Need help with G2 skimmer

JW65 · 10/25/2011, 07:08 PM

The skimmer came with a tank I bought and I am trying to get everything setup but the pump on the skimmer wouldn't work. So I did some reading and saw that some people put a sedra 5000 pump on it instead of the 3000 it comes with. So I found a good deal on a 5000 on ebay but I cant get the skimmer working right. It does not pull air to start the bubbles, so I blew into the air tube and got the bubbles started but it was going crazy and filled the cup up with water and started overflowing. I tried the output pipe at different heights, and the whole skimmer at different heights from the water level about 10 inches up and then to where the water level is right where it starts to cone at the top.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

RotaryGeek · 10/25/2011, 07:10 PM

Let it overflow back into the sump for a while. If it hasn't been used in a while it might be over collecting. I run a sedra 9000 on a g3 and that's what I had to do. That pump is actually two sizes up for my skimmer body.

JW65 · 10/26/2011, 06:27 AM

I tried letting it run over night and I just checked it and it is still pumping out white foam like there is no tomorrow lol. Any other ideas? Also any idea why its not pulling air to start the bubbles?

dahenley · 10/27/2011, 04:34 PM

take the front housing off and make sure it has a needle wheel impeller and not a standard impeller.

also, are you using your old venturi or a new one?
you need to ensure there is nothing blocking the air hole inside the venturi (use a flash light at an angle and make sure)

JW65 · 10/27/2011, 04:36 PM

anyone else have any suggestions?

JW65 · 10/27/2011, 04:39 PM

lol I was in the middle of posting when I got a response. When you say venturi do you mean the piece on the intake of the pump that the air hose hooks too? If so I am using the one that came with the 5000. And it is defently the needle impeller.

dahenley · 10/27/2011, 07:07 PM

that is what i meant.

take it off, and make sure you dont have a packing peanut in there, or a piece of plastic from manufacturing. (that has happened before)

also, you have a new pump with oils from production and new plastic that will need to be removed over a little bit of time.

if it continues for a little while, then put the old venturi from the old pump on. (its the same for the g2 and g3 (from what i have heard))

also, do you have a silencer on it, or a new hose? if a new hose, does it have a kink from shipping?
any restriction will make less air go through the pump , which in turn will pump lots more water....

if you have the old stuff, then i would put the old venturi and hose with no silencer on and see if it changes things. if so, then you know you have a air restriction and its just a matter of finding what its from.

allsps40 · 10/27/2011, 07:33 PM

Yeah for sure check to make sure it does not have a normal impeller, you need a needle wheel. Dumb question but need to ask. Are you running the skimmer with the water level all the way down? How deep is the skimmer in the water??

10/25/2011, 07:08 PM	#1
JW65 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Catawissa, PA Posts: 124	Need help with G2 skimmer The skimmer came with a tank I bought and I am trying to get everything setup but the pump on the skimmer wouldn't work. So I did some reading and saw that some people put a sedra 5000 pump on it instead of the 3000 it comes with. So I found a good deal on a 5000 on ebay but I cant get the skimmer working right. It does not pull air to start the bubbles, so I blew into the air tube and got the bubbles started but it was going crazy and filled the cup up with water and started overflowing. I tried the output pipe at different heights, and the whole skimmer at different heights from the water level about 10 inches up and then to where the water level is right where it starts to cone at the top. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

10/25/2011, 07:10 PM	#2
RotaryGeek Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Central Texas Posts: 713	Let it overflow back into the sump for a while. If it hasn't been used in a while it might be over collecting. I run a sedra 9000 on a g3 and that's what I had to do. That pump is actually two sizes up for my skimmer body. __________________ 125 w/ 30 gallon sump. ASM G3 w/ Sedra 9000 and gatevalve. Two Little Phishies 550 phosban reactor. 3x150w XM 10k MH, 2x 96w PC.

10/27/2011, 04:34 PM	#4
dahenley Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Lubbock, Tx Posts: 3,165	take the front housing off and make sure it has a needle wheel impeller and not a standard impeller. also, are you using your old venturi or a new one? you need to ensure there is nothing blocking the air hole inside the venturi (use a flash light at an angle and make sure) __________________ Its not just my tank, its OUR tank!!! :-) 240display, reef in progress Current Tank Info: 240 display, a few frags here and there. lots of fish, and lots of watching. (230 big screen getting re-sealed and going to add to the gallonage) My wife has no clue how addicted i really am.....

10/27/2011, 07:07 PM	#7
dahenley Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Lubbock, Tx Posts: 3,165	that is what i meant. take it off, and make sure you dont have a packing peanut in there, or a piece of plastic from manufacturing. (that has happened before) also, you have a new pump with oils from production and new plastic that will need to be removed over a little bit of time. if it continues for a little while, then put the old venturi from the old pump on. (its the same for the g2 and g3 (from what i have heard)) also, do you have a silencer on it, or a new hose? if a new hose, does it have a kink from shipping? any restriction will make less air go through the pump , which in turn will pump lots more water.... if you have the old stuff, then i would put the old venturi and hose with no silencer on and see if it changes things. if so, then you know you have a air restriction and its just a matter of finding what its from. __________________ Its not just my tank, its OUR tank!!! :-) 240display, reef in progress Current Tank Info: 240 display, a few frags here and there. lots of fish, and lots of watching. (230 big screen getting re-sealed and going to add to the gallonage) My wife has no clue how addicted i really am.....

10/27/2011, 07:33 PM	#8
allsps40 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 4,627	Yeah for sure check to make sure it does not have a normal impeller, you need a needle wheel. Dumb question but need to ask. Are you running the skimmer with the water level all the way down? How deep is the skimmer in the water?? __________________ __________ Current Tank Info: Past reef tanks: 20H softy, 29G mixed reef, 55G mixed reef, 40B sps dominant mixed reef and 75G sps dominant mixed reef. No tank currently

10/26/2011, 06:27 AM	#3
JW65 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Catawissa, PA Posts: 124	I tried letting it run over night and I just checked it and it is still pumping out white foam like there is no tomorrow lol. Any other ideas? Also any idea why its not pulling air to start the bubbles?

10/27/2011, 04:36 PM	#5
JW65 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Catawissa, PA Posts: 124	anyone else have any suggestions?

10/27/2011, 04:39 PM	#6
JW65 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Catawissa, PA Posts: 124	lol I was in the middle of posting when I got a response. When you say venturi do you mean the piece on the intake of the pump that the air hose hooks too? If so I am using the one that came with the 5000. And it is defently the needle impeller.