Bubble magus 3.5 skimmer issues

[rockbender]

Hello everyone. I bought a bubble magus 3.5 about 3 weeks ago. Had been working awesome skimming like a beast on my 34g.
Now all of a sudden it fills with water in seconds. I tried adjusting it.

Pump is making a funny sound bubbles are big not small. I tried limiting the airflow didn't make a difference.
Any clues

 

[Surgical]

Have you tried taking it apart to see if there's anything in the pump or inlet? Try that. Make sure all the fittings are pressed in right. Clean the pump. Inspect it for sand getting in. Is there an air hose clogged or a hole in it?

 

[turbonut]

Hello everyone. I bought a bubble magus 3.5 about 3 weeks ago. Had been working awesome skimming like a beast on my 34g.
Now all of a sudden it fills with water in seconds. I tried adjusting it.

Pump is making a funny sound bubbles are big not small. I tried limiting the airflow didn't make a difference.
Any clues

Venturi is clogged , try running hot water thru airline. If that doesn't work you will have to remove pump and clean Venturi manually.

 

[gr1mm]

run the skimmer in a container using tank water or ro/di water and do a vinegar bath. run it for 2 hrs. take the pump apart and clean it using small brushes, make sure the airline is clear.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

Take the pump apart and clean it. also clean ur airline


Sent from my iPhone

 

[rockbender]

Trying that right now. Left this thing doing a vinegar bath for at least 3 hours now about to take apart and see what the hell is going on

 

[rockbender]

This thing is as clean as a whistle brushed it down anyways.
Only thing I did find was fitting on too of pump was really loose.
Tightened that up. Going to try again.

 

[Azul17]

Did you just place a new filter media? That happens to mine after I put a new chemi pure or if my sump has water higher than the recommended for that skimmer which I believe is something like 9 inches.

 

[rockbender]

Didn't replace sock filter nothing. Only maintenance done was day before I emptied out the cup. I went through this thing real good right now and discovered its leaking at the seam on the conical body towards the bottom.
Maybe that's what's throwing it off. I couldn't see the pressure leak in the sump but when I put it in the sink I found it. Water flows out pretty good.

I tried water level from 4" to 10"
Skimmer doesn't fill up with straight water it's foaming so fast at any setting the cup start to fill up quick.

So I'm going to take it back 10 when they open.

 

[turbonut]

Didn't replace sock filter nothing. Only maintenance done was day before I emptied out the cup. I went through this thing real good right now and discovered its leaking at the seam on the conical body towards the bottom.
Maybe that's what's throwing it off. I couldn't see the pressure leak in the sump but when I put it in the sink I found it. Water flows out pretty good.

I tried water level from 4" to 10"
Skimmer doesn't fill up with straight water it's foaming so fast at any setting the cup start to fill up quick.

So I'm going to take it back 10 when they open.

If nothing is plugged in the airline and there are no other restrictions then maybe something spawned in your tank causing your skimmer to go bonkers

 

[rockbender]

Got it figured out thanks for the help.
It turned out my buddy who works at a pet store showed me. He put the skimmer in his sump and it ran fine. Then he added the zooplankton about 12-15 minutes later it started foaming. He said its the chemicals supplement or something like that.
He said to shut off my return pump for 10-15 minutes when feeding corals. Then turn the return pump on and the skimmer 5-10 minutes later.

 

[Surgical]

Good, its just doing what its supposed to lol! When i first got my skimmer i was having the same issue, because it sucked up a bunch of skimmate then seemed to stop, so i thought it had stopped working. Turns out there was nothing left to skim out! You kinda had the opposite problem, but im glad it worked itself out for you.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

U probably have it skimming too wet. When I add food or anything to my tank, the water goes down in the skimmer a little bit and stops producing foam...after a few minutes it stars foaming again.

Try lowering the water level in the skimmer. My gfs dad has this skimmer, and its real finicky.


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