Skimmer misbehaiving

[Shagsbeard]

I've gone from having my CSS 125 skimmer being a hang on the side, to a plumbed into the sump. As part of this change, I've used PVC for the return rather than the tube that the thing came with. I have the capped T joint with a hole in the cap that the modders suggest.

The skimmer worked fine as a hang on the side... I got lots of big icky bubbles. Now that it's plumbed into the sump all I'm getting is a fine white foam... no big bubbles are forming like they used to. The level of the bubbles is much more stable than they were in the hang on mode... good thing I think. There's about one foot of hose from the pump to the skimmer now, where as before there was less than an inch. The air outlet on the return was removed when I installed the PVC... do I need to find a way to fit that piece in?

[Shagsbeard]

24 hour update:

Still no skimmate from my skimmer and I'm thinking that the way I've plumbed it must be wrong... that or the new sump has mucked up the chemistry of the tank so bad that the skimmer isn't going to work for some time.

1) In modifying the CSS125 to PVC return... do I need that little air intake piece, or is plumbing PVC straight into the unit ok?

2) In increasing the length of the tube from the pump to the unit, do I need to lower the unit from water level to make up for the presure loss?

Edit: I really don't think that there are anywhere near as many bubbles being formed, and very little air is being "pushed" through the system. Any help would be appritiated.

Edit #2: Is it possible to use a slightly more powerful pump to make up for the head loss?

[2swift]

? 1 How do you get air to the unit?
? 2 Have you tried to reverse steps to make sure it is not the skimmer?

[Shagsbeard]

The pump of the Coralife Superskimmer 125 has a vent that allows air into the water at that stage. Air/water is pumped into the skimmer. I've noticed a drop in the ammount of air/water going through the system, so it's probably that the unit is installed too high above the surface of the water. I'm going to give it another 24 hours before lowering it a bit. The main problem with that is that the output will then have to be pushed up over the edge of the sump. I've been warned that that can cause back presure and really screw things up. The design is to have gravity pull the water out of the system.

Moving the CSS125 off the side of the tank was the entire reason I got the sump project started. It would be a true shame to have to put it back on the side.

[2swift]

Try it hanging in the sump that's what it's for.

[Shagsbeard]

There's not enough head room in the cabinet.

[2swift]

Just try it OE hanging of the sump if it works then there's a flaw in you design And it happens.
It's just a controlled test.

[2swift]

Ohhh.
Not any were off the back side?
remember ugly is only temporary.

[Shagsbeard]

It wasn't just "ugly" on the side, it was producing way too many bubbles for the bubble trap that it came with.

What are the symptoms of a skimmer that is set too high above the surface and too low? If I knew these I would have an idea as to what was going on.