ASM G1X Skimmer Help!!

[Guygettnby]

for the people who have done the mesh mod... wich enkamat did you use and how many layers did you use??

i used PF4 Flatback enkamat and i used 3 layers of it. now i get a lot of bubles but it seems like my pump is not pushing the same amount of water as it used to before the mod. has anybody encountered this problem before? do i just simply need to add 1 more layer of enkamat?

my skimmer also does not want to collect as much gunk now. i get a extremely light green skimate almost as clear as water now. i just dont get how so many people have done this mod and praise about it left and right but when i do it the thing performs worse then it did with just the venturi mod done....

thanks for the help

 

[MSX-Rob]

I would recommend 3 layers of "flatback" mesh.

 

[Guygettnby]

so if i add another layer of mesh it wouldnt make a difference??

 

[Guygettnby]

TTT^^

 

[tingram]

Sorry in advance if I'm hijacking your thread but I have a similar issue with the same model

I just did my mod last weekend with 3 layers of the non-flat back and it seems to be producing as much bubbles out of the pump as before the mod . My problem was that my skimmer just wasn't making any skim at all, just like a flat level with bubbles but now it seems to be working a little.

After the mod it is making some skim up the inner tube but not enough to push it into the collection cup no matter how much I adjust the outlet pipe. When I adjust it to high it just goes flat again and a little lower and no skim.. i'm confused and frustrated...

One this is that when I cover the outlet as i'm adjusting the pipe level the bubbles go higher but drop as soon as I let go of the filter sponge.

The skimmer is in 12" water level, is that too high?

 

[Guygettnby]

^^^ NP, i hope we both get some answers.

BTW, the skimmer might have to break back in since you did a vinager bath and cleaned it. i noticed you said you did that in your other post. so i would give it alittle bit of time to see if it gets any better for you.

 

[Guygettnby]

BUMP for an answer ^^^^^^^^^^

 

[bigtex52]

I don't believe your pump will start or run with 4 layers of mesh. JMHO. Guygettnby is correct abount maybe needing to break in, but that shouldn't take over a few hours to a day after a vinegar cleaning. If that is as high as your water level is getting you need to either lower your skimmer into the watter a little deeper or restrict yout output from the skimming chamber (i.e. gate valve, etc) Mesh modding shouldn't dramatically affect the output of the pump unless it's dragging and slowing it down. One other thing to try, you might try restricting the air going into the venturi by pinching the tube and see if your water level rises. HTH.

 

[nikon187]

ASM's work best in 8-10" of water, if in 12" i would try raising it so the pump has an easier time sucking in the air.

 

[bigtex52]

The air isn't his problem. He says he has lots of good fine bubbles. It's that his water level in the skimmer is so low that the skimmate stayson top of the foam in the chamber rather than going up the neck and out.

 

[drparker]

I did the mesh mod, and a recirculating mod. Plus I change the outflow to be like the MSX skimmer. It's much easier to adjust and seems like a whole new skimmer.

To raise the water level have you pulled the gray pipe up all the way?

 

[tingram]

I have tried the pipe all the way up and the skimmate does go up for a little while but ends up settling back down to a lower level. I may just need a new set of o-rings although the ones on it don't look deteriorated at all.

 

[drparker]

Does the water rise inside the skimmer body to the same level as the top of tube? when you have it all the way up the water level should be into the neck of the cup.

 

[tingram]

the level is always above the top of the tube but if I have the tube almost all the way up the water level does get to the top of the collection cup, but the top of the pipe is lower than that.

 

[drparker]

So the problem would be foam production. How old is the skimmer and the tank? Was the skimmer new or used? What pump do you have driving the skimmer? How often do you feed and how often do you put your hands in the tank or sump? Can you get a pic of the bubble and the little bit of skimmate it produces?

 

[Guygettnby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15034823#post15034823 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drparker
I did the mesh mod, and a recirculating mod. Plus I change the outflow to be like the MSX skimmer. It's much easier to adjust and seems like a whole new skimmer.

To raise the water level have you pulled the gray pipe up all the way?

so how many layers of mesh did you use and what type of mesh?

 

[drparker]

I have a layer of gutter guard plus three layers of mesh, tied down with fishing line. Not the flat back, the regular.

 

[tingram]

So the problem would be foam production. How old is the skimmer and the tank? Was the skimmer new or used? What pump do you have driving the skimmer? How often do you feed and how often do you put your hands in the tank or sump? Can you get a pic of the bubble and the little bit of skimmate it produces?

Skimmer might be a few years old, I had removed it for a while and wanted to set it back up. The pump is a sedra 3500 and right now i'm feeding a couple of cubes every other day with about 6 fish in there. I also have 5 anemones that get shrimp every week or two...
I'll try to get a pic but I don't remember it ever working great...

 

[Guygettnby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15045416#post15045416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by drparker
I have a layer of gutter guard plus three layers of mesh, tied down with fishing line. Not the flat back, the regular.

ok, thanks for the help on this. do you remember were you got the gutter guard and the mat from? i was worried about using the flatback but maybe thats the problem here.

guy :bum:

 

[Guygettnby]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15047070#post15047070 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tingram
Skimmer might be a few years old, I had removed it for a while and wanted to set it back up. The pump is a sedra 3500 and right now i'm feeding a couple of cubes every other day with about 6 fish in there. I also have 5 anemones that get shrimp every week or two...
I'll try to get a pic but I don't remember it ever working great...

do you still have the stock impeller or have access to one? it might be worth putting it back in to see if that solves your problem. just a thought here but it would be worth a try if you have it around and handy.