pantherguy30 Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I have noticed that the skimmer I have works great in tub of saltwater while curing live rock but really sucks when placed in my sump. I can't get near the same amount of tiny bubbles while inside the sump. In fact while it's in the tub I can't see through it. But when it's in the sump its almost clear like i have no slat in the water? The salt level is the same, the water level is the same? I just don't know what the problem is? The skimmer is and older venturi type hooked up to a rio 2500. I assume it's a venturi. It has a nipple that sucks air after a 90 deg elbow wich goes to the pump. Either way I hope you guys know whats wrong. Other than it's old and needs to be replaced. (scratch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Try cleaning out the airline tube/nipple area. Sometimes salt or calcium will get up in there and plug the hole. A soak in fresh water, and a tooth-pick works wonders. If that does not work soak the piece in vinegar to dissolve calcium deposits. It should make it good as new. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 What I'm not understanding is I took it out of the sump tonight and placed it into the tub of saltwater and I got way more tiny bubbles right away than when It was in the sump. I turned off the main pump to see if that was the problem, but it wasn't. I am clueless on this one??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Is the tub where you get bubbles.. is that the rock curing tub? And then you get no bubbles when it is on the tank? It could be that there is nothing for the bubbles to 'stick' to while in the tank because it is clean. And of course the curing tub is dirty. While it is in the sump/tank try feeding some small type food for corals or such and see if you get foam then. I say this because I just started a 240 and unless I feed my skimmer just doesn't appear to work either. But when there is food/junk to pull out it starts to foam up and run correctly. Just a thought...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siskiou Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 The air intake is above the water line when you place it in the sump, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 LOL yes it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrgreenthumb Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Hmmm are you 100% sure the water level is the exact same in the tub as it is in the sump? Even an inch can make a difference. The deeper the water the harder it is going to be for the pump to draw that air down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Hmmm are you 100% sure the water level is the exact same in the tub as it is in the sump? Even an inch can make a difference. The deeper the water the harder it is going to be for the pump to draw that air down. Yah make sure you are talking about comparable depths. Its like if you were in a pool underwater breathing thru a straw. At the surface the straw only has to be a couple inches long so its easy to breath thru, but if its say 2 feet long its going to be harder to pull air thru. One way to fix this is to increase the size of the airline if the water level is higher in your sump. Or you could make a platform to sit the skimmer on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 I swear I'm not on crack guys! It seems so odd to me too! Everything is [language filter] near the same! Except I don't have a sock in the tub of saltwater or baffles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 plus my air intake is a nipple fitting that's mounted towards the top of my skimmer. It's above the water line at all times. There is no pump connected to the air intake line. It just grabs air as the water pushes past this fitting.Like I said I'm not positive but I thought it was a venturi style skimmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted October 16, 2008 Author Share Posted October 16, 2008 So I put the "haunted" skimmer back into the sump last evening. It fired up fine this time, and has been working ever since. I'm so clueless on what the heck was going wrong the other night?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrgreenthumb Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Was it a full moon??? haha jk glad it is working great for you. Nothing more frustrating than paying good money for equipment and having it fail or not work up to par Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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