9005 collection issue

[vbsaltydog]

Smatter,

I appreciate your response. I respectfully have to disagree based on the fact that my skimmer has been running for 8 months and this has always been a problem.

This also does not make sense to me if the cup is off then why would bubble popping in the reaction chamber make a tapping sound?

I get it if the housing was sealed and pressurized but with the top off, this seems unlikely. We are also talking about a constant banging of approx. 5 - 10 per second. Is that the rate you were experiencing?

I don't mean to sound combative so please don't take it that way. Your input is appreciated.

 

[rvitko]

With the cup off water does go into the air intake, that is the self cleaning described in the manual. The skimmer will always make more noise with the cup removed. You should be able to watch the water enter the air intake hole on the back of the port that the screw is in.

 

[vbsaltydog]

Roger,

I must be doing something wrong then because when I take the cup off, the fizzing water level is below where the reaction chamber narrows and is nowhere close to entering the back of the air screw hole (1" to 2" away).

The skimmer is in the display tank and submerged to the max water level mark on the outside of the skimmer housing.

Please advise.

 

[smatter]

My water never enters the air intake either, I just flush it out with a little freshwater when I clean it. I don't think the 9005 has enough power for the foaming water to make it up there. If I raise the water level .75" above the water level mark it will, but then in seems to not skim as well.

I would still be willing to bet the sound that you hear are bubbles quickly popping inside the reaction chamber. I thought it was something with the pump until I figured out it was coming from the bubbles. It does it for a long time, in fact mine is doing it right now, sometimes it stops, sometimes it doesn't. It all has to do with surface tension.

 

[rvitko]

I would still like to take a look at the skimmer, it is worth checking it out. I have personally used 9010's only, the only 9005 I have run have been at tradeshows as part of a 500 Reefpack and they work well but I don't know all the ins and outs as I have not personally used one day in and day out.

 

[vbsaltydog]

Roger,

I will send it in because right now I never get the skim to make it into the cup. There is thick foam in the reaction chamber side of the cup that coats the walls heavily but this is not what the skimmer should do by design and I would like it to run properly considering the cost of the unit.

Perhaps if this is a pitfall of the 9005, you can upgrade it to the 9010? I have heard that the only difference is the motor and the cup.

I just want it to work properly no matter what the solution.

I will have it on a ups truck asap.

Thank you.

 

[smatter]

The 9005 works well, I haven't noticed any pitfalls with it except that the water doesn't flush the air intake when you remove the cup as stated in the manual, but the manual covers all the skimmers. It is very quiet as far as skimmers go, even when I notice the bubbles popping inside. Since the water level is lower inside the body of the skimmer the popping sound resonates, more so than the 9010. I only wish the pump had a bit more power.

 

[vbsaltydog]

I am running the 9005 on a 54g with over 30 mixed corals and several fish with 60lbs of LR. The fish are fed daily with raw shrimp and the corals are fed regularly with fish paste and reef snow, etc. so there is definitely a bio load that would produce DOC. My 9005 is loud enough to be annoying with the popping sounds and they are about 10/sec so it is a constant noise. This is over and above the sounds of my MH ballast and my 6000 stream that does make a sound when switching from 30% to 70% power every 7 seconds or so. The skimmer is quiet with the air restricted but then the skimming is inadequate. I have even checked out youtube videos for the tunze skimmers as well as many other top brand name skimmers and none of them are as loud as mine with the popping noise. There is also the issue of the skim not making it into the cup.

I have shipped it off to Roger in hopes of a resolution.

 

[smatter]

It sounds like you should definitely be pulling some effluent. I have found that oily foods cause the foam to collapse for an hour or two. I'm not really sure what is in reef snow, HUFAs maybe? They really do a number on foam production. I figured out that it was bubbles popping when I closed the screw, less air, no noise. I run mine wide open and the sound seems to diminish with time. My 9005 makes more noise than my two streams or my MH ballast too if that is any consolation. I have considered upgrading the motor and drive unit, but I worry that too many bubbles might escape into the tank as I run it internally. My tank is only about 40g so I think the current configuration is more than adequate. Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

 

[vbsaltydog]

Thanks for all of the info smatter. I think its time for me to stop speculating and leave it to the pros in the field. I have sent it off to Roger. I have heard good things about him and think he will find a solution in any case.

Thanks again for your advise and support.

 

[vbsaltydog]

Roger,

The skimmer is on the UPS truck and out for delivery in your area. I have addressed it attn to you specifically. Please PM me if you have any questions after you receive it.

Thank you,

-Stephen Madison

 

[rvitko]

I think I got your skimmer Friday,and I started working on it today. Are you in Florida? There wasn't any contact info in the box. I am in the preliminaries of cleaning it up and tomorrow I will set it up to test, I haven't found any glaring mechanical defects but I have not run it yet. Can you please PM me any pertinent details? For example does this popping noise start immediately?

 

[vbsaltydog]

PMing you details now.

 

[vbsaltydog]

Update:

I sent the skimmer to Roger. He saw no obvious defects but went the extra mile to do a part-by-part comparison with a new unit "under the microscope" and found several reasons why it might not be performing to specs. He replaced the questionable parts and tested in a tank that he had access to and confirmed that it was working better after the parts replacement. He sent it back to me quickly and as soon as I got it back and put it in my tank it performed beautifully. It has pulled more skimate in the last 24 hours than it has in the 6 months that I have owned it.

Roger knows his stuff, communicates well, and is an asset to the Tunze family in my opinion.

Thanks again Roger,

-Stephen

 

[smatter]

Yes the service is outstanding at Tunze. I am glad it worked out for you. The popping sound is gone? Maybe it wasn't bubbles after all. I wonder which parts were replaced. I understand there has been a few modifications made in the design since I bought mine, maybe a larger air intake? The air intake on mine is brown while the rest of the body is black. It has always worked well though. It pulls close to 100ml every three days, but I have to clean it at that point as production tapers off when the neck is dirty.

 

[vbsaltydog]

I think he replaced the housing, impeller, and venturi.

-Stephen