Reef Octopus Suddenly Stopped Working

[Weboh]

I have a less than 6 month old Reef Octopus Classic 100-HOB. It has been working great up until last night, and gave me no indication something was wrong; I didn't hear any funny noises or anything coming from it, nor did I notice any difference in its performance up to this point.

I unplug it when I do water changes so that the intake isn't exposed to air. Last night, when I plugged it back in, it didn't work: There wasn't any sound coming from it, no bubbles, or any change at all between being plugged in or not.

I can confirm that the outlet it's plugged into works, because anything else that is plugged into it works fine. I also tried using different outlets, and lightly banging the motor assembly to get it to start again.

Has anyone else had the same problem? Any suggestions on how to get it working again? Thanks.

 

[billdogg]

It probably has some buildup on the impeller or inside the motor housing. I clean mine every few months to prevent that from happening. While you’re cleaning, make sure you inspect and clean the air inlet. It can easily become encrusted with salt as well.

 

[Weboh]

I just took it apart and did a deep cleaning of it. There was a little bit of gunk and a lot of starfish inside the filter pads (and I couldn't even access the interior-most filter pad). However, the pump itself seemed to be pretty much clean of debris. I still can't even hear it trying to work after cleaning it.

It's weird it would just stop working, because, again, I never heard it struggling with build-up nor saw any change in either the operation of the skimmer nor my water parameters. It seems like if the problem was a slow accumulation of gunk, I would see the problem slowly accumulate.

Any more suggestions? It is still under warranty, but I don't want to be without any filtration for the couple weeks it would surely take to get it fixed.

 

[ROlympia]

Sometimes repeatedly unplugging and plugging in the power cord will get a pump started again if nothing else will. Starting the needle wheel into rotation with a finger will do it too but I don't see how you'd do it on that thing. That's based on my experiences with pumps generally and not your specific equipment.

 

[Weboh]

Update: If I get real close to the skimmer when it's plugged in, I can hear it attempting to work. I still don't see any bubbles or signs of it working.

I can't physically touch any part of the motor, since it's all in the case. I put water back in the skimmer to make it not have to work as hard to create suction, but no dice. I don't think it's a matter of it being dirty, either, as the only thing left to clean is the sponge-like filter pad which is wedged deep down in a separate section from the motor.

:/ Looking more and more like I need to file a warranty claim, unless someone has another idea.

 

[LQT]

After you had it disassembled for cleaning, did you try plugging the skimmer pump in to see if the impeller spins properly before reassembling the skimmer? Did you also make sure the volute (where the airline attaches to the pump inlet) is free of salt build up? Once you check on these two things, try to blow into the airline tubing to see if that kick starts the impeller to get it to start spinning.

 

[Weboh]

Thanks for the ideas. I can't disassemble the motor and can't really see anything inside it. I can try to see if it's spinning properly, but I don't know how I'd fix it if it's not; there aren't any screws on it and I'd probably void my warranty opening it up.

There is a tiny bit of salt inside the airline tubing, but not enough to block air from getting in. I tried blowing into the volute, but that didn't do anything. All the air I blew just went into the water through the intake valve., and not into the skimmer itself.

 

[LQT]

Call CoralVue customer service and tell them about the issue as it is still under warranty. Either way, they should give you instructions and walk you through how to disassemble the pump and clean the impeller. Based on pictures of the Classic 100 HOB, it should be a fairly straightforward process.

https://www.coralvue.com/classic-100hob-protein-skimmer

 

[billdogg]

Looking at the link provided by Leon, it uses a very simple to disassemble RO Aquatrance 1000s Skimmer Pump. the grill on the front almost certainly just pops off. You might have to squeeze the sides a bit to get it to release. Inside, you will find a twist off cover over the impeller itself. There are likely some small bushings holding the impeller, so take it apart someplace where you won't lose any parts, and take note of the order they are in so that after cleaning you can reassemble it in the correct order. You may find that a pair of hemostats or needlenose pliers are needed to pull out the impeller. Use a old toothbrush (or your SO's if you dare) to scrub it all down. If there is buildup on the impeller magnet that won't easily brush off (crusty stuff) you can carefully scrape it with something to chip it off. Reassemble the pump and then before you put it in the tank, place it in a bowl of water in the sink and plug it in. It should work just fine at this point.

Any and all aquarium pumps I have seen over the last 30+ years are built in a similar fashion. Obviously there will be differences between brands, but due to the environment they are designed to operate in, they all have to be easily taken apart for cleaning. I do all of mine about every 3 months or so.

If you run into problems, post some pictures of what you are stuck on and it will make helping you that much easier.

HTH!

 

[Sk8r]

Two pump stoppers I've met: in an Iwaki, a colonista snail that exactly fit one of the holes. Removed snail.
Two, frequently, in regular little pumps: calcium carbonate buildup: soaking the pump 24 hours in straight white vinegar, followed by running vinegar through the pump. Vinegar left behind won't hurt your tank, just a little ph whiffle.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Vinegar has been found to be detrimental to the epoxy that makes most pumps submersible.
NO more than a 10 min. soak is now recommended.
Citric acid powder mixed 1:1 will do just fine, I have used 2:1 with no problems.

 

[Weboh]

I took it apart and cleaned it the other day. I did find that there was a snail that had crawled inside. However it still doesn't work. It won't form a suction to pull water in.

I contacted Reef Octopus over a week ago and still haven't gotten a response. I guess I'll try contacting CoralVue as well.