skimmer issues and unidentified stuff

[lilsis13]

I just bought my first skimmer, it is a coralife super skimmer 65 for a 55 gallon tank. It does not appear to be working correctly. Shouldn't it be making a whirling vortex of bubbles? Can someone help me out please? Also, I seem to have some sort of fuzzy moldy looking like stuff growing on one of my live rocks. It looks like the mold that grows on food when left sit out. Any ideas?

 

[seannmelly]

i had the same skimmer it worked good for a while but then our bubbles just stopped too. i never figured it out so we went and bought a super skimmer 125 which is awesome.

 

[lilsis13]

yeah, but I just bought it today. I'm not even sure what exactly it is supposed to do. I mean, I know the concept, but am I to see the bubbles right away, is it possible that it is just going to take a day or two, I don't know why it would, but I am clueless. Also, do you have any advice on how to keep my jawfish in the tank?

 

[seannmelly]

for the skimmer you should be able to see the bubbles you might have to fine tune it or make sure the venturi valve is in the right way and for the jaw fish......its called a top, lol

 

[lilsis13]

I have a top!!!!!!!!!! I'm not that clueless. I have had two jawfish disappear through the tiniest of cracks where my heater is and my filter. Now I have a huge jawfish, and I don't want to lose him. I don't know how to crack-proof it I guess. Oh, and I think that the valve is correct, there is a tube, the air-inlet silencer tube, it is half filled with water, should that be?

 

[tscuda]

I dont belive the air inlet tube should have water in it. Seems the water isnt letting the air in to make the bubbles.

 

[spiked09]

There should be no air in the silencer tube, suck or blow it out and it should start working. You should have the bubbles coming up about 1/2" into the collector cups inner tube for a couple of days to break in the unit. Once it's broken in then you can increase the bubbles so they end up closer to the top of the inner tube.
I have the same fuzzy white, mold looking type growth on my LR. I posted a pic here https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/215376/id-please-mold and asked what it was and was told it was just sponge and that was a good thing. LOL

 

[seannmelly]

Originally Posted by lilsis13
I have a top!!!!!!!!!! I'm not that clueless. I have had two jawfish disappear through the tiniest of cracks where my heater is and my filter. Now I have a huge jawfish, and I don't want to lose him. I don't know how to crack-proof it I guess. Oh, and I think that the valve is correct, there is a tube, the air-inlet silencer tube, it is half filled with water, should that be?

chill out the top thing was just a joke! if they are jumping out then my guess is some other type of animal is bothering him. i have a jaw fish and 2 gobies which are known to be jumpers with no top and they are fine. and for the skimmer there should be no water in the tube

 

[winstew]

I would say a sponge. If it is a new tank and kinda looks like dust they are probably diatoms.

 

[lilsis13]

Thanks much. I have got my skimmer working now. My jawfish were in my tank for like a month with no lid, then my big one went missing. Couldn't find it, figured the cats may have gotten it if it jumped out. Then, my little jawfish jumped out a week ago. I have a large orbic bat, he ate all of my anenomes, but he doesn't seem to bother the fish in the tank. At first everyone told me that the orbic bat was reef safe. After joining here, many have told me otherwise. So, my plans for a reef tank have been quashed. I want to make my tank interesting can anyone steer me in the right direction? For instance, these are probably really dumb questions but, coraline algae? What is it and how do I get it and can I have it with my bat? Mushrooms, can I have them? Here is what I have now,
1 jawfish
2 blue damsels
1 yellow tang
1 yellow goatfish
1 orbic bat
1 pj cardinal
1 bue coral shrimp
1 cleaner shrimp
2 turbo snails
3 green chromis
1 royal dottyback