Help with skimmer

mike31154 · #1 07-18-2013, 02:47 PM

Looks like DIY skimmer to me also. Nothing wrong with that, other than it may take some tweaking to get it dialed in. Certainly worth experimenting a bit before spending a bunch more $$$s on something new. I have an HOB DIY wooden air diffuser driven skimmer that came with my tank & it's been doing the job for 6 years. Old tech, but works fine. I had to do a couple of mods to improve the performance & add features though.

Does the pump provide both flow thru the skimmer & produce bubbles, i.e. needle wheel or something similar? Looks like the pump is in a collection box in the display? Is the flow from the pump adjustable?

One thing you can do right off the top is drill a hole into the collection cup & add a drain that you can direct to a larger container like a bucket. This will eliminate the need to empty the cup every day & minimize the damage if it overflows when you happen to be out.

I don't see a valve on the return line from skimmer back to tank. Plumbing one in there will give you increased control of water level inside the skimmer, if that can't be accomplished by adjusting the pump's flow. Either way, it's one more way to control flow/water level & not that difficult to add. This is one of the mods I did on my own skimmer. A slip union on the same line is also a useful mod. It allows you to adjust the height of the return plumbing, which in turn adds control to the water level inside the skimmer by adding or taking away a bit of head pressure.

Here's a photo, might help with some ideas. Note the collection cup drain tube, slip union & ball valve on the return line. Ignore the air pump, air tubing & air stone stuff (unless you fancy converting yours to something similar):

My skimmer is fed from a small powerhead in a box in the display. All it does is provide flow. An air pump makes the bubbles thru wooden air diffusers. It's very quiet & uses little power.

geweagle · #2 07-19-2013, 01:04 AM

Mike,

Thanks great ideas. I will put the over flow into a bucket. That will cover the immediate issue. Yes this unit has venturi air inductor on the pump so air enters there. The pump is inside the tank while the unit is HOB. I have attached a diagram with labels. There seems to be no inlet control. But there are two outlet controls, I have marked. However, if I cut the flow back it builds back pressure into the skimmer and overflows the cup, as you suggested. Your suggestion of a control on the inlet would help a lot I think. It should dcrease the inlet flow.

All thanks for you help. It appears this is DIY unit since no one and all the searches I did cannot come up with the unit. It really has lots of air but a little too much if I cannot reduce the pressure in the unit. Everytime I cut back because it is on the outlet it just builds pressure and overflows the cup.

Sure would like to know what happen a week ago. Before that it was great. I will take the pump out and check it. Maybe something in there is causing too much air pressure?
Attachment 11542

mike31154 · #3 07-19-2013, 03:30 PM

So there are two 'knobs' for flow control but you're still unable to dial it in reliably to prevent overflows? How exactly do these flow controls function(Edit: never mind, I see that there are two outlet lines each with a control, so this would be the same as the ball valve on my skimmer. Perhaps modifying the output lines to make them larger or having a single large line may help control)? Yes, very curious how it would work so well initially then suddenly get finicky. Clearly something changed for this to happen. A change in water level of the tank and/or any container that your skimmer pump may be drawing water from will often have a significant effect on the level in the skimmer itself. So a constant level in the tank is what you need to aim for. Auto top off for evaporation to keep things level. It's a bit difficult to tell how your pump is situated & where it draws the water from in your photo. Looks like there is quite an air gap between the tank rim & the water level at the corner of the tank where I assume the pump is. Some additional shots would be helpful to understand the set up. Definitely have a look at the pump itself. My little powerhead actually has a lever on the intake which allows for regulating output flow, but your pump may not be similarly equipped. Because mine is a small pump, I can leave the lever at the full open position & it won't overflow my skimmer. I'm able to regulate the water column in the skimmer with the ball valve on the return line. If I haven't cleaned out the skimmer box or the powerhead for a while, I need to start closing the ball valve to keep the water level at the sweet spot in the skimmer. The powerhead intake gets clogged with debris/algae & the output drops. I don't need to tweak the valve very often though & usually give the pump a good cleaning every water change which I generally perform every 21 days or so.

geweagle · #4 07-19-2013, 03:50 PM

Hi all,

Well I found the unit. Its asian, no surprise from Hong Kong. Here is an ebay new version . Here is the web link The unit I have is an older model but this is the general layout. With the suggestions Mike made it might be an OK unit. as you can see this one does have the drain in the skimmer

Myka · #5 07-19-2013, 04:21 PM

Check that the airline is clear. There will often get to be calcification where the air meets the water in the venturi (the bell shaped thingy on the end of the pump). You should be able to remove the venturi and soak it in vinegar overnight. You can also pull the airline off and inspect that the opening is clear. A partially blocked airline will produce the effect you describe in your first post.

On another note, a person's opinion of the ability of a skimmer is directly relative to the other skimmers that person has used. If the person who sold you the skimmer never tried anything better then it is quite possible that he indeed thinks the skimmer "is very good". As with everything in this hobby, buyer beware - research potential purchases before purchasing.

mike31154 · #6 07-19-2013, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geweagle

Hi all,

Well I found the unit. Its asian, no surprise from Hong Kong. Here is an ebay new version . Here is the web link The unit I have is an older model but this is the general layout. With the suggestions Mike made it might be an OK unit. as you can see this one does have the drain in the skimmer

Aha, good picture worth many words. Forgot to mention in my last post to check both outlet lines & adjustments for possible obstructions that may impede outflow & raise water level inside skimmer. Also, if yours has the foam jobs on the end of the outlets, remove them. No need & they will eventually clog & impede flow with similar results... overflow. Unless you clean them every couple of days...