tube is out of the water and facing up. When I blow into it, a small amount of bubbles start to be made for a while, but they soon dissapate.

 

[garnet13aj]

It's not problem A or B, but it could be set up wrong...or a dud (which I doubt). I'm going to keep tinkering aorund w/it, but if anyone has any ideas please pass them along!

 

[stanlalee]

check the pump 1rst. take it out and just run the pump in water. take the nozzle/cover off the pump completely (turn it like you are doing until the groove clears and you can pull it off) and make sure propeller isn't jammed, broke or have something in it. the nozzle on the pump is just a cover so it should pump water regardless of orientation (all though it may fall off) but obviously should be pointed straight up. you may a bad pump, propeller rod and rubber seal not seated in the pump and cover or some kind of debri in there.
Let me get this right though. do you or dont you have water coming out the output tube? turning the red knob does nothing at all (you should still have bubbles in the reaction chamber weather its all the way open or closed so that valve is not going to be the problem)?

 

[garnet13aj]

I checked out the pump, it's working perfectly, and I was wrong, the water level does rise when I close the red nozzle, it just does it slowly. I took everything out, hooked when I was checking the pump and I put it all back, there are still no bubbles flowing though...What could be wrong!?

 

[joncat24]

I think the pump is too deep. Make sure it is at the recommended height. We had the same problem come up a couple months ago, and that is what it was.

 

[garnet13aj]

If the pump is too deep, when I lift the unit up a few inches it should begin making bubbles right? When I lift up the whole skimmer, no bubbles start forming. If it is too deep, any suggestions on how to lift it up. I attached it w/the short flexible tube that came w/it and it's resting on the edge, there's not really any way to make it come out of the water more w/o lifting the whole unit up and it's hanging on the back of my tank as it is. If it was too deep, wouldn't it still be producing bubbles but less of them? I could be wrong, I just want to be clear before I build some sort of complicated contraption to lift the whole skimmer up and not have it make a difference. As it is, the top of the pump is hanging about 2.5-3 inches above the water.
And does anyone else think it's weird that when I adjust the nozzle connected to the pump to allow the water to rise it starts making bubbles, but as soon as I turn it down (so the water doesn't flow into the collection cup) the bubbles stop?

 

[sign guy]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
If the pump is too deep, when I lift the unit up a few inches it should begin making bubbles right? no itll make less When I lift up the whole skimmer, no bubbles start forming. If it is too deep, any suggestions on how to lift it up. I attached it w/the short flexible tube that came w/it and it's resting on the edge, there's not really any way to make it come out of the water more w/o lifting the whole unit up and it's hanging on the back of my tank as it is. If it was too deep, wouldn't it still be producing bubbles but less of them? I could be wrong, I just want to be clear before I build some sort of complicated contraption to lift the whole skimmer up and not have it make a difference. As it is, the top of the pump is hanging about 2.5-3 inches above the water.
it sounds like its the right depth. have you taken the pump apart yet to see if the neddle wheel is spinning?

 

[sign guy]

also ( you may have tried this already) take thew silencer off and see what happens.

 

[garnet13aj]

I've done both. The needle wheel is spinning and when I take the silencer off it doesn't make a bit of difference. I was hoping there would be some obvious mistake that I had made...I'm still hoping it's me and not the unit, but it's looking less likely.

 

[sign guy]

try this ; if you take off the sillencer and put your finger over the hose the water in the skimmer should rise. thuss telling you its not the airline

 

[sign guy]

also try to raise the pump(temparalily with your hand) to the water level so the pump is sukking in some air.... what happens
prosses of elimination.
next what happens when you put your finger over the air vent next to the return?