Protein Skimmer Problems...

sn4265 · 03/01/2011, 07:36 AM

Hey there all. I've been away from the forms for a few months now, but I'm back with a problem I hope you guys can help with. I have a PM175 protein skimmer that has been doing just fine for about 4 months or so. A couple of weeks ago it seems to have started acting up. I was running it for about a week between emptying the collection cup of some serious nastiness. Now however, I'll empty the cup and turn it back on and it may immediately flood the cup. If I dial it back and then creep back to the proper setting all seems well. The problem is that I'll keep an eye on it for an hour or so off and on and everything looks fine, then I'll check on it again an hour or a couple of hours later and the collection cup will be completely overflowed.

What in the world is up with this thing? Yesterday I had a day off from work and I spent a little time tearing the thing completely apart and attempting to clean it all up. This doesn't seem to have done any good as I caught it in apparently the mid flooding with the collection cup about a quarter full just an hour or so later. Could the pump be surging or something? When I cleaned it, I didn't touch the pump other than rinsing the detritus off the outside of the pump casing. Is there some kind of maintenance I could/should perform on the pump?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Uncle Salty 05 · 03/01/2011, 07:45 AM

It sounds like the air intake for the venturi is beginnig to clog.
Turn it of and clean the port that the airline is attached to. Sometimes this is very easy and other times it can be a hard calcium deposit that it will take a small clean drill bit to clear.
Do not use the drill bit in a drill just take it by hand and ream the hole out.
A little straight vinegar may help.
When this port is clogged you are pushing too much water and not enough air which will cause your skimmer to overflow. It is very common.

sn4265 · 03/01/2011, 08:01 AM

Hmm... That's very interesting. Hate to sound like an idiot, but DUH... Where exactly is this located? Are you talking about the little black thing on the free end of the air line, or is this in the pump housing? Anything else I should be aware of when cleaning this?

Uncle Salty 05 · 03/01/2011, 08:10 AM

That could possibly be it, but more than likely it is the other end of the airline where it attaches to the pump. This is where your water and air mix and the place where calcium is most likely to build up.
Just a good cleaning (being careful not to break it) should fix your problem.

tmz · 03/01/2011, 08:31 AM

You'll see a small pinhole where air is drawn in from the hose. I usually clean mine with a toothpick. If it is hard precipitant and you can remove the venturi from the skimmer a vinegar soak and rinse should work. Sometimes just putting the air intake hose into a cup of warm fresh water and letting it suck it through like a straw will clear it.

sn4265 · 03/01/2011, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmz

You'll see a small pinhole where air is drawn in from the hose. I usually clean mine with a toothpick. If it is hard precipitant and you can remove the venturi from the skimmer a vinegar soak and rinse should work. Sometimes just putting the air intake hose into a cup of warm fresh water and letting it suck it through like a straw will clear it.

Now that would be a nice easy solution that means I wouldn't have to even remove the skimmer from the sump yet again. I just know that I absolutely want to get my skimmer problem corrected as it is extremely annoying.

I'm also curious if my poor skimmer performance could be the reason that I lost a head on one of my frogspawns, and one of my leathers is looking rather pathetic. Think I'll start up another thread about the leather. I should really get a pic or two to post in that thread anyway.

tmz · 03/01/2011, 09:49 AM

Could be ,since the skimmer is not adding as much air as it did. How is the ph?

sn4265 · 03/01/2011, 10:45 AM

It's typically around 8.2. I'll test it tonight and update my profile.

Funny thing is that this is a newer addition to the tank. The other leather that I have looks great.

stingythingy45 · 03/01/2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn4265

It's typically around 8.2. I'll test it tonight and update my profile.

Funny thing is that this is a newer addition to the tank. The other leather that I have looks great.

How new?
Sometimes leathers will shed just from the stress of the move.

sn4265 · 03/01/2011, 12:08 PM

It was in the tank for a couple of weeks looking great before it pulled in and started to kind of shrivel. How long do these guys take to shed? It's been about 2 weeks now of it looking not so good.

stingythingy45 · 03/01/2011, 01:27 PM

How's your alk been?
Leathers are one of the first corals to show signs when alk is low.

tmz · 03/01/2011, 01:35 PM

See if the leather is mushy or has black spots. If so it could be necrotic tissue. If so you need to remove it and cut the diseased areas away. When dying or severely stressed they can give off lots of alelopathic toxins which could harm other corals. IME, the first corals to show distress at low alk are sps and lps.. Leathers use some for sclerites but less than stony corals in general since they don't lay out calcium carbonate skeltal mass.

sn4265 · 03/02/2011, 07:31 AM

Well... Thanks a lot for the advice on the venturi nozzle. I pulled this off and cleaned out what was basically a small stone in there. This seems to have resolved the problem. I'll know for certain after a few more days of consistent performance out of it.

Uncle Salty 05 · 03/02/2011, 07:38 AM

Glad you were able to resolve the problem.

sn4265 · 03/04/2011, 10:53 AM

Well... After a couple of days and a little more dialing in the protein skimmer again everything looks good. I'm now getting some nasty looking stuff in the collection cup again. I'm wondering if I should try and tweak it a bit to get a little more skimmate production? Any suggestions on that?

