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  #1  
Old 11/04/2005, 02:47 PM
gflat65 gflat65 is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Montgomery, Al
Posts: 6,725
Troubleshooting surface skimmer

I have one of those little cheap surface skimmers on the nano at work that does not seem to be working properly. The crown actually has dried salt on the horizontal sections and no water appears to be moving through the crown. The filter is still running, so it is drawing water in from somewhere. it is not skimming the surface at all. I've taken it out and cleaned it, but to no avail. It has worked from time to time in the past, but I haven;t figured out what I did to make it work those times. Any ideas?

BTW, this is the type that hooks to the inlet piping of the filter so the filter draws through the surface skimmer into the filter, for those unfamiliar with what I am talking about.
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  #2  
Old 11/04/2005, 03:45 PM
phudeb phudeb is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: nashville
Posts: 394
Gary, try adjusting the suction for the bottom. The stick that sticks up out of the crown is actually a screw. As you turn that determines how much flow goes thru the bottom. If you get less flow thru the bottom, it will cause the crown to be suck down more and skim. see if that works. there are other tricks also.
  #3  
Old 11/04/2005, 06:03 PM
aquaman67 aquaman67 is offline
Me in Iraq
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Back from Iraq!
Posts: 6,326
Does it look like this?



If it does, do like phudeb said.

It tkaes in water from two places, at the top and the bottom.

You need to turn the rod until the clear part starts to sink. It may not be low enough in the water. Lowering it may help. I let the clear thing float about an inch above the black part.
  #4  
Old 11/04/2005, 06:06 PM
gflat65 gflat65 is offline
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Location: Montgomery, Al
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I had no idea it was adjustable... Thanks guys. I'll be in the office for a little while on Monday, so I'll give it a shot.
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  #5  
Old 11/04/2005, 07:03 PM
aquaman67 aquaman67 is offline
Me in Iraq
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Back from Iraq!
Posts: 6,326
Quote:
Originally posted by gflat65
I had no idea it was adjustable... Thanks guys. I'll be in the office for a little while on Monday, so I'll give it a shot.
Wow,

You're lucky it ever worked.

I'd take it out and clean it too.

You can unscrew the rod and clean out the slots on the bottom.

I adjust mine until you can see about 1/8 inch of the slits on the clear thing while looking at it from inside the tank.

Any more than that and it makes a sucking sound.

About once a week, rinsing off the clear thing helps it stay floating where you set it!
 


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