9015 Help

[martian913]

I have had my 9015 for about 6 months and have never had over 100ml collected. I have to clean the collection cup about every 4 days because the gunk on the inside builds up and the bubbles begin to break before they reach the cup. I am running a pretty heavily stocked 75g with a 40g sump. I have read other posts on here about similar issues. I am running in 10" water, the neck gets massive bubbles but very little makes it to the cup (i.e. about 100ml a week), I have the air valve opened all the way, I have cleaned the skimmer in a vinegar water solution probably 3 times since I got it to try to improve performance. No matter what I do the production stays the same. Thoughts or suggestions, is there something that I havent tried that may be the problem? It is to the point that I am thinking about getting a different skimmer, but I know that this skimmer should be more than enough for my needs. I am enclosing a picture of the production that I am getting (This is an older pic, but is what I have always gotten after 1 week).

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[rvitko]

Can you PM me your name and address and phone number and a good time to call and we can try to walk through some things.

 

[martian913]

Roger, PM sent, look forward to your assistance.

 

[rgulrich]

Riding along on this thread; curious about both of my 9015's performance as well.
Ray

 

[martian913]

Roger, I am home now so if you want to call earlier than I said in the PM thats fine.

 

[captainhemo]

Any chance you guys could post some of the suggestions ?
I've been trying to get my 9010 to perform better sincce new (1.5-2 uyears) . I have replaced the venturi and the pump itself and still only get about 100ml /week on a 70 gal system. It really has never perfromed any better than my old CPR bakpak

 

[rvitko]

Is the skimmate very light or dark? I wouldn't know what is wrong without seeing the skimmer and it is possible on an older established tank that it just doesn't have much more to skim.

 

[captainhemo]

Well the tank is about 3.5 yrs old, the small amount of skimmate that the skimmer pulls weekly is usually quite dark ( lucky to be 100 ml/week)
The skimmer is in a sump in a constant 10"s of water ( its in the first chamber of the sump , incoming water flows through a 100 mircron sock). Adjustments of the air screw really don't make a big differenece once its past about 3 -4 turns.
The tank is a mixed reef... mushrroms, zoos,, and a couple softies down low with multiple SPS, up high. There is also 4 med fish. I susually feed a coule times daily, flakes once and frozen once.
This skimmer has never produced any significant amount of skimmate, its really been a frustrating as I'm sure it should be producing more..
Any ideas or sugestions wouild really be appreciated.

 

[rvitko]

My guess is either the air intake is plugged by salt creep or a foreign object, I would try cleaning it, or their is a leak where water is seeping into the silencer inside the skimmer. You can check for a leak by removing the screw and plugging the hole for the screw and the hole on the inside where the cup sits (right behind the screw) and then blow in through the airline inside the skimmer. It should hold pressure. Opening the screw further should make a very wet skim possible. There may still be an issue with the venturi depending on when it was replaced, it is possible the second one is also badly fitted or the hydrofoamer nozzle may actually be broken so it is detached where the part that the nozzle slides over is broken from the rest of the housing.

 

[captainhemo]

Thanks for the suggestions Roger, I will take the skimmer out and try/check these things.
I too thought I should be able to get a really wet skim but even removing the air screw completely doesn't do it

 

[rvitko]

One other thing to check is the assembly, I have had skimmers come in "broken" and the problem was they were assembled in some hybrid method between in tank and in sump and that usually won't work. In those cases water backs up into the air line. Be sure it is assembled as either "in tank" or "in sump" and nothing in between with no extra parts or parts left out.

 

[martian913]

Roger,
I received the air nozzle today, but I dont think that it is the correct one. The one that I have installed has a "bell" shape whereas the one I got in the mail is straight. I have enclosed pictures so you can see what I am talking about.
Installed:

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The one I got in the mail:

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Side by Side comparrison:

 

[rvitko]

It is broken, the part I sent you is correct but it slides over a barrel that is glued to the end of the impeller housing. The barrel came unglued. That is likely the problem. You can glue it back simply with some PVC glue. Seperate the two pieces first, just remove the airline and seperate them, one slides over the other.

 

[captainhemo]

Sorry for kinda hijacking this thread.... do you want me to move my replies to a new thread ?

Anyhow, I removed the skimmer and dis assembled it. There is definately no leaks in the air line or sliencer. It also did not seem to be plugged . I was able to blow throough the line and when I plugged the both holes (inner and outer) the system held air.
The air line fits tightly at the venturi. The venturi fits snuggly over the end of the pump housing and then both units seem to drop nicely into place over the end of the nozzle.
As for parts, I'm using the bottom plate without the slots, the front inlet panel (slide is wise open) , the small insert piece behind the front inlet panel which connects the pump intake to the itake panel, and of course the standpipe.
With the skimmer runnning, I'm getting water out of both the hole in the rear panel and the top of the stand pipe. I ran the skimmer overnight withthe air screw at 4 turns and this am therre is no skimmate in the cup. I have now opened the air screw to 5 turns and will leave it for 24 hrs nad then check it again

 

[rvitko]

It sounds like everything is correct, when you say the pump was replaced- the whole pump or just the motor?

 

[captainhemo]

The entire pump, housing and all. The original one kept " stalling" , each time I had to disassembel it and then it would be fine for a while . Nothing was ever found in the housing but after reassembling, it would run fine again . They just exchanged the whole pump.
The new one has run fine. just can't seem to get any production oout of it

 

[rvitko]

Are you sure it is a 9010 pump and not a 9005 pump? Is the impeller correct?

 

[captainhemo]

Well no, I woiuld assume they sent me the correct replacement pump. I actually thought the 9005. 9010, and the 9015 shareed the same pump.
How would I tell the difference.?
The impeeller is the one that came with this pump, it all came as complete unit

 

[martian913]

Okay, I see what you are talking about now (I think). I dissasembled it again and the two pieces are very tight (didnt want to damage them by trying to pry them apart), I fitted up the new piece and it is just as loose as the one that is currently installed so I did not bother tring to seperate the two pieces that are currently installed. Do you suggest that I use PVC glue to glue the piece into the barrel? Here is a picture to better show what I am talking about. Should I glue the air nozzle into this tube? The air nozzle is realatively loose on both ends, i.e. where it connects to the plastic tube (which I assume I should re-glue with PVC glue) and where it connects to the pump itself.

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[rvitko]

No, nothing gets glued in the skimmer, the piece that i stuck inside the piece that is what I sent you is supposed to be attached to the end of the impeller nozzle. I will post a pic of how it is supposed to disassemble.