fosterspike November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 my aunt gave me a 90 gallon tank she used to have, but could take care of it no longer because the whole thing crashed and she was too busy with other things. any ways i have it all set up and running, im going to get my first fish this weekend, but for some reason the protein skimmer is not bubbling at all. the pump is working but i dont really know how its supposed to work but my aunt said it was set up right. can some one help?
jamesbuf November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 What brand of skimmer is it? When was the last time anyone cleaned it?? If it has been a while since it's been cleaned, go get a large bottle of vinegar and soak the pump in a 50/50 vinegar and water mix. The vinegar breaks down any calcium deposits inside the pump.
fosterspike November 28, 2008 Author November 28, 2008 Its made by life reef,and i think it is a venturi skimmer by looking at the pics. i tried cleaning it with water but not vinegar yet. thanks
jamesbuf November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 Just plain water will not get rid of calcium deposits inside the pump. Trust me, you'll be amazed at how much better the pump will run after a 5 hour or more soak in vinegar.
Origami November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 Do you have an airline running down to the venturi and is it clear of any debris that might be blocking the airflow?
fosterspike November 28, 2008 Author November 28, 2008 (edited) it only has a part for water to come in from the pump and a part for it to come out of the skimmer and the cup. sorry, i could only fit one pic Edited November 28, 2008 by fosterspike
davjbeas November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 From the picture i think you need a feed pump with a needle wheel impeller for that to work. Or a feed pump with a air venturi. The pipe with the valve is where the water should exit the skimmer. The valve controls the water height in the skimmer. David
Origami November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 It's hard to tell from such a small picture and the angle of the picture, but I think David's assessment is right. It would appear that you need an air-injecting feed pump. Can you get a close up picture of the other side of the skimmer showing the details of the pvc plumbing closer to the top of the skimmer (the intake side)? Where are you located by the way?
davjbeas November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 I checked lifereefs website. www.lifereef.com you should have a mazzei venturi where the airline goes to the pipe where the water is coming in the skimmer(not the pipe with the valve knob). try blowing air in the air tube going into the pipe intake. to see if it is clogged. You will need a strong feed pump. as water goes in the skimmer from the pump air is pulled into the mazzei injector creating many bubbles in the skimmer. I would recomment at least a RIO2100-2500 for that skimmer. Or a mag drive 7-9 David
Origami November 28, 2008 November 28, 2008 (edited) Sorry to double post like this, but can you also post how tall the skimmer is and how wide the body is? Also, what is the make/model of the pump that you're using? The pump is working, right? It very well could be a Lifereef skimmer. At least, it's similar to the designs that they have posted on the web. If this is the case, that plumbing at the top of the skimmer contains the venturi and that, in turn, is connected by the clear tubing to the top of the cup. If air can't be drawn through the tubing, you won't get bubbles. That could happen if you're using a severely undersized pump or, more likely, if the venturi is clogged. Try disconnecting the venturi tubing at the cup and blowing air through it. If you can't, something in the path is blocking the airflow. Find the source of the blockage and clear it. Once it's cleared, see if the skimmer works. (LOL. I see that David and I are following the same train of thought.) Edited November 28, 2008 by Origami2547
fosterspike November 30, 2008 Author November 30, 2008 (edited) heres a better pic. it is life reef, it says on the side. the skimmer minus cup and tubes is about 13x6.5 the pump is supreme 9.5 mag drive pump P.S. i got my first two fish today! Edited November 30, 2008 by fosterspike
fosterspike November 30, 2008 Author November 30, 2008 (edited) alright i got the skimmer fixed, the vinegar really helped. but i was running it in the sink and it dryed up and the plastic parts on the impeller melted so i need a new one. i have really bad luck. Edited November 30, 2008 by fosterspike
GSM November 30, 2008 November 30, 2008 alright i got the skimmer fixed, the vinegar really helped. but i was running it in the sink and it dryed up and the plastic parts on the impeller melted so i need a new one. i have really bad luck. i would worry about the pump it may have melted the casing, might want to get a new pump.
fosterspike December 9, 2008 Author December 9, 2008 i got the impeller yesterday and its all working. so thanks for all the help!
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