Prizm Pro Crap

Jaws · #1 05-13-2005, 05:59 AM

Well, my lovely prizm pro seems to be acting up again. The chamber that fills with bubbles and empties into the collection cup is just filled with water right to the top. I barely have the flow turned up all the way and it's just filled with water. In the return chamber that empties back into the tank, I have a bag of chemipure. Since the bag of chemipure won't stay at the bottom of the chamber and continues to float to the top, which then causes some water to flow over the side of the chamber and on to the floor, I had to put a piece of rock on top of it to hold it down. I also have the air intake control turned as tight as it can go.

Are any of the things I'm doing contributing to why the skimmer isn't working properly?

Is there anything I should be doing to fix this problem?

I know getting rid of the skimmer is the best option but I need something to fix the problem right now.

hockey nut · #2 05-13-2005, 06:30 AM

Hi Jason,

I found this skimmer to take some time to break in as most do but these take longer. Also these skimmers would work alot better if you put a small air line and air stone down in the bottom of the skimmer. In regards to your problem , just back off the water intake flow until you just get bubbles skimming or not and leave it for a day or so. Then adjust it slowly over time as you go. More water flow etc. It worked for me but what a pain.
Just a thought, your air intake tube may be dirty or plugged which would hinder your air flow, hence more water less bubbles.

Do you not have a basket that fits nicely into your skimmer to hold your media? If not you may not want to use your chemipure for now until you get this sorted out.

hth.

BCOrchidGuy · #3 05-15-2005, 03:39 AM

There is an upgrade (DIY) for that skimmer, basically you lift the collection cup with a piece of pvc by about an inch or an inch and a half, that way you can turn up the water flow and you wont get it boiling over into the collection cup.

I did a mod on a CPR and it turned it into an awesome little skimmer but people who have done the upgrade on the prism pro seem to think it's works pretty well now so you may want to give it a look.

Doug

AJ_77 · #4 05-15-2005, 06:20 AM

Are you talking about the basic upgraded Prizm, or the Prizm Pro Deluxe (the one rated to 200 gallons)? The Pro Deluxe can be touchy but it will work - do you have the manual? There's a PDF of it on the Red Sea site.

If you do have your bag of carbon in the return area, you really need the media basket. Holds it right in the throat of that chamber.

untamed · #5 05-16-2005, 12:47 AM

I run a Prism Pro, and have done so for about 2 years. I run the water flow adjustment at about 45 degrees. (which would be about 1/2 of maximum flow) Basically, I think that you are just trying to push more water through there than it can take.

My pro came with with a media basket, but it is difficult to use any fine-grained media. I put a media sock OVER the basket and put the media inside. Yes, the basket wants to rise out of the skimmer, but the overflow cup is designed to hold the basket in place.

Justin · #6 05-16-2005, 11:28 PM

I have a crazy theroy...

Do you think the water could be backing up into the collection cup because you placed a bag of chemi-pure in the outlet, blocking the water's path through the normal path of least resistance?

You know there is a media container for the outlet, that will not block the flow of water through the outlet....