Coral Life Super Skimmer 65 ..another

GreenBabe5 · 05/14/2006, 01:40 AM

Ok so my skimmer has started to work, then not work....pulls nothing but white foam and does not adjust properly. I have everything set like the instructions say, been a couple days now and nada. worked earlier today great but then overflowed alot. and the major problem is whenever i touch the pinwheel adjustment valve the pump falls out ever time. And every time i restart the thing after cleaning it starts the non working process all over again. For those that have posted their issues with this skimmer, any solutions you came ot?

starseed · 05/15/2006, 12:27 AM

Well....

First you should run it with the valve 1/2 open for 1 or 2 days and the red flow knob fully open. This will let your water react to the skimmer.

Make sure it is all plugged in, set the valve at 1/2 open (if it falls out, plug it back in) and let it run for a day or two.

Then...

Turn the pinwheel valve open 100% (reconnect it if it falls out when adjusting it).

Then, start turning the red flow knob up so the bubbles break (top of the bubble) BELOW the cone/cup.

Leave it set there for anothe day. The next day, look and see where the bubble are breaking. Slowly (I mean slow and small movements), turn the red flow knob so the bubbles keep rising and breaking.

For dry skimming, the top of the bubbles will break about 1 inch or more below the top of the cup.

For wet skimming, the top bubbles will break right at the top of the cup, but without spilling over the edge.

It takes a little time to learn your coralife's "G" spot.

Once you set it, I would recommend turing it off by unplugging it when doing water changes or feedings so you don't have to mess with the knobs again.

I sometimes turn it off using the pinwheel valve since that setting if either off, 50% or 100% (I've never had the pump fall out though).

Be careful of feedings and epoxy - they will make your skimmer go crazy - I usually turn the pump valve to 50% after using epoxy or heavy target feeding - otherwise the skimmer floods - after a few hours you can tell when the skimmer settles and you can turn the valve back up at 100%.

The main knob I try NOT to touch is the red flow valve once I get it set

GMGQ · 05/15/2006, 01:41 AM

What's the "pinwheel adjustment valve"??

I thought the only adjustment available on the Coralife Super Skimmers was the red knob??

jer77 · 05/15/2006, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GMGQ
What's the "pinwheel adjustment valve"??

I thought the only adjustment available on the Coralife Super Skimmers was the red knob??

The pinweel adjustment valve is just the ball valve on the pump.

CSS skimmers seem to be very inconsistant between users, being there are so many threads on the subject. I too had problems with mine too. It is a CSS 65 gal version. It was on a 75 gal with a low bio-load before and it never seemed to make a good consistant foam. It was in a 20 gal sump in its own section being feed from the tank's overflow. It would always get going, but then it would overflow with water. I tried raising and lowering the skimmer in the water, and the same with the pump. I tried adjusting the ball valve and numerous settings on the red velve also. But nothing worked. So I got a new skimmer. I got an ASM G-2 skimmer, which is working now. It still has problems getting a good dry skimmate from this tank.

Assuming that it was just the tank I tried experimenting with the CSS on another tank. This time I put it on H.O.B. style on my frag tnak sump. There is also an aqua-c skimmer which works well when it has to. Well, when I put the CSS on the sump instantly it began gathering a dark green skimmate and not overflowing. I still have to turn off the skimmer to take the top off so bubbles and water don't flow out, because the adjustment valve doesn't lower the water that much. It seems as if the skimmer works much better if it H.O.B. It seems to stabilize much better. So its definately the tank though that made the difference. The CSS skimmer liked one tank, but didn't work at all in another.

melev · 05/15/2006, 04:36 AM

I really don't like the Coralife Super Skimmer line, but from messing around with a few, you MUST have the intake strainer seated properly to get the skimmer to operate correctly. If it isn't quite in far enough, and it doesn't have to be by much, the venturi doesn't operate properly. So make sure that part is absolutely positioned properly, and you're more likely to get semi-decent results.

jer77 · 05/15/2006, 04:51 AM

Thats definatly true. I don't know why they made it that way at all. The venturi should be built onto the pump or fit better like a sedra.

GMGQ · 05/15/2006, 09:53 AM

There's a ball valve on there? I"m asking because I have a CSS-125, and I dont see anything like that on around the pump or the intake plumbing.

