Skimmer stops making bubbles!

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello all,

I have the new Marineland skimmer that I use in my sump. Yesterday after the PWC, the unit stops making bubbles in the chamber. It started with some small bubbles then the whole columm just turn clear and that's that. There is no clogging of anykind. I turn the unit off and on but to no avail. The motor is running though. Very confused. Thanks DP

 

[TheChad]

hmm, I have that problem with my coralife skimmer too..

I will unplug the unit, clean out the cup, and plug it back in. It'll make the fine bubles for ahwile, then the bubbles will slow and slow untill no bubbles are seen and the water in the column is clear... I have never been able to figure out what causes this..

-TheChad

 

[neilanh]

I'm not familiar with that specific skimmer, but on my skimmer I have to prime the venturi each time after power is lost by blowing into the tube where it collects the air. I assume this is also a venturi skimmer and perhaps you should give it a try.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

I'm not familiar with that specific skimmer, but on my skimmer I have to prime the venturi each time after power is lost by blowing into the tube where it collects the air. I assume this is also a venturi skimmer and perhaps you should give it a try.

So I should plug back in and blow into the air intake? I can get the skimmer to produce bubbles (a little bit) by lifting it out of water but the after I submerse it, the bubbles are gone. I think that has to do with "something not getting O2" from the air. Dai Phan

 

[ccCapt]

In both cases, it sounds like the air intake on the venturi is blocked or partially blocked. Take off the airline and blow thru it, just to make sure that's not blocked. Then take a paper clip or something and jam it into the hole where the airline connects to the pump. That hole can/will get clogged with salt creep. I had to clean that hole when I had a CSS125 and I have to keep it clean on the Octo NW200 skimmer I use now.

 

[melosu58]

I sit there sometimes and put a cup of hot water to the tube and when it goes through it will dissolve any salt crud blocking the tube.

 

[neilanh]

I can't speak for the OP's situation, but my skimmer has been this way since day 1, before salt creep ever existed on it. I have read of others having this issue with this skimmer too, so I never thought to disassemble it and look around - hindsight is 20/20 I guess.