Skimmer Help Please!!!

[BlazinNano]

Ok I got a new skimmer yesterday. Well actually it is old. Think it is an old SeaLife skimmer. Did not have a pump so I used my extra Gen-X 2400 needle wheel pump. Well it has been running for 24 hours and not much to show. It did get some foam. Not much. Nothing in the collection cup. What foam it made was nice and clear. Now this skimmer sends water into the skimmer and it makes it circle in the skimmer. Kinda like a whirlpool. Old skimmer just went straight in. Now a couple of questions as to why this thing is not running like my old one. Is it because it is still new? Because the water swirls in the skimmee? Pump to big? Crappy skimmer? Or can a tank be too clean that the skimmer will just not do much? Both skimmers where rated at about 125-150 gallons. I have a 46 gallon bowfront. The tank has 3 fish and that is it. I am trying the new skimmer because the old one just was not working as good as I thought it could.

Thanks for any input.

 

[skimmy]

is it this model??
Hang on Protein Skimmer, Impact Skimmer - Sealife Systems

that is an ancient design, not a very good skimmer to be sure, but should be producing something...
it doesnt sound like it was brand new, so shouldnt be taking too long to break in...
also, a gen x 2400 seems like it should be fine compared to the ca2200 pump they come with new. no offense, but both are kinda trashy and mediocre skimmer pumps.

if it was me, i'd prolly get a different skimmer...
you cant beat $195 for a SWC bmk 150
SWC150 BMK

 

[BlazinNano]

No that is not the skimmer. It is an insump. No adjustable output.

 

[skimmy]

that is an in sump skimmer...
it just has that in the title, along with the other skimmer models they offer.

so then, is that at least the same company and similar design??
here are the others they have that are similar:
Hang on Protein Skimmer, Impact Skimmer - Sealife Systems

or better yet, do you have a pic??

 

[BlazinNano]

Not the best pic from last night.

 

[kingfisherfleshy]

Id invest in a nice skimmer. For me its one of the most important things in a setup.

I love AquaC, have used lots of their skimmers, and got lots of others on them. I have switched many people over from more expensive skimmers to AquaC based on customer service, ease of use, and quality of skimmate. I think that for the price that they are darn near impossible to beat.

 

[skimmy]

well, that doesnt look too bad, better than the models on the website...

a couple of things...
first, give it a few more days to totally break in, it takes at least a week to get a good slime layer on ther skimmer interior...
i would try to take the elbow out of the pump inlet on the skimmer, and try to connect the pump straight into the body,
or at least with a straight pice of pvc instead of the elbow.
and I would go get a gate valve for that outlet, if you have ace hardware where you live, they have the cheapest gate valves(kbi brand), but even a ball valve will help.
you could cut the vertical pipe and just add it in line, unglued. you would have to adjust the pipe height to accomodate for the valve, of course. :)
you could always put a better pump on there too, the neck/reaction chamber size would determine which pump you should use, but i would try the suggestions i gave you first.

 

[BlazinNano]

Now if I cut the export tube down and added a gate value would that lower the water level in the skimmer or would closing the gate value a little raise the water level?

 

[skimmy]

it would, without the gate/ball valve, but the valve will allow you to adjust the water level higer than before.