skimmer question

[JohnK]

sorry I'm lazy, just looked at the pics

The air inlet I was suggesting probablly won't help if the whole outlet pipe is submerged. You could add a T fitting just after the bulkhead with a pipe going straight up above the water line but I doubt that this will help with the overflow since the pipe is horizintal.

restricting air flow into the skimmer, or throttling back the pump will be the best things to try, My suggestions #3 + 4 probablly don't apply to your set up.

 

[scottv1025]

u think by not haveing any bios or a very few it will not break the water into little bubbles . so there will be more water than bubbles in the collection cup

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

BioBalls

Yes, you absolutely need the bioballs. These are crucial to the skimmer's operation.

u think by not haveing any bios or a very few it will not break the water into little bubbles . so there will be more water than bubbles in the collection cup

 

[JohnK]

I agree, the skimmer is designed to work with the bio balls and moreover I would guess that the bio balls restrict the flow very slightly if anything. Chopping up the bubbles or whatever will only make the skimmer work better but not make for a larger air intake leading to overflow.

I haven't used this specific skimmer but I did have a ETSS reefdevil for a bit (same design but the bottom of the line model). I ran a larger than reccomended pump but restriced the air inlet and was able to make it work well without overflow problems. I used a small ball valve that TI had in stock with the RO fittings.

One other thing that might be an issue,
if your running a high water level in the sump (fluxuating or not) this will slow the output from the skimmer causing the overflow problem (given the low horizontal pipe as an outlet from the skimmer).

If you need to run a high level in the sump, you could try relocating the skimmer so that it's sitting higher than water level and the output goes over the top of the sump (if you have the space).

Also if it's a used skimmer, have you thouroghly cleaned the inside of the valve and output? There could be tube worm tubes and other misc gunk clogging the plumbing.

 

[scottv1025]

yes cleaned and it failry new . just got home and i turned on and it is making alot of foam . but my question this time is when the foam finally hits the tube and to the bucket should i turn in to water right away

 

[JohnK]

"but my question this time is when the foam finally hits the tube and to the bucket should i turn in to water right away"

If I understood the question right, no not really. It sounds like your skimmer is clearly producing way too much foam and the foam is most likely too wet. One or both of two things are happening.

1 the pump is pushing so much water through the skimmer that the level in the skimmer is too high (or put another way, the water can't get out fast enough so the level is too high)

2 for the amount of flow too much air is being drawn into the skimmer.

Either way, your getting excessive wet foam. Usuallly the way I would adjust a skimmer would be to first shut off the air inlet, then adjust the flow so that the water level sits farily low in the clear tube above the black box portion. (is this possible the way it's working right now?) Next gradually open up the air inlet so that there is a nice frothy foam mix in the clear tube but no skimmate is making it to the collection cup. Finally wait a day or two and by then the darker thicker foam will be will be rising up to the collector cup (not necessarily constantly, but on and off)

If the pump flow is excessive or the outlet from the skimmer is restrictive you will get the excessive wet foam it sounds like your describing. This is due to a too high water level in the skimmer. To cut to the chase, your easiest option is to throttle back the pump a bit.

As far as the real cause of the problem (this is the reccomended pump for your skimmer right?) I'm really wondering how high the water level is in the sump? IME it's very hard to have a low water level in the sump and not have microbubble problems in the display. Assuming your setup is plumbed like the pics posted, a high water level in the sump will most likely slow the output from the skimmer quite a bit, I suspect that this might be the root cause of the problem. If so your only options are to plump the skimmer differently, throttle back the pump, use a smaller pump, or find a way to run a lower water level in the sump.

Hope this is helpful....