240/2 skimmer

[osufarker]

I recently purchased a used 240/2 skimmer. It seems to be in good condition and all the parts are there. I set it up as per the instructions, but can't get it to work well. It is not pulling out anything. I have adjusted it up and down inside the tank and have adjusted the air flow. I have the electronic controller turned on maximum.

What can I do to get this to work, or are these skimmers just junk?

 

[themadreefer]

they are NOT junk.
my 240/3 took about ten days to start producing skimmate.
i was really amazed, despite how compact they are, how
much skimmate it pulls out.

skimmate tends to be a tea color

archie

 

[rvitko]

Archie has the 240/3 which is much better than the older 240/2. The cup makes the difference the old one had to be kept real clean. For all of our skimmers the water level needs to stay constant and should be at the high water line marked on the skimmer body on the clear portion at the front. The venturi screw should be open 3 turns. You can buy just the cup to upgrade the skimmer, best of all send it in because if it is an old 240/2 thei could be a lot of small things adding up to make it not work. The cup will be the main thing though and they are not cheap, I need to look it up but I am pretty sure the new cup is about $70.

 

[osufarker]

What do you mean by send it in? Where do I send it, what will it cost, and what will they do to it?

I'm hesitant to put anymore money it. I'm about ready to throw it in the trash and go buy something else. I've learned my lesson about trying to save a buck.

I have a turboflotor 1000 multi on my 125 and it will out skim the Tunze any day of the week and a new one is half the price.

What are my options to get this thing working without costly repairs?

 

[rvitko]

If you send it to me, I can fully strip it down and clean it for $15. The most likely parts for you to need is the silencer which is $10 approx, sometimes the hose is brittle or the pieces don't fit right so the air intake system has leaks. Also, the drive unit made need replacing and this costs $23-$28 depending on model. The skimmer cup is the main thing needed to really boost the skimmer performance, it costs about $75. The new skimmer cup develops a much more stable foam column and eliminates the problem of caked on skimmate breaking the foam column. I would say for sure that when upgraded it will beat a turboflotor but that also depends on having it set up correctly and the most critical part of a correct set up is an absolutely constant water line. If you don't want it rather than trash it that pump converts to a 7410 powerhead for about $60 in parts.

 

[osufarker]

Do you have a picture of where exactly the water level should be in relation to this skimmer? I have it hanging inside the tank. The instructions seem pretty vague.

 

[rvitko]

Their is a pair of black wavy lines indicating minimum and maximum water level on the skimmer body, the brown centrifuge chamber should be submerged and about 1" of the clear plastic riser above that.