Need help with my Nano 9002 skimmer

[Arizonah13]

I sent a message through the Tunze website last week, but haven't gotten a response yet, so....

I just installed my 9002 skimmer into the back of my biocube last week, but it doesn't appear to be working properly. I've checked and double checked to make sure the tubes are connected to the pump and have made absolutely sure the water level is right at the line on the skimmer body.

The skimmer is bubbling gently when I plug it in, but no matter how I adjust the blue dial, the level of bubbling doesn't change - and I've tightened it all the way down and opened it up to the point of the blue knob coming off.

Please let me know what I can do to fix this so the skimmer works.

Thanks,

Carolyn

 

[rvitko]

Here is my reply from the 21st. It may be in your spam filter?

"Carolyn,

So, if you close the air screw all the way, you see no reduction in bubbling? Closed all the way it should look like champagne, just kind of the occasional few slow bubbles. As you open it the bubbles should increase like just poured soda or beer and be very vigorous though it may be hard to visibly see a difference between a few turns open and the screw fully removed. If their is no difference the possibilities would be either the air tube is disconnected under the screw (there is a nipple under the screw that the airline to the pump connects to) and you can reconnect it by just popping off the top plate and plugging it in. The air hose will have to be pulled back down from the bottom so it has no kinks. It is also possible, but unlikely that the hole for the air adjustment screw is misthreaded or stripped so it lets air by at all times. In this case we can send a new top plate and screw."

To add to that, the marked water line is a maximum, the ideal is roughly 1/4" to 1/2" below that. If the skimmer makes a gurgling noise, it is water being sucked into the air intake from being too deep.

 

[Arizonah13]

Hi Roger,

I just pulled off the top plate and the transparent white tube is firmly attached to the lid.

Also, I ended up putting the skimmer in a bucket of water so I could easily vary the amount of water - I still see no difference.

The blue dial doesn't *feel* stripped - It goes in/out appropriately as I turn it.

This is my first skimmer, so maybe I'm just missing something obvious.

Thanks again.

 

[rvitko]

Was the test bucket saltwater or freshwater, saltwater is required to get fine bubbles.

Did you make sure there is no slack in the tube where it passes through that plate to connect to the nipple? Slack in this upper chamber causes the hose to pinch and the top lid to pop up. You would just pull the tube down from the bottom to remove this slack.

 

[Arizonah13]

I did make sure there wasn't slack in the white hose, but rats... my bucket test was fresh water. I'll be doing a water change this afternoon - I'll test again with my old tank water and let you know if anything changes.

Thanks again.

 

[Arizonah13]

Okay - tested the skimmer in my salt water bucket - still no change at all. (in fact, it looks exactly the same whether I used salt or non-salt water). The bubbling isn't fizzy looking at. (should it be?). Looks more like a gentle boil/bubbling.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again.

 

[rvitko]

If the bubbling is always weak and not fizzy, there has to be something wrong with the venturi nozzle, I can send a new nozzle, can you PM me your address?

 

[Arizonah13]

Sent PM. Thanks for your help.