protein skimmer improperly working

[dss190]

Hi everybody,

Wanted to throw this out there and see if anyone can help me. My protein skimmer has not been functioning normally. It's been spewing a lot of micro bubbles, and the air/water mixture in the reaction chamber is very turbulent. I think it has something to do with the air intake, but wasn't 100% sure. I took the whole thing apart and nothing seems wrong. I don't have any salt clogging the air intake on the pump and the impeller isn't clogged. Also, the skimmer is an RLSS R6-I, just throwing that out there.

Does anyone have an idea of what is going on?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Dylan

 

[Reefing Madness]

New skimmer? Break in period?

 

[dss190]

No. I've had it for a while and all the sudden it started acting funny, not sure what's going on.

 

[Reefing Madness]

New additives to the water? New salt mix? Trouble shoot it. What have you done differently that you've not done in the last few weeks?
New food? Somethings different, especially if you've torn down the skimmer and found nothing wrong.

 

[dss190]

I had hooked up a CO2 scrubber to the air intake for about a month, but I had removed it and everything was fine to my knowledge. Then a couple of weeks ago it starting doing this and hasn't stopped. I thought it would go away but hasn't. That's why I thought maybe it was the air intake and see if people have had the same trouble. It seems like not enough air is getting into the skimmer.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea, salt creep in the air line will cause trouble, but you said you checked that out. So can't be that, right? Water level drop?

 

[Alabamareef]

Did you change the air intake tubing size when you put a scrubber on? May have something stuck in the pump also.

 

[dss190]

Yeah, I don't see anything that would cause clogging. No, It's still in the same amount of water. That's why it's so confusing to me, I haven't changed anything. I'm thinking to maybe give it a vinegar bath for a day or two just to see if there's something I'm missing, and maybe that will help. What do you think?

 

[dss190]

No, I looked down the tubing also, and it was fine. I checked the impeller, I didn't take the whole pump apart, but there was nothing clogging it.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Looked down the tubing? I always have to chew on the end to get the very lil bit that does collect to come out. Tough to see it sometimes if its a black tube. Other than that I have no idea.

 

[dss190]

It's a clear tube, but I'm gonna mess with it a little more and see. I'll try that as well since I don't have anything to lose. I do appreciate your input. Thanks.

 

[Alabamareef]

I'd give it a bath and see how that does