Irishfist25 June 3, 2016 Share June 3, 2016 i just hooked up an external skimmer to my new system. this is the first time i have used an external skimmer and have never seen one being used before. Its a Weipro 2020, rated for 560 gallons, i have about 200 total system gallons. My question is, how do i know its working correctly? it doesnt seem to be making as many bubbles as my old in sump skimmer, also it has a "maintain water level here" line, but thats about 8 inches from the start of the neck and the bubbles arent coming close to it at all. Is this normal, does it just take a little time to break it and then it will? any help is appreciated, thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A June 3, 2016 Share June 3, 2016 I am no skimmer master, as I have an Aqua C EV-400 that I run externally that I can barely get to work, but I also have an ASM G-2 that works like a charm... If your skimmer is brand new then it will take time to break in as there will still be oils and things in/on the plastic, even if you washed it first. If it was used it could still take time, but I would make sure the air lines and venturi (if applicable) are not obstructed by salt crud, etc. Tuning a new skimmer can be a pain. If it's working properly then at some point there should be a layer of discolored babbles on top of the bubble column. As far as driving up the height of the bubble column so that the top of it overflows into the cup, you'll have to experiment. I would make small adjustments and wait for at least a few hours before making another adjustment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 3, 2016 Share June 3, 2016 Do you have the outflow valve closed some to bring the water level up in the skimmer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 3, 2016 Share June 3, 2016 Just looked this model up. The pictures don't show much. Just a skimmer body and not much else. Not exactly sure how it's supposed to be hooked up, so you may have to post a lot of pictures. I did find this one picture on Alibaba with a diagram in the corner that sort of referenced a setup. In this picture, it looks like the feed is coming in through the side and that the black plastic tube pointing upward next to the cup is the air intake. Given this, the size of the pump driving this sort of arrangement will dictate how much air is drawn into the water. Since this is on the output side of the pump, then the air will not get "chopped" up into smaller bubbles by a needle wheel, so the quality of the bubbles will be really dependent upon how fast water can be pushed through the venturi and the quality of the venturi design. Then, to set water level, you may find that you have to add a small valve on the output side to provide some resistance (backpressure) that brings the water level up in the skimmer. Alternatively, you can try to set the water level by adding some external plumbing that effectively raised the overflow level inside the skimmer. Where'd you get this skimmer anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 3, 2016 Author Share June 3, 2016 i got the skimmer from Customride0105 in this group. He said he had it on a 180 he had in the past. It came with a valve for the output, but my problem was with the pumps i was using. The one he gave me with it was too strong, it would overflow the skimmer, even with the valve wide open. a backup pump i had was too weak, if i closed the valve almost entirely, it would get the water level to the line, but with very few bubbles. I ordered another Jebao DC pump, (i got one for the return on my new setup, you can adjust the flow from it with a controller) Im waiting for it to arrive, should be in tomorrow. In the meantime, i tried hooking up the one i have to the skimmer just to see if it would work. Even on the lowest setting, it is still too strong. So i added a ball valve to the intake line as well and it has fixed that issue. I call cut it back a little and keep the outtake valve completely open and keep the water where its supposed to be. I looked in the air intake (its not a hose, just a seperate small pipe on the other side of the intake line) it looked to have a little salt creep in it. I cleaned it the best i could, it angles 90 degrees and i dont think it comes off. There are a decent amount of bubbles and i think a little more foam than yesterday, but still not a lot. Also, there doesnt seem to be any "junk" or discoloration in the foam that is at the top. Maybe its too early, i dont know. The tank ran for 4- 5 days without the skimmer running at all, only a filter sock at the drain lines. Ive changed the socks every 1-2 days. I checked nitrate and Phosphate earlier today. Nitrate is around 1.5 and phospate is 0 or at least very close(hard to tell with the colors) I currently have 2 occelarius clowns, scooter blenny, firefish, coral beauty, tomini tang, yellow tang, 4 green chromis, sexy shrimp, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, various snails and a couple red legged hermits. also have 3 different zoa colonies, palm cloves, green mushrooms, long polyp leather, green sinularia, and frogspawn. I checked ammonia and nitrites 2 days ago, both at 0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 3, 2016 Author Share June 3, 2016 I also noticed, based one the diagram above, that there is supposed to be a line from the air intake. I didnt have that. i added a line to it, approx 6 inches, not as long as in the pics, i dont know if that would make a difference or not, but it definitely makes it quieter. Does the line make a difference? does it matter how long it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 3, 2016 Share June 3, 2016 Just a quick note: When you valve down a pump, do so on the pressure side, not the intake side. Too much valving down on the intake can cause cavitation on good pumps and the forces from that can slowly destroy a pump. So valving down on the pressure side is the preferred approach. If the bubbles are small and you're getting a good, milky-white look in the skimmer body, it's worth waiting a few days to see how things work out. If the body of the skimmer is still pretty see-thru, then I would think that things still aren't right. While you're messing with things, check to make sure that the venturi is clear of any obstructions or build up. Sometimes you'll get salt which is easily dissolved away, sometimes it's a mineral deposit that should be cleaned out with a little vinegar. The venturi on this skimmer is that little black coupler where your pump injects water into the skimmer. The airline that feeds into the side of the venturi should be clear of any obstructions and it really doesn't matter what it's made of so long as it's not kinked or somehow restricting air too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 3, 2016 Author Share June 3, 2016 I placed a ball valve on the pipe going from the pump to the skimmer, the pump is submurged in the skimmer, is that what you mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 3, 2016 Share June 3, 2016 Yes. