Skimmer Question!

[bavass]

So i finally upgraded my pump on my Tturboflotor 1000 to a Oceanrunner 2700 from the Rio 2100. I am producing no skim now. Installed it last night and this morning nothing. Lots of fine micro bubbles its just not rising in the cup! Any suggestions? I did clean the cup out when I replaced the circulation pump, cleaned out the hose from the Rio 800 and replaced the impeler. Everything looks to be as normal as it was before adding the pump. Actually looks like there is more and finer bubbles with th OR 2700. Just has not taken this long to build up pressure since I first installed the skimmer. The adjustment knobs are out of the skimmer which is the way I ran it with the Rio 2100. If i put the knobs back in and leave open the cup overflows with water. Does the pump need to break in? Does the skimmer need to break in again since its a different brand and size pump? Rio was 692 gph and the OR is 650 so that is a difference in pressure.

 

[mr_X]

the pump it's supposed to come with is the one you have on it now.

"The protein skimmer's reaction pipe with 2 exhaust pipes and one intake in the middle, two PVC throttle valves, collection cup with top cover, Ocean Runner 2700 pump with a patented Aqua Medic Needle Wheel."

this may be a stupid question, but is this a needle wheel pump you have in there?

 

[bavass]

the pump it's supposed to come with is the one you have on it now.

"The protein skimmer's reaction pipe with 2 exhaust pipes and one intake in the middle, two PVC throttle valves, collection cup with top cover, Ocean Runner 2700 pump with a patented Aqua Medic Needle Wheel."

this may be a stupid question, but is this a needle wheel pump you have in there?

Yes it is a needle wheel pump. The micro bubbles are fine. The problem is when the throttle valves in it over flows with them out it collects nothing. When I bought this skimmer it came with the Rio 2100 since then it comes with the OR 2700. I am hoping it needs a break in period with the new pump

 

[mr_X]

i don't know...every skimmer i've ever purchased produced bubbles and skimmate immediately after i turned it on. i've never experienced a "break in" period.

 

[bavass]

so still nothing today. I think I am going to be on the phone with marinedepot tonight to get this sorted out. I also think I will be a ball valve and try and regulate the Rio 800 feed pump, maybe its to much flow for the Oceanrunner 2700

 

[mr_X]

it's not too much. if anything, too little would make it produce less skimmate, not the other way around. don't waste your money on the ball valve.

 

[bavass]

it's not too much. if anything, too little would make it produce less skimmate, not the other way around. don't waste your money on the ball valve.

with exhaust valves out the collection cup looks like a volcano. So I need to slow the inlet pump down and raise the reaction time

 

[bavass]

well after buying the ball valve and talking to Robert at www.marinedeopt.com we have the ball valve dialed almost all the way down to build up foam and every few days I will open a little at a time. But we have foam and cup is collecting. I must say its a little boit of a pain to set up correctly but the foam is alot better than it was when I had the Rio 2100 on it.

 

[mr_X]

that doesn't make any sense to me. if i had to do that to a skimmer to get it to work i would trash it.
i had a turbofloater before and i never had any trouble like you explain. it was not a rio pump, so i imagine it was the OR. it was whatever the skimmer came with.

 

[bavass]

that doesn't make any sense to me. if i had to do that to a skimmer to get it to work i would trash it.
i had a turbofloater before and i never had any trouble like you explain. it was not a rio pump, so i imagine it was the OR. it was whatever the skimmer came with.

to much water equals to wet foam or no foam and overflowing. When I bought the skimmer the Rio 2100 was the one made for it. Now it is the Oceanrunner 2700. I never had a problem till I bought this new pump and took the Rio out. Here is a link to a video of the skimmer last night with the exhaust valves out before I put the ball valve in. I am also waiting on Aqua Medic to get back to me

 

[bavass]

Gonna wait and see what Aqua Medic says then might just say H*&& with it and buy a Octopus 150. Everybody seems to love them. Been looking at them for awhile now and this might be the reason to go ahead and do it

 

[mr_X]

if you are referring to inside the skimmer reaction chamber, you can adjust the water and air mixtures with those 2 adjustment knobs, if i remember correctly.

the octopus skimmers are decent for the money. i've owned a few of them and have no major complaints.what size system are you working with?

 

[bavass]

Yes the 2 knobs control that I have added a 3 control by adding the ball valve. If AquaMedic can't straighten it out by this weekend I will be ordering the Octopus Extreme 6.4(150) for my 55g

 

[melosu58]

Good choice.

 

[mr_X]

yeap..that's a good skimmer for you!

 

[bavass]

Got home tonight and my skimmer is really kicking up. I am still going to save and get the Octopus but I dont have to order it right away

 

[bavass]

well i can actually say that the skimmer has been running better than it has ever ran before since talking to marinedepot and them helping me get it dialed in. It collects more gunk than ever about 1/4 to 1/2 cup a day!