Help with Aquamaxx Bullet 3

[AjayCray]

I just got this bad boy today and have been scratching my head for several hours this evening… I assembled the skimmer according to the instructions and got everything running. However it seems to blow so much air that it fills the cup up in seconds and overflows and starts dripping onto my floor. I have the cup on the highest setting. I can freely lift the contol up and down. I am using it on a 75g rimmed tank with a lip for a lid on it. Im not sure if i need to modify said lip or add a control valve to control the amount of air going into the system. I was hoping to find more information online or even assembly videos, but it is scarce and what is out there doesn’t cover the issues I’m having. I hope others in the community have some insight on this.

I’ve tried adding a spacer under the screw for height adjustment and the whole thing bubbles and overflows onto my floor. I had found an air valve splitter I had laying around and it seemed to help with controlling the bubbles and I got it where I liked it… but the overflow was more abundant and I had tons of microbubbles being pumped into the tank….

Please heeeellllpppppp!!!



Thanks in advance.

 

[vanguard]

Is this your first skimmer? It's pretty normal for them to take a week or two to break in and function well. For me, it's always been a new tank that doesn't really need skimming so I just let it overflow into the sump or AIO back.

I'm not sure how you handle this with a hang on the back skimmer. Hopefully somebody will have advice.

 

[Thizz]

Detach the airline from the pump side and lower the skimmer down as much as you can, wait a few days for it to build the film then attach the airline back to the pump. If you have a center brace on your tank you can always just run it from that and once its ready wipe it down and hang it on the back.

 

[AjayCray]

Is this your first skimmer? It's pretty normal for them to take a week or two to break in and function well. For me, it's always been a new tank that doesn't really need skimming so I just let it overflow into the sump or AIO back.

I'm not sure how you handle this with a hang on the back skimmer. Hopefully somebody will have advice.

Yes this is my first time... so pretty nooby at the process. Preciate your time!

 

[AjayCray]

Detach the airline from the pump side and lower the skimmer down as much as you can, wait a few days for it to build the film then attach the airline back to the pump. If you have a center brace on your tank you can always just run it from that and once its ready wipe it down and hang it on the back.

I'm not comfortable running it on the center brace. It would be pretty unsightly and I think the weight is something to consider. Anyway, I'll try keeping the airline detached from the silencer and have the open end in the water of the skimmer to allow the film to build up over the course of a few days. Hope that gets it to where I need it. The tank is 41 days old, so I'm not sure if that really plays any role in this.

 

[Dburr1014]

Can the water pump be turned down? Or choked?
You want the water without the air connected to be lower in the neck. Then you add air it will rise up but not go into the cup.

Edit: have you watched this video?
You have to control the water in the neck, lower water means lowering the bubble height. This skimmer you can tune this with the knob.

 

[AjayCray]

Can the water pump be turned down? Or choked?
You want the water without the air connected to be lower in the neck. Then you add air it will rise up but not go into the cup.

Edit: have you watched this video?
You have to control the water in the neck, lower water means lowering the bubble height. This skimmer you can tune this with the knob.

Yes, I've seen this video. However it over produces and over flows... the video makes it seem simple, but trust me it's way worse. I can record a video and try to post here shortly. Only thing that may be controlled is the air line if you place a control valve in line. I stated in the original post that I have the height as high as I can go and have even tried additional adjustments using other objects to make it higher.

 

[jackson6745]

Something is reacting with the foam. I have the same skimmer and will get a reaction like this when I change filter floss or run a new poly filter. Usually only lasts an hour or so. When the cup overflows the water falls back into the skimmer body. How is it getting on the floor? I would run a bunch of new carbon to remove whatever is causing the skimmer to freak out.

 

[Dburr1014]

I stated in the original post that I have the height as high as I can go and have even tried additional adjustments using other objects to make it higher.

I'm sorry, for clarification, the Skimmer is the highest?
Is there no way to adjust the water height to the lowest height? (other than raising the skimmer)

 

[AjayCray]

I uploaded a video to Google drive for anyone to view.

 

[AjayCray]

Something is reacting with the foam. I have the same skimmer and will get a reaction like this when I change filter floss or run a new poly filter. Usually only lasts an hour or so. When the cup overflows the water falls back into the skimmer body. How is it getting on the floor? I would run a bunch of new carbon to remove whatever is causing the skimmer to freak out.

It was rushing the cup and filling fast into the over flow and then onto the floor. Wish I had footage of it from last night but I do not. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[AjayCray]

I'm sorry, for clarification, the Skimmer is the highest?
Is there no way to adjust the water height to the lowest height? (other than raising the skimmer)

There is no other way to adjust water height other than the cup height adjustment screw. I have posted a video if you'd like to review.

 

[Dburr1014]

There is no other way to adjust water height other than the cup height adjustment screw. I have posted a video if you'd like to review.

Thanks.
Well, seems like you did everything. I would let it run for 24 hours and try again. It does need a film on the plastics.

 

[AjayCray]

Something is reacting with the foam. I have the same skimmer and will get a reaction like this when I change filter floss or run a new poly filter. Usually only lasts an hour or so. When the cup overflows the water falls back into the skimmer body. How is it getting on the floor? I would run a bunch of new carbon to remove whatever is causing the skimmer to freak out.

I just got this clip for ya.

 

[AjayCray]

Thanks.
Well, seems like you did everything. I would let it run for 24 hours and try again. It does need a film on the plastics.

I appreciate your help!

 

[jackson6745]

I just got this clip for ya.

I just got this clip for ya.

That’s not typical performance. Something making the skimmer freak out. If it doesn’t stop I would take it out and clean it down with vinegar or some natural cleaner. Maybe some production residue in the body?

 

[AjayCray]

So I have a few updates...

I cleaned everything out and let it run for a few days with the air hose in the water in the reservoir. A few hours a day I would let it run with an air control valve when I could monitor it and dump out some water. I was able to have a yellowish skimmate when I was controlling the air, but it was still really wet.
This method never truly got it working in a manner in which I thought it should.

I just finished a water change of roughly 30% and its reacting much better! It doesn't over fill the cup and I don't think anything has been pushed up and collected as of yet... anyway, the water in the neck is bubbling about 3/4 of the way up and I have the cup on the lowest setting I can put it in. I hope this is where I need to be. I can post a video if need be.

Thanks for all of y'alls suggestions and helping out! I truly appreciate it!

 

[nick t]

How the progress with your skimmer going? I just plugged mine in and I’m having the same issues.

 

[AjayCray]

How the progress with your skimmer going? I just plugged mine in and I’m having the same issues.

It took a couple weeks to work fine, but I had to keep an air valve in line to keep it from over skimming for those two weeks. Initially when I last posted I thought it was good, but alas, I had to intervene again. As of now it's fine. I just have the air line plugged up as normal, but it's in the highest position the cup will go. When I clean the cup it still works pretty fine. It over skims from time to time, but I just keep an eye on it.

 

[louminati]

I just purchased this skimmer and believe the solution is to install a ball valve onto the intake tube to control the amount of water entering the skimmer. I have the parts and will be testing it tonight. Idk how to post pics yet if you help me I can show you all.