Quote:

Originally posted by jer77
The pinweel adjustment valve is just the ball valve on the pump.

GreenBabe5 · 05/15/2006, 05:56 PM

I got it to work finally just tweaking here and there but with the pump falling out i bought some fake coral to put directly under it so it's stuck in place works fine now and i do see that when you use some concentrated foods or chems that it goes nuts so now i switch in ultra low nearly off so that it does not either skim everything or overflow all over my cat again, she saw water coming out and got all interested until brown goo fell on her.....needed to bath her head after that!

05/14/2006, 01:40 AM	#1
GreenBabe5 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: South Jersey Posts: 59	Coral Life Super Skimmer 65 ..another Ok so my skimmer has started to work, then not work....pulls nothing but white foam and does not adjust properly. I have everything set like the instructions say, been a couple days now and nada. worked earlier today great but then overflowed alot. and the major problem is whenever i touch the pinwheel adjustment valve the pump falls out ever time. And every time i restart the thing after cleaning it starts the non working process all over again. For those that have posted their issues with this skimmer, any solutions you came ot? __________________ Shop-o-holic Current Tank Info: NEW 54 gallow RR corner tank, going to start building the stand soon, will post DIY info and updates

05/15/2006, 04:51 AM	#6
jer77 Phish Lover Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,642	Thats definatly true. I don't know why they made it that way at all. The venturi should be built onto the pump or fit better like a sedra. __________________ - Jonny -, 120g 5 Year Old Reef w/ SPS, BTA, Zoos & some Softies. 40g Frag Tank. 40g Sump. Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 External Cone Skimmer. 250W Radiums. TaoTronics LED. PanWorld 200PS w/SQWD

05/15/2006, 05:56 PM	#8
GreenBabe5 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: South Jersey Posts: 59	I got it to work finally just tweaking here and there but with the pump falling out i bought some fake coral to put directly under it so it's stuck in place works fine now and i do see that when you use some concentrated foods or chems that it goes nuts so now i switch in ultra low nearly off so that it does not either skim everything or overflow all over my cat again, she saw water coming out and got all interested until brown goo fell on her.....needed to bath her head after that! __________________ Shop-o-holic Current Tank Info: NEW 54 gallow RR corner tank, going to start building the stand soon, will post DIY info and updates

05/15/2006, 12:27 AM	#2
starseed Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Francisco Posts: 275	Well.... First you should run it with the valve 1/2 open for 1 or 2 days and the red flow knob fully open. This will let your water react to the skimmer. Make sure it is all plugged in, set the valve at 1/2 open (if it falls out, plug it back in) and let it run for a day or two. Then... Turn the pinwheel valve open 100% (reconnect it if it falls out when adjusting it). Then, start turning the red flow knob up so the bubbles break (top of the bubble) BELOW the cone/cup. Leave it set there for anothe day. The next day, look and see where the bubble are breaking. Slowly (I mean slow and small movements), turn the red flow knob so the bubbles keep rising and breaking. For dry skimming, the top of the bubbles will break about 1 inch or more below the top of the cup. For wet skimming, the top bubbles will break right at the top of the cup, but without spilling over the edge. It takes a little time to learn your coralife's "G" spot. Once you set it, I would recommend turing it off by unplugging it when doing water changes or feedings so you don't have to mess with the knobs again. I sometimes turn it off using the pinwheel valve since that setting if either off, 50% or 100% (I've never had the pump fall out though). Be careful of feedings and epoxy - they will make your skimmer go crazy - I usually turn the pump valve to 50% after using epoxy or heavy target feeding - otherwise the skimmer floods - after a few hours you can tell when the skimmer settles and you can turn the valve back up at 100%. The main knob I try NOT to touch is the red flow valve once I get it set

05/15/2006, 01:41 AM	#3
GMGQ Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 491	What's the "pinwheel adjustment valve"?? I thought the only adjustment available on the Coralife Super Skimmers was the red knob??

05/15/2006, 04:36 AM	#5
melev Moved On Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ft Worth, Tx Posts: 43,217	I really don't like the Coralife Super Skimmer line, but from messing around with a few, you MUST have the intake strainer seated properly to get the skimmer to operate correctly. If it isn't quite in far enough, and it doesn't have to be by much, the venturi doesn't operate properly. So make sure that part is absolutely positioned properly, and you're more likely to get semi-decent results.