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 3, 2016 Author Share June 3, 2016 I meant to say the pump is in the sump, not skimmer , haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 4, 2016 Share June 4, 2016 I meant to say the pump is in the sump, not skimmer , hahaUnderstood. Figured that you meant that. Sent from my LG-V510 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 5, 2016 Author Share June 5, 2016 ok, here are some pics from this morning. I received my new pump yesterday and hooked it up, results are the same so far. My pump is 8000 liters/hour, but has a controller to dial it down, i also have a valve before the skimmer to dial it back if needed also. Let me know what you guys think. If it looks normal, just needs time, or if something is off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 5, 2016 Author Share June 5, 2016 ive tried keeping the water level just above the designated line, the guy i bought it from did the same and he said he had better results. I have actually tried it both ways given it 36 hours to adjust and it has the same results Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc June 5, 2016 Share June 5, 2016 (edited) Well, I don't have much experience with external skimmer! but let me try to assist. I am sure it similar to the internal one. From the photos you posted. Look like the skimmer has one inlet (water coming in) and I am assuming the one with some sort of air tube pointed upward is the outlet (water going out and into you sump)? From above, look like you are pumping water in and no bubbles in the skimmer body, CORRECT? Do you have a VENTURI with air hose connected into the pump? if you don't have one then it's probably why you're not getting any bubble in the skimmer. Pic of the pump setup? Edited June 5, 2016 by flooddc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 5, 2016 Author Share June 5, 2016 there are bubbles in the body, just not enough. there is an air inlet on the skimmer itself that is supposed to supply the skimmer with bubbles, but i can see about an airline for the pump also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc June 5, 2016 Share June 5, 2016 the first pic you posted, the one with clear tubing is the outlet or inlet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc June 5, 2016 Share June 5, 2016 if my guess is correct! you don't have venturi air line. see this video below: notiice where the the venturi air line is located. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 5, 2016 Author Share June 5, 2016 your diagram isnt right. what you have labeled as outlet is actually the intake, and what you have labeled pump is the outlet. the "not venturi airline" is the air intake for the skimmer.. The video you show isnt the same type of skimmer as mine. My pump is located in the sump. some external skimmers require two pumps, this one does not. maybe it should hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveS June 6, 2016 Share June 6, 2016 I have worked with 2 types of external skimmers. The first type, which I prefer, needs 2 pumps. The first one (feed pump) is a smaller one that would be in your sump. It's job is simply to pump new water into the skimmer to be skimmed. It doesn't have to be very powerful as one of the desired aspects of an external skimmer is that you can have the feed slower allowing the water to spend more time in the skimmer getting clean. A maxi jet 400 power head could do fine for this, In theory you can omit this pump and gravity feed the skimmer. That means you take some part of the water coming back from you tank and feed it directly into the skimmer. The second pump (recirculating pump) is the bigger pump. This is the one that has the Venturi and air hose as it is the one that is supposed to create tons of bubbles. For an external skimmer, both the intake and output of the recirculating pump should be inside the skimmer. It's job is just to move a lot of water around in that space while adding air bubbles into it. The other type of external skimmer I have use only has one pump. Instead of having a recirculating pump to create lots of bubbles, it relies on the feed pump to do that. The feed pump is supposed to shoot the water from above the water line which the creates bubbles on the chamber. Thin about a water hose squirting water into a bucket. There is usually some kind of adapter at the input of the feed pump to help make the water shoot more- think of having nozzle at the end of a water hose as it squirts water into a bucket. However, like the water bucket, the nozzle end needs to stay the right distance above the water line or it won't create enough bubbles. If it becomes submerged, it won't create any bubbles. Take a look at what you have and see if things fit either of the above descriptions. You may be missing a pump. You may be missing a part. You may be using the wrong pump in the wrong place. You may not have done the plumbing correctly for this skimmer. Just some additional thoughts for you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 6, 2016 Share June 6, 2016 So this looks like an old skimmer design that came about sometime after airstones and basic counter-current skimmers. It does use a Venturi, but the Venturi was not on the intake of the pump. It was on the output. As I recall, the advent of the Venturi on the input came about when we started seeing meshwheel and pinwheel skimmers over 10 years ago. This skimmer uses a Venturi on the output (pressure) side of the pump and depends very much on pressure and velocity from the pump driving the water past the Venturi inliet. Now, if you look on the side, up near the the neck, you'll see a black coupling. That coupling has a thin tube that reaches upward, a clear tube that goes down and which enters the skimmer body down low, and a third port. The thin tube is the air inlet for the Venturi. As high velocity water moves past the opening, it creates a vacuum that sucks air in here. If the velocity is low, then the air drawn in is going to be low. The outlet is on the side of the skimmer. If you don't have a decent pressure pump driving this skimmer, it won't perform well at all. In fact, there have been a lot of improvements over the years to skimmer design that this skimmer doesn't reflect. So tell me, what pump are you using to drive this again? Also, check and provide the salinity for us and report back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 6, 2016 Author Share June 6, 2016 I have used a few different pumps experimenting with it. I tried using a little giant external pump(which the previous owner used). It's too powerful and just blew water out of the skimmer. I preferred a Jebao dc8000, I use the same pump for my return and I like it, it has a controller which makes it adjustable. Even on the lowest setting, still too powerful. So I added a ball valve to the feed line so I can dial the flow back to contain it. Tried both pumps again and still not enough bubbles. I'm about done with this skimmer, looking for another one now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishfist25 June 6, 2016 Author Share June 6, 2016 Salinity is 1.025 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 6, 2016 Share June 6, 2016 I'm about done with this skimmer, looking for another one now Probably a good choice. Someday, you may want to play around with it and experiment with converting it to something a bit more conventional for today's skimmers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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