question about my new ViaAqua Multi Skimmer w/ uv sterilizer

[mrtgman]

I just set up a new salt tank. It is a 36 Gal bowfront. The guy at the fish store suggested I use this via aqua multi skimmer. I paid $165 from them and was a little upset when I saw it online for $129. Anyway I cannot get this thing to run quiet. The little priming plunger/silencer does not seem to work right.There is a constant air sound and my tank gets filled with tiny bubbles. If I remove it from the variable venturi and put my finger over the hole the thing is silent but than the skimmer stops working. They suggested I try attaching an airline tube with a valve attached at the end and shut the valve down. This worked for about a day but than the same old thing. It fills my tank with thousands of tiny bubbles again. I put my finger back over the hole and the thing runs silent again. I have tried 4 pieces of tubing with the valve but they all do not work. I know they are ok because when I take them off and try to blow through them I can't.So I know that the valve and tubing are NOT leaking.
Any suggestions? Should I try another filter? This just seemed like the best choice because it combined a filter, skimmer and UV sterilizer. I want o set this tank up for a reef system. Let me know if there are better choices out there or if anyone else has had this same problem with thier Via Aqua multi skimmer.

Thanks!


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[reefrunner69]

There is a constant air sound and my tank gets filled with tiny bubbles.

The hissing is the skimmer sucking in air to inject into the skimmer body, some skimmers have mufflers for theirs, usually consists of a ball with two holes in it (one suck in the air, the other is attatched to an airline to the venturi) that is filled with cotton or a sponge. If yours has a muffler check to make sure the ball of cotton or sponge is there. The bubbles are normal for a new skimmer, especially if the tank is new, the bubbles should slow or stop once the skimmer has gotten a coating of DOC on it, usually a couple of days to a few weeks.

Let me know if there are better choices out there or if anyone else has had this same problem with thier Via Aqua multi skimmer.

There are many better skimmers out there, depending on how much you want to spend, I really like the AquaC remora skimmer, it isn't very loud and it is the best skimmer in it's class. If your going reef, you don't need the filter, 1.5-2 lbs of LR and a shallow sand bed will provide all the nitrification and denitrification you will need. The UV is a personal choice, I do not run them on my tanks and don't have problems, IMO, they are not necessary for a healthy stable tank, they will give you a little more time if a disease breaks out, but that is usually easily prevented by following good quarantine practices.