Help with Vertex IN-100 skimmer

[higorc]

Hi all,

I just got a used in mint condition Vertex IN-100 skimmer. I am having a little problem getting it to start working the way it should. I have taken the pump apart and cleaned it, checked the air intake for anything clogging it, checked the output for back pressure and placed it in 6" to 8" of water to see if it makes a difference and nothing.

My 72G w/ sump/wetdry filter (which I will convert to a sump/refugium soon) tank has been up and running for about a month now. I have LR, LS snails and a clown fish in it. This is the first time I run a skimmer on it.

The Skimmer keeps making wet bubbles, overflowing the collection cup and the foam is going everywhere in the sump. The output is also releasing a lot of micro bubbles which are making their way to my display tank through my return pump. I have the skimmer seating in roughly 7" of water. I have the air pipe on "Full Open" and I ran it for the whole day yesterday and last night. It go a little better this morning, but I can still see bubbles in my tank and the skimmer still overflowing the collection cup into the sump.

How long is the break in period on these usually? Am I doing something wrong? Is it because it's a newly stablished tank? Anything I can do to fix the problem?

Any imput is welcomed.

Thanks everybody.

Higor

 

[higorc]

WOW! No one knows anything about this skimmer huh?!

 

[DBLeite]

Is there a little valve on the air intake?

 

[higorc]

there is no valve, there is an air tube that goes from the pump to the air intake on the long pipe where you can open/close by rotatting the pipe to control the air intake to the pump. Like the pic below;

http://www.petstore.com/Vertex_IN_100_Internal_Pinwheel_Protein_Skimmer_60_100_Gallons_Protein_Skimmers-Vertex_Aquaristik-VX1113-AQSWPS-VX1115-vi.html

 

[DBLeite]

I have a euro reef that was finicky like what you are describing. What I did was raise the skimmer a bit higher in my sump, and use a little ball valve at the end of the air intake. I would try disconnecting the air intake from the gray pvc and get a little valve for the other end. If you dont have a valve, you can pick one up at home depot or lowes in the irrigation section for little money. It is a real drag when you have any form of skimmate bubbling over back in the sump.

 

[higorc]

so u think I have too much air coming in? do u think it would help if I lower the water level in the sump?

 

[JohnK]

there is no valve, there is an air tube that goes from the pump to the air intake on the long pipe where you can open/close by rotatting the pipe to control the air intake to the pump. Like the pic below;

http://www.petstore.com/Vertex_IN_100_Internal_Pinwheel_Protein_Skimmer_60_100_Gallons_Protein_Skimmers-Vertex_Aquaristik-VX1113-AQSWPS-VX1115-vi.html

Rotating that pipe is how you control the water level in the skimmer body. Are you sure it's full open? If you're not entirely shure, pull the pipe apart and you'll see how the valve works.

 

[higorc]

yes...it's full open!!!

 

[JohnK]

Do you have the instructions for it?

http://www.aquacave.com/Manuals/Vertex-INSkimmer-Manual.pdf

Edit, I just read that, sounds like you are doing everything right. If nothing else, you might want to try restricting the air inlet a bit to see if that helps it to settle in.

 

[higorc]

yes...I read that think like 10 times...
I was doing more research on it today. Some people seem to think that the water level and back pressure in the output has something to do with it. I already took the elbow pvc pipe out of the output to aleviate the pressure and it seemed like it worked a little. But I can still see the bubbles being forced down to the output line inside the skimmer body. I have to find a way to raise them a little so microbubbles stop coming out of the output into the sump. And the other think of course is to make the skimmer stop over flowing into to the sump!

 

[DBLeite]

where is the water level in the skimmer itself? i know that every skimmer calls for a certain depth that the skimmer should be submerged, and also a level inside the skimmer. when i followed the directions that came with my euro reef it behaved just like yours, and never " settled in ". only after i did a mod or two involving the discharge pipe, did it start working without overflowing. the valve is what made it work the best.

 

[jamesdong009]

I'm currently running the Vertex 180 on my frag tank now. How much water is the skimmer currently sitting in and where is the water line on the skimmer itself when it's fully open?

 

[higorc]

You know, these so called "Setup Instructions" are bogus man! I swear to God! Last night I tried everything I could imagine to get it to work...guess what?! When I lowered the water level in the sump, I noticed the foam got less wet and it stopped overflowing the cup. I am talking about 3" to 4"of water! The instruction says 6" to 8"...go figure. I am sure this works for some people but I guess not in my case. Obviously I can't go that low on the water level in my sump, so I will go home today and build a stand for it out of egg crates...
I still couldn't get the microbubbles to stop coming out of the output, and they r still going to my display tank. I think I might have to put the Skimmer and return pump in different parts of the sump...

Now, the skimmer I had before only produced microbubbles in the output if it was dialed wrong of if there was back pressure. I am starting to wonder if it's normal for some skimmers to produce microbubbles in the output no matter what.

One more thing, what exactly do u mean by putting a valve in the air intake? Do u have a picture so I can see what u mean?

Thanks
Higor

 

[higorc]

I'm currently running the Vertex 180 on my frag tank now. How much water is the skimmer currently sitting in and where is the water line on the skimmer itself when it's fully open?

What do you mean by the water lever in the Skimmer? It's overflowing the whole time. I can see the bubble all the way down to the output (basicly to the bottom of the skimmer). I have been keeping it all the way open so far as well.

Does your Vertex shoot microbubbles out of the output?

 

[dcforester1]

if you can reach me today I could stop by. I am in Malden and off work today. PM me please

Derek

 

[jamesdong009]

What do you mean by the water lever in the Skimmer? It's overflowing the whole time. I can see the bubble all the way down to the output (basicly to the bottom of the skimmer). I have been keeping it all the way open so far as well.

Does your Vertex shoot microbubbles out of the output?

I have my skimmer in about 7.5" of water. When the skimmer is on and the valve is turned open, the water/bubble line is approximately 1" above the depth of water the skimmer is sitting in.

I don't have baffles in my sump and I don't have micro bubbles coming out.

 

[higorc]

I have my skimmer in about 7.5" of water. When the skimmer is on and the valve is turned open, the water/bubble line is approximately 1" above the depth of water the skimmer is sitting in.

I don't have baffles in my sump and I don't have micro bubbles coming out.

Really?! What the heck! How come I have bubbles feeling up the whole skimmer body all the way down to the output line!? This is driving me crazy....

 

[DBLeite]

where your airline connects to the airline port. the airline connects your pump to this port that's built in to the skimmer output, correct? what i was suggesting was to disconnect the tubing that goes into the airline port, and put one of these little valves at that end.

 

[higorc]

Ok, so here is what happened last night. I raised the Skimmer and put it in a different chamber of the sump than the return pump in order to minimize microbubbles going into display tank. I seemed like it worked. The skimmer stopped overflowing and almost no microbubble going into the display tank. I was very pleased and confident I had resolved the problem.
This morning when I went to check on it it, it was overflowing again!!!! Not as bad, but still over flowing. I just don't know what to do now. The only thing I haven't done yet is give it a vinegar bath...I am starting to consider doing that. And the freakn' microbubbles coming out of the output are really aggravating me as well...

Maybe I just have to wait for it to "break in"??? I am just running out of ideas now.

Here are some pictures I took last night...in the beginning it seems like everything is going to work out, but then.... If anybody has any ideas please tell me what to do!!!

Thanks everybody...
Higor

 

[higorc]