6011 question

[jacky]

*cant edit the tittle, it should be 9011*

I've put it in sump, air drawn seem to be very low. From my eyes, it seems lower than those air driven skimmer(screw is fully open). Water comes out standpipe fine, and checked air line with nothing stuck.

It also need full 24hrs to form foam after cleanning the cup everytime. Very little skimmate every day.

water is about 80gal, heavy bioload + bio pellet

i've been using it for 2 months, so i believe it is alreayd broke in... what have I not done correctly?

 

[rvitko]

It generally will take a couple hours to rebuild a foam head, in the first day I would expect 100-150ml of skimmate.

This is a difficult issue to diagnose without seeing the skimmer myself.

The external issues could be-

1) Change of water or an additive or filter media, these can all affect surface tension and result in larger or fewer bubbles and reduced skimming. Large water changes will slow the build of a foam head, Puregen and new floss in particular can cause a drop in skimming or very wet skimming. Use of certain vitamins, colloids, stress coats, dechlorinators and slime algae killers will also cause this.

2) A lot of suspended detritus or detritus coating the inside of the skimmer can also be a culprit, for example you stirred up a lot of sand or had a "snow storm" after cleaning or dosing calcium.

3) Low salinity, a sg below 1.020 is unlikely to produce good skimming from a venturi skimmer.

The mechanical causes are-

1) Broken venturi nozzle, it may have been damaged in shipping.

2) The airline may be kinked or pinched by the pump during assembly.

3) The silencer may have a small leak.

4) If there is any sort of strange gurgling noise the sponge or stand pipe may be installed wrong so water is backing up into the air intake, the pipe should be fully inserted in the elbow and the sponge should never be above the top of the pipe.

I think the best is to send in the skimmer without the cup, the cup is easily broken so don't ship it. I will be able to repair any of the mechanical causes.

Tunze USA
305 Victor St
Austin, TX 78753

 

[jacky]

Thanks for the diagnoses, Roger

I do not think it could be external issues, i do 5% water change weekly, filter sock, sg 1.026

Outlet of biopellet is pointing to the skimmer inlet, could this cause problem on the amount of skimmate of a ventur skimmer? I only have at most 5ml iced tea colored skimmate

As for mechanicals, I gave it a blow to the airline, silencer didnt seem to have a leak. There was also no kinked airline.

Venturi nozzle is what i suspect. I would love to send it to you for inspection, but I live in Hong Kong, it costs a lot to ship this internationally. (I mail ordered this skimmer from the US w/free shipping). This would be my last option.

So , can you let me know how I can tell if this nozzle is broken? and if it is broken, is this part avaliable for order?

 

[rvitko]

Jacky,

Can you give me your email address and I will email you pictures of how to check the venturi nozzle?