Fluffeh Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I thought I had everything worked out with this skimmer as it was producing really good foam for about 2-3 weeks. It pulled out stuff that looked BLACK so it was really doing good. However, I came home from work a couple days ago and looked at the skimmer and noticed no foam or anything was being produced for the first time in a few weeks? I spent that night messing with it to try to get it to foam again, or at least work somewhat like it was before, and no luck. I decided to set it and leave it alone, it's 2 days later and nothing is happening still. What would cause this skimmer to completely stop working for no reason? I was at work and no one had touched the tank at all, it just simply stopped producing skimmate (or ANY foam for that matter) - it just BUBBLES like crazy. Typically it would foam up within a couple of minutes after dialing it in. I'm going to have to remove the skimmer now and open it up to see if something happened inside. I swear this skimmer is the biggest PITA ever. Also - some people say that if you open up the air valve all the way, you should have a cup full of water. However, I tried this and there is absolutely no way I'd get a cup full. In fact, I dont think bubbles would even go about an inch up the funnel in the collection cup. WTH Link to comment
d0lph1n Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Clean the air hose and the air valve and check the user manual for more suggestions. Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Check your water height. Might need to top it off. The water height has to be about perfect for it to work consistently. There is the wavy line on the side. You might also want to do the airline mod. Makes it a lot easier to tune. There's a video on YouTube. Link to comment
Fluffeh Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 water height is always constant with the ATO. this is just baffling to me. i was planning on cleaning out the unit tonight to get it to work again, and by the time i get home its working again. i dont understand why it does this. i didnt even do anything but its foaming like crazy again... Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Maybe something plugged the line then cleared. Did you do the airline mod? Link to comment
Edelmango Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Take it apart. Take out the small, plastic elbow where the airline goes into the pump and clean it out. It can get caked with salt. Put it back together and see if it is better. AND....do the mod. It makes it much easier to adjust the air. Link to comment
basser1 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Fluffeh..... I have noticed with my 9002 skimmer, that there are times when it doesn't foam as much. For example, after I've fed the fish, especially mysis shrimp. Or when I stick my hands in the tank. I think it has to do with the oils or something like that. Link to comment
convict2161 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Do the air line upgrade you won't regret it!! http://s443.photobucket.com/albums/qq154/h...p4&newest=1 Link to comment
convict2161 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 And get this valve. x1000000 on the valve. Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I had the little blue one. It worked but was hard to adjust and it hissed super loud. This thing is silent the knob is super smooth and the bracket fits perfectly on the chamber wall of my BC29. I swear it produces better bubbles now. Link to comment
convict2161 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I had the little blue one. It worked but was hard to adjust and it hissed super loud. This thing is silent the knob is super smooth and the bracket fits perfectly on the chamber wall of my BC29. I swear it produces better bubbles now. Agreed!!! Link to comment
RustyRocket Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I agree with basser, I also found changing large amount of water also stops it. For a while I do aa full clean of the collection cup everytime i empty it, n found this also reduce foaming, especially around the neck. Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 This is how i have it mounted in my BC29. i swapped the black rubber knob with the intake male so the male would be next to the power cord of my Tunze. hope this helps. Link to comment
Spirofucci Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I did the air line mod as well, but to be honest, I'm not super happy with my 9002 either. Link to comment
Fluffeh Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 I did the air line mod as well, but to be honest, I'm not super happy with my 9002 either. did the air line mod help performance? this skimmer is pretty worthless a lot of the time for me, as it stops working throughout the day... as if it has a mind of its own. at this point, if this skimmer does have a mind of its own, it just wants to piss me off im going to be doing the airline mod next week and hopefully see it work Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 The airline mod isn't going to make it work. It just makes it easier to tune. You still have to get it tuned properly. Correct water height and correct amount if air flow. In still messing with what the optimal bubble height is for me. I get a lot of dry bubbles overflowing and probably a 1/4-1/2" of tea colored skimmate a day. I don't get the super dark brown stuff guys get with the large cone skimmers. It might also be that my water isnt that dirty or my bioload isn't that great. When I clean my glass or stir up the sand I really notice a bunch of brown bits and darker skimmate collect in the cup. Link to comment
d0lph1n Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I'll do the airline mod too. I have a hard time dealing with the hissing noise and also adjusting the bubble column bcz of my custom skimmate collector but since I have only a 3 dendrophylia heads and few filter feeders per 16 gal, it's probably nothing left to skim. Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 before i put that accuair valve, i could hear the hissing across the room. now its silent. and super easy to make tiny adjustments. Link to comment
camry90 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 This thread is keepIng me away from 9002... What other good alternative to it? I just need a small in-sump skimmer Link to comment
Spirofucci Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 did the air line mod help performance? this skimmer is pretty worthless a lot of the time for me, as it stops working throughout the day... as if it has a mind of its own. at this point, if this skimmer does have a mind of its own, it just wants to piss me off im going to be doing the airline mod next week and hopefully see it work It did help with performance because the stock air line tubing is kinda shoved in there causing the top and or bottom to pop off or the tubing itself to dislodge. I think the main problem with mine at least is that it seems very sensitive to the water level. A change in a 1/4" will throw it off. Although I have an ATO the water level can vary as much as 3/4 to almost 1". The air line mod is still worth it. Link to comment
Lawnman Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I did the air line mod as well, but to be honest, I'm not super happy with my 9002 either. I here you on this one. But it is the best if you want a skimmer to fit in the back chambers. Really sad but true to say. That is why I upgraded to a sump I was tired of all the small crap nano equipment. Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 This thread is keepIng me away from 9002... What other good alternative to it? I just need a small in-sump skimmer from what i read this is the best skimmer for its size. it is pretty good. hardest thing for me was to set it and forget it. i would check it every ten minutes and it was driving me crazy. once i set it and left it alone, it works great. Link to comment
d0lph1n Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I forgot I had a maxijet venturi kit. I'll give it try in the next hour. Link to comment
Singlefin Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I here you on this one. But it is the best if you want a skimmer to fit in the back chambers. Really sad but true to say. That is why I upgraded to a sump I was tired of all the small crap nano equipment. i hear you. I'm piecing together a 40b. wife's going to be pissed. she still wants to keep the BC29. Link to comment
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