SWC Xtreme 160 Protein Skimmer still breaking in? Need help.
 

I bought a SWC Xtreme 160 Protein Skimmer. I was told it would take around 4 days to break in and start skimming. It's been like 10+days now and it still is not skimming. The water or bubbles inside it no matter how I adjust it does not even reach the neck of the skimmer. It doesn't seem to be working very well. Any advice to get this skimmer to break in? Or is it broken?

My swc160 had started skimming in less than 24hrs. I kept the skimmer in the sump with a constant water level of 7.5"H and regulate the water inside the chamber 2" below the collection cup

Do either of you have a white piece of machined plastic that sits in the intake of the skimmer pump? Mine came with it in there and seems to work better with it in...I have no idea if it's meant to be there or part of the manufacturing process tho.

SKIMMER
 

try raising the water level in your skimmer section of your sump, that should work.:wink:

Give us a call at the store tomorrow, we'll get it sorted out for you.

Thanks

Paul

Should take no more than a day or so. I run my lever just below the wide part of the collection cup. I also run my air wide open and just adjust the level with the control knob.

Not sure what else to add.

Brett, what white part is that? The only thing I see is where the air attaches to.

I don't have what Brett mentioned about the plastic white pc and please post a photo if possible and my swc160 is doing a geat job

okay I will.

The water level is not an issue in my sump. I run it at 8".

So just happens after firing up my cube again, the 160 would not skim either. No level problems, a ton of bubbles but no foam. Thats after the first couple hours when it skimmed like crazy after restart.

Hmmm, me says. A couple days go by and nothing. Last night I turned down the air, which I have always run wide open. Today its skimming like nuts.

Perhaps just a coincidence or something you could possibly try. Maybe I had to much turbulence in the bubble column.