Really Frustrated with EShopps S-150. Please help.

[jsharp13]

I have an EShopps S-150 skimmer, and am about to throw it out the window. I have been running it for over a month, and haven't gotten a bit of skimmate. It will not stop overflowing. Here is what I have tried. Please tell me if I have done something wrong:

-At the beginning, I put it in 10" of water, and let it run flat out for 2 weeks. I had a read a lot online that it needed to "break in". Perhaps I should have let it do that in less water, but I didn't think it would be an issue since the instructions said nothing about that.

-After still getting overflow, I did some research. I put something under it, raising it to 8". The adjustable knob on the skimmer is the key! So, over a 1-week period, I turned it a little at a time and emptied the cup, waited an hour in between, and adjusted it again when it was still overflowing. No help.

-2 weeks ago, I had some worms, so had to treat with PraziPro. So, turned the skimmer off (it wasn't doing anything anyway). After 2 big water changes, I turned the skimmer back on yesterday and put it at 6", and I am still getting overflow.

Not sure if this matters, but it seems to be water filling up the cup, not bubbles. I have tried having the water intake completely open and completely closed, and nothing seems to make a difference.

Please help. If you can't, make me an offer. Willing to sell for cheap.

 

[Docdiggy]

I have an eshopps brand skimmer. I used to get overflow every once in a while. Is your water level always consistent? If not, that causes problems. Did check to make sure it's pulling air?

 

[jsharp13]

Water level is very consistent. Tunze ATO takes care of that. I think it is pulling air, or is wouldn't be making bubbles, right?

 

[gone fishin]

How long has the tank been set up and what is the stocking situation? It is possible if it is new or very lightly stocked there may be very little to pull out.

 

[jsharp13]

Update. I called EShopps tech support. Walked them through the same thing that I talked about above. While the woman on the phone was very nice, they weren't really much help. She told me to line up the white dots (fully open the intake), keep it at 6 inches, and be patient. Her statement was that because I had been adding things to the tank (sand, live rock, CUC), it never had a chance to break in. She said to maintain that state for about 2 weeks, and then call if it was still doing it. Maybe I'm being impatient here, but it kind of seems ridiculous that it would take 6 weeks for it to break in because I added a CUC.

As far as stocking, just the live rock (with some crabs), snails, a few hermits, 3 peppermint shrimp, and 2 urchins. Nothing that should put a load on the tank. I guess it is possible that there is nothing to skim, but my nitrates say otherwise.

Here is a pic, since I got a chance to take it. As you can see, the water is way up at the top of the collection cup. That just doesn't seem normal. The lady on the phone said I should dump that once in awhile, even if it doesn't look dirty.

 

[Docdiggy]

Well it's definitely pulling air. I only have a clown, foxface, and hawkfish in my 75. Sump/fuge adds about another 20 gal. I pull nasty stuff every week. It really seems like it's closed too much and causing that to happen. I can't see any water line throughout the entire skimmer.

 

[anthonys51]

can you turn it down. i dont have the same skimmer. but i have mine turned down to almost closed. seems to work for me

 

[jsharp13]

I've tried it both fully open and fully closed. Waited days in between to see if it just needed to reset itself. Doesn't seem to make any difference. Per tech support, I should leave it fully open while I am breaking it in.

Maybe there is something blocking the water intake? Though if it is off, the water is at the same level as my sump, so water is definitely coming in somewhere.

 

[Cymonous]

Pull the air line off the grey silencer. If the silencer is clogged in some way, the skimmer will fill up.

I have an Eshopps PSK-75, but no silencer.

 

[jsharp13]

Alright, will try anything right now. Pulled it off the silencer. Makes no noise either way (it is a very quiet unit!), so no biggie there. To experiment, I put my finger over the silencer, and it made the bubbles go down, so I don't think it was blocked, but can't hurt to run it without. After pulling it off, I emptied the cup and put it back on. Filled right back up, but will give it some time to see if it makes any difference.

 

[Cymonous]

Do you have the valve fully open?

 

[Greybeard]

Hm. Had been looking at either an EShopps S120 or a Bubble Magnus Curve 5. I have an EShopps R100 sump, which I'm quite happy with, and was leaning towards the S120 skimmer. Maybe I should reevaluate. Sorry you're having problems, glad you posted about it

 

[jsharp13]

The water valve, yes. Now. Had been fiddling with it before, but was told to leave it wide open.

 

[jsharp13]

Don't make your decision just based on my experience, but I don't think I am the first one to have this problem (just do a google search for eshopps skimmer overflow). I think I may start doing some research. That Reef Octopus looks pretty nice. Will give it a week of doing what they told me to do, but I am getting really tired of doing large water changes to keep my nitrates down when my skimmer should be helping me with that.

 

[Staisman]

I have exact same skimmer and have no issues like you do.

That tube on the right side, make sure it's all the way down. When you turn it you will see how it will close the intake hole. I have it almost at closed position. It is kind of tricky to set up but then it works great.

 

[stingeragent]

Seems like the water to air ratio is messed up prolly internally. I have a hob eshopps and if i plug the airline with my finger, the water level rises. If i let it go, water level goes back down

 

[Cymonous]

Alright, will try anything right now. Pulled it off the silencer. Makes no noise either way (it is a very quiet unit!), so no biggie there. To experiment, I put my finger over the silencer, and it made the bubbles go down, so I don't think it was blocked, but can't hurt to run it without. After pulling it off, I emptied the cup and put it back on. Filled right back up, but will give it some time to see if it makes any difference.

Yeah, something doesn't sound right with your skimmer then. Blocking that hole should do the opposite. I would see if you can get the skimmer exchanged or returned.

 

[Staisman]

I heard that a lot of people who having issues did not assemble them properly. If you did assembly your self I would go and check everything with a manual.

 

[spieszak]

Yeah, something doesn't sound right with your skimmer then. Blocking that hole should do the opposite. I would see if you can get the skimmer exchanged or returned.

Covering the air intake with your finger should make less bubbles. I don't understand why you are saying it should do the opposite... IAm I misreading something?

 

[Marchillo]

I have the Eshopps 75HOB skimmer. When I bought it I had the same exact issues and everything I did seemed opposite of what I was supposed to do.

I took a Home Depot bucket with water from the tank (dirty water) and setup the skinner as it would sit on my tank. Put the whole thing in a Tupperware so the overflow would not end up on my floor.

I probably spoke to the same woman. At first you might want to sit it way higher than recommended and try to get it not to overflow. It took a few weeks but mine works fine. Only have 1 or 2 overflow incidents since and only BC the sponge got clogged with algae. On the HOB version the sponge needs weekly cleaning.