Help with a Marineland 300 series Protein Skimmer

[mattmaddox573]

thank u all for ur help. My skimmer is only 9 days old. When i first plugged it in it would overflow all the way over the collection cup. cant remember which way valve was pointed. now if its turned all the way right water level is below the center tube where all air bubbles come from. If its pointed in middle water level gets highest but still barely shy of top of bottom section of skimmer

 

[Palting]

Palting, thanks for the info. my skimmer always looks like your top pic. I have not once seen it look like your second pic. i usually adjust my valve so that the bulk of the super wet tiny air bubbles pop in the middle of the neck section of the cup look at my pic above for reference. If I turn it down I never get any skimmate, and if I turn it up it overflows clear water in a matter of seconds. I don't have a big load on my tank right now. I have a 180 with the fish mentioned below. Maybe this is why I never get a cup of crud like your second pic.

Nick

You're welcome, Nick. Yes, the amount of skim is directly proportional to the bioload.

thank u all for ur help. My skimmer is only 9 days old. When i first plugged it in it would overflow all the way over the collection cup. cant remember which way valve was pointed. now if its turned all the way right water level is below the center tube where all air bubbles come from. If its pointed in middle water level gets highest but still barely shy of top of bottom section of skimmer

Something doesn't seem right. You should get the highest level in the center tube, to the point where water/wet bubbles readily oveflow and fill the cup, when the valve is all the way right. Doesn't matter if it's new or old. The amount of skim and obtaining a consistent output may be erratic when new, but you should still be able to overflow the cup like you did the first time.

 

[mattmaddox573]

well i broke my old skimmer when trying to pull the pump out. I just got the new one mailed to me. Again when valve turned all the way to left or right water level is the lowest. when pointed in the middle water will overflow in to the copllection cup. I didnt leave valve pointed in any one direction. Im not going to mess with and just see what happens i guess

 

[00Warpig00]

I dont know if you are aware or if I mentioned it earlier but when i make adjustments to my valve a little bit goes a LONG LONG way. I have had a couple millimeters of dial movement mean the difference of not seeing any bubbles in the tube to having the foam overflowing madly into the cup and overflowing the cup within seconds. make very small adjustments. Adjust... wait a full minute or so look and make another small adjustment.

Nick

 

[jeremayia1]

skimmer

skimmer

if it's the Marineland Pro In-Sump Protein Skimmer 300 it's the same skimmer I have. i have had this happen once or twice and what I do to fix it is to cycle the knob fully clockwise and counterclockwise quickly a few times. I this has resolved the issue for me every time so far (all three times or so in the past year it has happened). You state the skimmer is new it will need to be adjusted frequently the first week or so and may put up nothing but super wet bubbles until it breaks in. You should not need a stand for it unless the output tube (the duct section just in front of and about 3 inches below the knob). If that return is under water your sump is too deep for the skimmer and should be on a stand so that output duct is above the water level. On mine turning the knob fully clockwise will lower the water level inside the skimmer body and counter clockwise will raise it. When you make an adjustment let it be for about a minute or so before making another adjustment. As for turning the skimmer off to clean the cup. I don't even bother, i just unscrew the colar holding it on and slide it off the top of the skimmer. The skimmer will gently overflow into your sump until you replace the cup. Watch out there is a rubber O ring theat may go floating off into your sump. Thats why I slide it off the neck instead of lifting it. it will help keep the O ring in place. Clean cup. Return to skimmer position and screw the collar back in. EASY! I REALLY like this skimmer so far. No external parts really easy to adjust and does a good job.

Nick

thank you i move the knob clockwise and counter clockwise and it work,now its skimming again tx again

 

[Maxbernat]

Hi all, first post here. Can anyone tell me how to remove the pump from this skimmer? I've tried to yank it off the bottom, but I don't want to pull too hard in case that's not the right way to do it. I don't see any screws. Do I really just need to apply a lot of force and pull it off the bottom? Thx!

 

[Maxbernat]

Answered my own question. I got a thin leather belt under the pump and yanked it off! Took a good tug, but it worked. My impeller magnet had separated from the plastic ends. Little epoxy and good to go...