Uncle Salty 05 · 03/04/2011, 10:58 AM

If it is producing nasty stuff it is probably dialed in pretty good.
Trying for more skimmate would probably just have you skimming wetter.

03/01/2011, 07:36 AM	#1
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	Protein Skimmer Problems... Hey there all. I've been away from the forms for a few months now, but I'm back with a problem I hope you guys can help with. I have a PM175 protein skimmer that has been doing just fine for about 4 months or so. A couple of weeks ago it seems to have started acting up. I was running it for about a week between emptying the collection cup of some serious nastiness. Now however, I'll empty the cup and turn it back on and it may immediately flood the cup. If I dial it back and then creep back to the proper setting all seems well. The problem is that I'll keep an eye on it for an hour or so off and on and everything looks fine, then I'll check on it again an hour or a couple of hours later and the collection cup will be completely overflowed. What in the world is up with this thing? Yesterday I had a day off from work and I spent a little time tearing the thing completely apart and attempting to clean it all up. This doesn't seem to have done any good as I caught it in apparently the mid flooding with the collection cup about a quarter full just an hour or so later. Could the pump be surging or something? When I cleaned it, I didn't touch the pump other than rinsing the detritus off the outside of the pump casing. Is there some kind of maintenance I could/should perform on the pump? Thanks in advance for any advice. __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

03/01/2011, 07:45 AM	#2
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	It sounds like the air intake for the venturi is beginnig to clog. Turn it of and clean the port that the airline is attached to. Sometimes this is very easy and other times it can be a hard calcium deposit that it will take a small clean drill bit to clear. Do not use the drill bit in a drill just take it by hand and ream the hole out. A little straight vinegar may help. When this port is clogged you are pushing too much water and not enough air which will cause your skimmer to overflow. It is very common. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

03/01/2011, 08:01 AM	#3
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	Hmm... That's very interesting. Hate to sound like an idiot, but DUH... Where exactly is this located? Are you talking about the little black thing on the free end of the air line, or is this in the pump housing? Anything else I should be aware of when cleaning this? __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

03/01/2011, 08:10 AM	#4
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	That could possibly be it, but more than likely it is the other end of the airline where it attaches to the pump. This is where your water and air mix and the place where calcium is most likely to build up. Just a good cleaning (being careful not to break it) should fix your problem. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

03/01/2011, 08:31 AM	#5
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	You'll see a small pinhole where air is drawn in from the hose. I usually clean mine with a toothpick. If it is hard precipitant and you can remove the venturi from the skimmer a vinegar soak and rinse should work. Sometimes just putting the air intake hose into a cup of warm fresh water and letting it suck it through like a straw will clear it. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

03/01/2011, 09:49 AM	#7
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Could be ,since the skimmer is not adding as much air as it did. How is the ph? __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

03/01/2011, 10:45 AM	#8
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	It's typically around 8.2. I'll test it tonight and update my profile. Funny thing is that this is a newer addition to the tank. The other leather that I have looks great. __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

03/01/2011, 12:08 PM	#10
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	It was in the tank for a couple of weeks looking great before it pulled in and started to kind of shrivel. How long do these guys take to shed? It's been about 2 weeks now of it looking not so good. __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

03/01/2011, 01:27 PM	#11
stingythingy45 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: MA Posts: 3,296	How's your alk been? Leathers are one of the first corals to show signs when alk is low. __________________ Bob Current Tank Info: 90 gallon,mixed Reef,2-250 watt Optix 3 pendants(Phoenix 14K)2-54 watt T5 Super actnics ,ASM G-2 Gate/recirc mods,70 gal. basement sump,20L ref

03/01/2011, 01:35 PM	#12
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	See if the leather is mushy or has black spots. If so it could be necrotic tissue. If so you need to remove it and cut the diseased areas away. When dying or severely stressed they can give off lots of alelopathic toxins which could harm other corals. IME, the first corals to show distress at low alk are sps and lps.. Leathers use some for sclerites but less than stony corals in general since they don't lay out calcium carbonate skeltal mass. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

03/02/2011, 07:31 AM	#13
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	Well... Thanks a lot for the advice on the venturi nozzle. I pulled this off and cleaned out what was basically a small stone in there. This seems to have resolved the problem. I'll know for certain after a few more days of consistent performance out of it. __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

03/02/2011, 07:38 AM	#14
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	Glad you were able to resolve the problem. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

03/04/2011, 10:53 AM	#15
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	Well... After a couple of days and a little more dialing in the protein skimmer again everything looks good. I'm now getting some nasty looking stuff in the collection cup again. I'm wondering if I should try and tweak it a bit to get a little more skimmate production? Any suggestions on that? __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

03/04/2011, 10:58 AM	#16
Uncle Salty 05 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Florida Posts: 3,799	If it is producing nasty stuff it is probably dialed in pretty good. Trying for more skimmate would probably just have you skimming wetter. __________________ In all that I endure, of one thing I am sure. Knowledge and reason, change like the season. A jester's promenade. - Kerry Livgren Current Tank Info: 180 gal reef tank with dual attached refugiums 20 long and 10 gallon. Plus 55 gallon True Percula breeding tank.

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