mr11 June 25, 2016 Share June 25, 2016 Any idea why my skimmer might not be producing a foam head? It also stopped pulling skim more or less. I took it apart and couldn't find any problems but I don't know a lot about these things. This has been going on for a couple weeks now. It's an SCA 302. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl June 25, 2016 Share June 25, 2016 Did the water level in the sump change (if internal)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr11 June 25, 2016 Author Share June 25, 2016 Nope sump water level has remained constant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl June 25, 2016 Share June 25, 2016 Anything done different in the tank; hands in it more than normal (amino acids will kill skimming efficiency), new filter sock, something else new? You had mentioned you'd cleaned and inspected but is the impeller going bad perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr11 June 25, 2016 Author Share June 25, 2016 So I had a bad cyano/spirulina outbreak that started sort of around the time this started. I dosed chemiclean but this was after the skimmer problem had already started. If it was the impeller would it still be producing microbubbles? Is it worth taking apart the pump to see? Not sure what I'd be looking for. Thanks for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl June 25, 2016 Share June 25, 2016 Magnets can only retain their strength for so long. I cant say with any certainty this your issue but if it was making more bubbles before and is making less now, the only things I can think of are a clogged air silencer, tube, dirty impeller, or an impeller that is failing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 25, 2016 Share June 25, 2016 Check your salinity (using a calibrated refractometer if you have calibration fluid) and report back. Low salinity causes reduced surface tension which works against formation of foam. Normally chemiclean will cause a skimmer to go nuts and over-produce foam. Did you not see this at the outset? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr11 June 25, 2016 Author Share June 25, 2016 I recalibrated my refractometer and it was slightly off but salinity reads 1.026 after correction. That's actually what got me thinking something more serious was going on with the skimmer, it didn't react at all with chemiclean. The skimmer is only a year old but it is a "budget" skimmer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smh254 June 25, 2016 Share June 25, 2016 I've been using a SCA 301 for over 2 years now. The only time my skimmer ever acted like that was when I used Chemiclean. It went crazy for about 2 week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami June 27, 2016 Share June 27, 2016 Check the Venturi and the air lines on the skimmer to make sure they're clear and not cake with deposits that would interfere with airflow. Sometimes calcium deposits will form constricting airflow. If you take the pump off, check the pinwheel impeller to make sure it's not damaged. Also check that the impeller rotates freely without rubbing or friction. Sometimes calcium can deposit on the shaft and the friction can slow an impeller down. If that's the case, take the impeller apart and soak it in vinegar to dissolve the deposits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr11 June 30, 2016 Author Share June 30, 2016 So I took the pump apart today. I'm really not sure what I should be looking for. Any tips? Nothing looks overtly broken. I didn't find any obstructions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl June 30, 2016 Share June 30, 2016 Do you have any video of it in operation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Weaver July 1, 2016 Share July 1, 2016 If you haven't yet, pull the hose off and check the air intake of the venturi. I use a different skimmer but I have to run a drill bit (by hand) and clear the deposits out of mine every few months. If it clogs too bad, it will basically shut the skimmer down and produce microbubbles exactly like you have happening. Here is a link to a Mr Saltwater Tank video that shows you what to check. The principle is the same on all needlewheel skimmers. I believe your intake venturi is blue (per Amazon search results.) Video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr11 July 1, 2016 Author Share July 1, 2016 Woohoo you guys nailed it. It wasn't quite the venturi, the blockage was downstream in what I though was the silencer (and also though it was not integral to the function of the skimmer, whoops). But I cleaned it out and it's working great now. Thanks everyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madweazl July 1, 2016 Share July 1, 2016 Awesome! Always nice when it's an easy fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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