skimmer is unreliable

[mike54784]

Having an issue with my skimmer. I have a 29 gallon display, with a 20 gallon sump. I have a 125 gallon coralife skimmer for this set up.

My temp is set for 76 degrees, but occasionally the temp gets hot outside (and therefore my house) and my overall system goes up to 78. The temp has not fluctuated from the 76 degrees lately since it has gotten colder out, and since the minimum temp of my heater is 76. I also check the temperature regularly just to verify that.

My skimmer has been running for several months, and the same issue has been happening. Occasionally my skimmer isn't producing much, and will be dry skimming. I will slowly collect waste, and after a few weeks of that, I will check the skimmer and it will be going crazy. Not that it is overflowing with waste, but with water. I will then turn the dial down, which I know controls the air tube inflow, and the water will go down. I will gradually turn the dial back again over a few days, and the bubbles will go back to the top of the skimmer slowly overflowing, I will stop turning it up, and it will go fine for a few weeks, maybe a month, but then out of nowhere I will check it, and again, it will be overflowing water like crazy.

There has to be something changing this, could it be changes in salinity level during water changes? occasionally I do water changes with, say a 10% water change with 1.022 water when the system water is 1.023, or vice versa. Only being a 10% water change I would think that the effect would be negligible.

[MidwesternTexan]

OK. Skimmers often need a fine adjustment from day to day.

Most skimmers do not have an air inlet control- some do though.
Most controls are for the outflow of water.- NO outflow- it overflows the top.
Too much water outflow- it doesn't skim enough.

Usually- pople run into the most problems when the air venturi begins to clog with salt residue. It's a very tiny hole to begin with.

I run stright ro/di down my air intake tube every week of so- which 'strips' the residue out of the venturi well.
Sometimes you have to take it apart and clean it physically.
Have you done any of those things?

The 'skim' will be influenced by alot of things- namely residues in the water, surfactants, etc. litle from putting you hand/arm in the water, etc.

Nearly all skimmers require some minute adjustments periodically.

HTH

[thegrun]

You are experiencing the old Coralife Simmer Blues, not much you can do about it except purchase a good skimmer.

[whosurcaddie]

Originally Posted by mike54784

I have a 125 gallon coralife skimmer

There's your problem. I would look for a more reliable skimmer. I would take a look a the Aquamaxx or Reef Octopus skimmers.

[mike54784]

Originally Posted by thegrun

You are experiencing the old Coralife Simmer Blues, not much you can do about it except purchase a good skimmer.

Yes, I do regret getting this skimmer. I also wish I had got something a little smaller that would fit in my sump better.

Originally Posted by MidwesternTexan

OK. Skimmers often need a fine adjustment from day to day.

Most skimmers do not have an air inlet control- some do though.
Most controls are for the outflow of water.- NO outflow- it overflows the top.
Too much water outflow- it doesn't skim enough.

Usually- pople run into the most problems when the air venturi begins to clog with salt residue. It's a very tiny hole to begin with.

I run stright ro/di down my air intake tube every week of so- which 'strips' the residue out of the venturi well.
Sometimes you have to take it apart and clean it physically.
Have you done any of those things?

The 'skim' will be influenced by alot of things- namely residues in the water, surfactants, etc. litle from putting you hand/arm in the water, etc.

Nearly all skimmers require some minute adjustments periodically.

HTH

Thank you MidwesternTexan, I usually clean out the collection cup, but not the air tube. My air inlet tube is actually quite long. I was having problems with a low PH, so I ran the air inlet tube along a long wall and out a window where I was hoping for higher O2 level concentrations. It actually has helped with the PH of my system, but I know that if the inlet is clogged the skimmer overflows out of the top. I have regularly checked the entrance of the air tube by the window to make that wasn't an issue, but hadn't thought that salt could clog the other end. I will clean it later today, and regularly from now on. Thanks again, and I hope that is the answer.

I realize that there are a few other issues such as significant that could cause this problem, but I was thinking that once something such as surfactants caused the system to start overflowing out of the system, the overflowed surfactant would be then out of the system and the problem would have fixed itself

[mike54784]

If only I knew the issues with this skimmer before purchasing

[geckoejon]

+1 on the skimmer being your issue...

my first tank was a 29 cube with a coralife skimmer. what a pita! i got rid of the entire setup because it was so hard to get at the skimmer to adjust and clean the airline weekly. i bought a 75g, ro skimmer, and was such a relief. lol

[mike54784]

Originally Posted by geckoejon

+1 on the skimmer being your issue...

my first tank was a 29 cube with a coralife skimmer. what a pita! i got rid of the entire setup because it was so hard to get at the skimmer to adjust and clean the airline weekly. i bought a 75g, ro skimmer, and was such a relief. lol

I've heard nothing but complaint now about the skimmer, but I'm wondering why their products have such issues? I mean the principle behind what a skimmer does is pretty much the same no matter the brand that makes them right?