Protein Skimmer...

[WaterDog]

We have an ASM Mini-G skimmer for the 46 BF.

It's broken before, we replaced the pump and it started working.

Now it broke again. I tried cleaning the impeller wheel, and the pump is working I think, but the protein skimmer still isn't.

While I try to find a way to fix it, does anyone know what's wrong? Also, are there any other good brands of protein skimmer out there that would fit in a relatively small sump or HOB?

[roni]

tunze makes some great small skimmers. the asm is usually a pretty reliable skimmer. what pump do you have on it?

[Coral Hind]

Did you fix it? What exactly is the problem with it? Is it not getting enough air? Pics or video of it in operation would help.

[bluefunelement]

Tunze 9002 is readily avail used about $100

[iceman]

Did you clean out the airline tubing and the intake nipple on the pump? Sometimes they get clogged with debris and block air movement into the pump intake.

[WaterDog]

tunze makes some great small skimmers. the asm is usually a pretty reliable skimmer. what pump do you have on it?

We have the same pump that came with it. Same type that is. We had to replace it once already.

 

Did you fix it? What exactly is the problem with it? Is it not getting enough air? Pics or video of it in operation would help.

We've been trying. I'm not quite sure what the problem is. I'll try to get a pic of it tonight, though it's kind of hard to see anything in that small a sump.

 

Tunze 9002 is readily avail used about $100

I'll look into that, thanks.

 

Did you clean out the airline tubing and the intake nipple on the pump? Sometimes they get clogged with debris and block air movement into the pump intake.

I'm not quite sure what you mean here. By airline tubing do you mean the white tube that sticks out on the side of the skimmmer?

[Integral9]

I also have Mini-G. Every 6m or so, I pull it out and clean it out. Usually there is some white stuff (calcium I imagine) built up around the venturi hole in the intake. To help reduce that, I pour a little RO water down it from time to time. Also, I've had a hermit crab, snail, and a good size chunk of coraline algea clog up the intake. I've had the skimmer for 3-4 years now and the only problem I've run into is the seam from the cylinder to the tapered lip the cup screws into has come unglued (I've dropped it a couple of times while cleaning). Which isn't really a problem since it makes cleaning the skimmer easier and since it's an insump skimmer, I just put a cup of sand on top to keep the lid down. I've never replaced the pump or the needle impeller it came with.

 

sounds like your airline is blocked or has a hole below the water surface. Make sure the air-line (the tubing comeing from the intake on the pump) doesn't have any holes in it (besides the one on the other end) or isn't kinked blocking the flow of air. I've found that keeping my tubing close to the surface (an inch or two above the water line) helps to bring a little moisture which washes any build up inside the tube down and into the skimmer. Salt crystals cannot grow if they don't dry out.