Venturi Protein Skimmer issue

[boojumsnark25]

Bought a Jebo 180 (don't need a top of the line skimmer, only a couple small fish)

Installed it, but their is no air coming from the airline into the venturi. I've tried 3 different powerheads...with an airpump attached to the other end of the airline, I can get massively giant bubbles, and that's it.

All I have to do is connect one end of the airline to the venturi attachment of the powerhead, and leave the other end above the water so the air can get in, right?

I've only used airstone skimmers before this, so I may be missing something here....

Thanks in advance

 

[1DeR9_3Hy]

Pics if possible, then we can guide you much easier.

Without pics, as long as the airline is hooked up to the venturi itself (also assuming the air line is not sucking water in) you should be seeing some bubbles.

Check to make sure the venturi is not clogged, i just setup a DAS EX-1 and it was acting funny. Not pulling much air at all...so i started taking it apart only to find someone had put their "QC" sticker over the elbow feeding the recirc pump...it was 70% blocked.

 

[cobbobby]

Your not running it in fresh water are ya?

 

[boojumsnark25]

OK, this picture confuses me

http://media.photobucket.com/image/jebo 180/homegrowncorals/jebo.jpg

Out the output of the powerhead, there's the venturi hole, and a black knob, but it looks like there's no airline attacked. So where is the airline in the picture going?

So confused

 

[cobbobby]

The airline should be connected to a venturi in front of the pump intake. You have that black knob on the end of the venturi tube, losen that up so air can get in. Should be fine after that.

 

[boojumsnark25]

the only spot for an airline hookup is on the output of the powerhead...thats the venturi right?

 

[boojumsnark25]

OK, I'm definitely missing something with the venturi concept here.

Here's what I do.

connect one end of the airline to the airline nozzle thing that is located on the output of the powerhead. Then I leave the other end of the airline above the powerhead, out of the water.

but I get no bubbles, even with the skimmer detached.

I've tried three different powerheads.

What am i doing wrong?

 

[cobbobby]

Your going to have to take a pic of how the airline is connected to the pump, then we can tell you what is wrong. The venturi may not be drilled all the way through on the powerhead, could be covered up, tough to say.

 

[boojumsnark25]

 

[boojumsnark25]

Well, I still don't know what the problem was, but I figured out a way to fix it.

I got to thinking, and obviously, for whatever reason, there wasn't enough pressure on the output to pull the air in. So, I figured I'd try getting the venturi to the input side, so the bubbles would go in, and as an added bonus, the impeller would chop them up. so I rigged the venturi piece using some superglue, tested it out, and had bookoo bubbles but the pump was too strong. so I put a piece of prefiler sponge over the intake, and presto, i have a protein skimmer.

Now I have one more question. The collection cup does not have a drain. The cup is very hard to get off because it has a gasket that is a really tight fit. Can I drill a hole into the cup, insert an airline, silicone or superglue around it to make it water tight, and run the airline to a milk jug? Will I crack the cup when I'm drilling?

Thanks!

 

[kkil4life]

hey there, I had the exact same skimmer till I upgraded to an aquac remora.
The airline tubing has to stay out of water. Now once you have it out of water look at the END portion of the part out of water, it has kind of like a valve. You can turn this valve either to the open or closed positions. Neither of them are your right option. You need to tune it just so that the water level reaches the neck of the collection cup. Hey presto, you now have skimmate.
But the darn thing has to be adjusted almost every other day.
Lemme know if that works for you.

As far as drilling a hole, I think it might break. I was tempted to do the same but never tried. Lemme know how that works for you.