need help with my first skmmer.

[bianca90]

I have a 40g tank, and I bought a 65g skimmer. Super skimmer from coralife with the needle wheel. I set it up 2 days ago, but I don't notice any change, it doesn't create any microbubbles, or foam. It seems as if the water is just stuck there. I need info on "how is it supposed to work". The collection cup cone has water to the middle. The bubble production diffuser blows a bit of big bubbles but they inmidiatly float to surface. the skimmer has a 650- 750 gph pump. How much water should I have on my collection cup cone? And last, how is the flow control valve supposed to work? I noticed when is take it out, a lot of bubbles are created but when is fasten, no bubbles at all, and I can't have it on medium since it gets pushed out by the water.

Help?

Thank you!

 

[bianca90]

Here is the pictures...

 

[tjm80]

I don't have a HOB skimmer, but it looks to me like your air line is down in the water. It needs to be able to pull air from the room to be able to produce sufficient bubbles to skim.

 

[thincat]

good catch, that is what I was going to say. Your air hose goes to your pump then out to the air so that the pump can pull the air in causing your bubbles to foam and bubble up into the cone and into your collection cup.

 

[bianca90]

Ok!. Well the pump is not pulling any air. The air tube has been out of the water through the air silencer.

 

[Gti_Leo]

is threre a little adjustment knob on the end of the air hose? make sure thats not closed. i have a aquaclear powerhead that has a venturi and a valve on it

 

[bianca90]

Nope no valve. Just two valve the water flow and the water level.

 

[GotReef]

I have the same skimmer on my 75 so hopefully I can help. Make sure your air hose is high up since when you turn it off it is hanging down it will create a siphon. I found that out the hard way. Look at the dial that is on the tube in the water. I have mine almost all the way open. Next adjust the red dial on the top of the tube out of the water. From there it is just playing with it. Just mess with the dials and you will quickly figure out where you want it. Lower water is dry skim which is what I start with. When my water is very clean I have to turn it up to keep the waste exiting. If you read through the manual you will figure it out easily.

 

[bianca90]

Thank you!. I'm learning all this stuff before I buy corals and fishes. This forum has beed awsome and I get great answers from here.

Thank you all

 

[GotReef]

That's a great idea. I had a friend that didn't do all the research and salt water life became a nightmare. Just take you time and plan out everything you want. If you just start adding things you'll limit yourself in the future. Fail to plan, plan to fail.

 

[bianca90]

I'm unable to create any air flow even after the hose is high up, any ideas…?

 

[Strawman]

Check you additives in your water. and consider different additives as certain additive will effect the chemistry of the water. Your conditioner might break down the surface tension to far to create micro bubbles.

Try raising your skimmer if at all possible. As this can effect the air flow as well.

But be careful. Everything I read says these are super touchy and are known to overflow. So don't adjust the water flow and then leave or put something beneath it to catch the flow. All of this info can be gleaned from the first two links under these search parameters in google: super skimmer coralife no bubbles

 

[GotReef]

I would try draining the skimmer to. Maybe you have water somewhere it shouldn't be from having your tube in the water.

 

[DA fisherman]

Corral life skimmers are one of the worst to deal with. Must be dailed in right to work good, if water level changes you have to re set it, if you turn it off and back on you must re set it :-/.. Bubble magus all the way....

I had the corral life 220 for my 55g and it sucked!

Hope it works out for you.

 

[XxVooDooxX]

Just out of curiosity what's your salinity at?

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[melosu58]

Moved to General Hardware and equipment discussion.

 

[bianca90]

Salinity= 1.025.


I played around with the valves, but nothing worked. Since my order was wrong, the website sent me another skimmer, (the same). I installed it today to see if is was a problem from the pump, but it didn't work either.

Both skimmers are pluged in, both of this have the following problems:

- no microbubbles are produced inside or outside the skimmer
- no foam is produced inside the collection cup
- Skimmer water level pulses.

Both of them are brand new skimmers, the pumps are pluged , nothing is clogging the venturi air-inlet. There is enough space between output tubing and the sponge.

Any suggestion?..

Thank you all

 

[GotReef]

I would call CoralLife. You seem to have everything ok. I would just keep playing with both knobs. Put them both half way on. If that fails I think I would try another skimmer at this point.