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Reefmack · 11-21-2008, 06:22 PM

Yes - the tube of the skimmer cup. That buildup will keep bubbles from getting up the tube into the cup. Also - look at the top of your big skimmer chamber - it is coated with a lot of brown deposit as well? That'll also cause the bubbles to break before even getting into the neck. It's a messy job, but I used to shut the skimmer off, take off the cup, pull the skimmer chamber up and try to wipe that deposit off as best I could with paper towels. I'd even pull the whole skimmer out at times (leaving the skimmer pump balanced on the back somewhere, and rinse the whole thing out in the sink. Then I'd get a teeny bit of skimmate in the cup, for a while. 4 tablespoons of skimmate in 2 months is practically nothing.

Also check your air hose to be sure the pump end isn't cracked. You might even want to pull it off and rinse it out (redseareef's comments) to be sure it's not obstructed.

I'd wait for the new surface skimmer to be released before replacing the skimmer - it just might fix the problem. Time will tell on that one.

11-21-2008, 06:22 PM	#12 (permalink)
Reefmack NaClH2O Addicted Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Posts: 5,862 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: expected skimmer output Yes - the tube of the skimmer cup. That buildup will keep bubbles from getting up the tube into the cup. Also - look at the top of your big skimmer chamber - it is coated with a lot of brown deposit as well? That'll also cause the bubbles to break before even getting into the neck. It's a messy job, but I used to shut the skimmer off, take off the cup, pull the skimmer chamber up and try to wipe that deposit off as best I could with paper towels. I'd even pull the whole skimmer out at times (leaving the skimmer pump balanced on the back somewhere, and rinse the whole thing out in the sink. Then I'd get a teeny bit of skimmate in the cup, for a while. 4 tablespoons of skimmate in 2 months is practically nothing. Also check your air hose to be sure the pump end isn't cracked. You might even want to pull it off and rinse it out (redseareef's comments) to be sure it's not obstructed. I'd wait for the new surface skimmer to be released before replacing the skimmer - it just might fix the problem. Time will tell on that one. __________________ aka Terry Excellence in reefkeeping is achieved by mastering the fundamentals, and learning from mistakes. No such thing as an evil crab. Only humans have the ability to be evil. "If you don't like what your fellow forum neighbors are doing, then don't pay so much attention to them" 34g Red Sea Max 130 (April 07), ~50-60 lbs. live rock, Aragonite substrate. Lighting: Current USA Outer Orbit Pro - 150W HQI, 2 x 24W Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent by ATI, 2 x 24W Super Actinic T5 HO Fluorescent by UVL, Vortech MP20, LifeReef RSM Siphon, EShopps RS-75 Sump, Euro-Reef custom sump skimmer, Simplicity media reactor, Tunze Osmolator ATO, ReefKeeper Lite L3 controller Reefmack's RSM 130 and...Red Sea Max Owners Club and My JBJ 6G in this thread[/color][/i]