newbie needs help with regulating a proclear skimmer

[3bavboys]

tube bubbling fine
adjustment for air is at 12 o'clock
but getting NO output in drain off hose
good amount of brown stuff in cup , but just sitting there
when it was 1st set up - i had too much output - just clear water and lots of it coming out
now i can't get anything to come out -
not enough to flow out into the drain hose
very little foam at top of tube
what can i do ?

 

[reills15]

i'm fairly new also, can't think of what brand i have, but if the intake into the skimmer is at full throttle, you should be getting something into the waste area. on my brand if you have a small overflow tube that you can pinch, pinch it and it will get the flow into the skimmer going at fast as possible, then when you release there should be no air bubbles in the intake

at first i had alot of clear water also, and actually over flowed twice before i learned how to regulate it, now i get a sludge that is pretty nasty and don't need to dump out waste but every 2 weeks. it took about 3 weeks for me to get everything regulated on it...just keep adjusting

 

[3bavboys]

i overflowed 2x the 1st week as well - now i have a 5g bucket that the drain hose sits on
but now nothing goes in !!!!!!!
could it have something to do with the tank just finished cycling about 2 wks ago ?
that there isn't enough "stuff" to skim yet ?

 

[TeakieBarber]

As long as it's foaming, don't worry about trying to keep the water at the water line. The foam will eventually settle down and probably be right about at the water mark.

If you must adjust, do it a tad and then leave it alone for a day or two. In other words, don't keep fooling with it every day or all day.

IME, it always takes longer for the skimmer to adjust, whether it's a new skimmer or after the cycle in a new tank.

My 2Ã"šÃ‚¢ FWIW.

Teakie

 

[Jeff_edge540]

You have a white pipe where the water come out of the skimmer right? That can be raised and lowered.
Raise it to make the skimmate (brown waste) more watery.
Lower it to make the skimmate thicker.
I believe it is just too low right now.

Also, the water level in your sump will affect the skimmate wetness on a ProClear skimmer.

BTW: I have one.

 

[3bavboys]

the white pipe is at the highest level it can go
still no output

 

[Jeff_edge540]

Ah - then you ..

 

[3bavboys]

pump problem ?
i am getting lots of bubbles in tube
just no foam or output

 

[Jeff_edge540]

Must have a clogged venturi.
The output of the pump feeds into a PVC fitting where the airhose is connected right?
That is a venturi that mixes the air and water. This device will constrict the waterflow inorder to make it a higher pressure in order to get a better air/water mixtue.
The problem that these devices has is they become clogged very easy.
Try taking your skimmer out and removing the pump, then remove the venturi tube from the skimmer (you should be able to do this). Now look down the tube and examine the small venturi hole. Is there something blocking it? Try running hot water thru it. You might even want to soak it in a vinager and water (50/50) solution for a few hours. This wil help dissolve any calcium buildup (happens to me when I drip kalk in my sump).
When you don't have enough water flow thru the skimmer it can't push the water column up far enough to overflow skimmate.

If your bubbles are poping just way to fast (not building up foam) then you have another problem.