Advise on skimmer

[schwastika]

Hi guys, i just bought a skimmer last nite...weipro 4011, but duno why when i check it in the morning ...its still the same ...no foam produced....could it be cos of the cheapo powerhead i bought????....the brand is boyu...and i also realise the bubbles produced doesn't seems very fine...i thank you in advance and would appreciate any advise given.

[hondaker]

4011??

new model?

please give ur pump's rated flow

[jervismun]

There could be other reasons too:

1) Normally protein skimmers require 2 to 3 days to kick-in before they can product nice nice foam

2) If your tank is very new... probably there is nothing much for the skimmer to skim

3) You might bought an incompatible pump/powerhead for the skimmer... check if there's any indication on the skimmer that indicates recommended pump rating

4) Pump/powerhead is one of the few equipments that will run 24/7. You will find most reefers here invest in good pumps (such as Aquabee, Eheim, Tunze, Aqua Medic, Iwaki & etc.) Good pumps will usually save electricity bill (lower in wattage), emit less heat (due to better quality and lower wattage) and will offer reliability in the long run... we are talking about a pump that can run without failure for 5 years and above

[schwastika]

There could be other reasons too:

1) Normally protein skimmers require 2 to 3 days to kick-in before they can product nice nice foam

2) If your tank is very new... probably there is nothing much for the skimmer to skim

3) You might bought an incompatible pump/powerhead for the skimmer... check if there's any indication on the skimmer that indicates recommended pump rating

4) Pump/powerhead is one of the few equipments that will run 24/7. You will find most reefers here invest in good pumps (such as Aquabee, Eheim, Tunze, Aqua Medic, Iwaki & etc.) Good pumps will usually save electricity bill (lower in wattage), emit less heat (due to better quality and lower wattage) and will offer reliability in the long run... we are talking about a pump that can run without failure for 5 years and above

Hmm...my tank is not new ....had been running for like nearly a year liao... i bought it at chinatown...the lady boss always recommend me cheapo stuff...lol....according to her, the flow rate is enuff..

But one thing i dont understand is ...how come those air driven cork skimmer can produce foam overnight and the venturi i just bought cannot produce anything..

can good pump really save electricity?...

[arcanehacker]

Can't be.. if you were to change your pump to an Eheim one with the recomended flow rate, I bet you will see a difference. Same flow rate but because different brand works differently. That boyu one might be under powered (overstated flowrate), cannot withstand little back pressure, etc..

[jun]

is dymax pump good quality??

[STORM TROPPER]

Hi Bro,

first check on the skimmer front which shows the specification on the amount of water it can skim and the pump spec requirement.

frm there do your own conversion of the pump required for the skimmer.

go to the SRC easy converter for the conversion.

i use weipro bfore it was 2011 & 2014 running both together but now with the schuran . i did a simple modification on weipro skimmers n it produced good foam.

if u can post a pic on the skimmer maybe i can help u out.

when i ran the schuran it didn"t took even 2 or 3 days bfore it produced foam but instead it produced within 6hrs of operation with skimmate collected

[angmoh]

i use weipro bfore it was 2011 & 2014 running both together but now with the schuran . i did a simple modification on weipro skimmers n it produced good foam.

if u can post a pic on the skimmer maybe i can help u out.

what r the modification u made to ur weipro ? i have one weipro 2012 , but seems like the foam produced is not up to my satisfaction ... any advise on enhancement ?

also, any recommended pumps for 2012 ? which is not high price ? budget about 50-100 SGD. thanks

[STORM TROPPER]

what r the modification u made to ur weipro ? i have one weipro 2012 , but seems like the foam produced is not up to my satisfaction ... any advise on enhancement ?

also, any recommended pumps for 2012 ? which is not high price ? budget about 50-100 SGD. thanks

ffirst of all tel me wat pump r u using n do u meet the spec for pump capacity for the skimmer.

thks.

[angmoh]

ffirst of all tel me wat pump r u using n do u meet the spec for pump capacity for the skimmer.

thks.

i'm using 3000l/hr rated pump, china brand to push my weipro.

[STORM TROPPER]

when i'm using the 2011 i drive it with a weipro pump rated at 1300l/h which actually the require spec for the pump to drive the skimmer is 900+ almost a 1000l/h.

and when i use 2014 i drive it with a weipro pump too rated at 2300/- max where actually the pump requirement for the skimmer at 2300+.

actually not exactly modification but i removed the adapter frm the inlet where the pump will attach to the skimmer (a black in colour like a reducer). if u were to look at the design of the adapter is that it is frm small inlet to big. it will tend to loose pressure n pump will have a back flow which is not so good for the pump coz it can't give its full capacity. it might not be able to meet the required pressure to really break up the waste.

give a try hope it works on your skimmer.

good luck.

[angmoh]

storm trooper i cant really get u .. meaning that u remove the air-inlet pipe, which is in white color 1 ? the one like a straw ?

[STORM TROPPER]

storm trooper i cant really get u .. meaning that u remove the air-inlet pipe, which is in white color 1 ? the one like a straw ?

ok let me see how can i put it to make it clear for u...

the transparent u bend bfore it reaches the air inlet frm the start of the u bend there's an adapter to connect to pump.

remove that adapter connect a hose that will link up between the skimmer to the pump and now you will have a full pump capacity pumping to your skimmer.

goodluck.

[angmoh]

ohhh i see, meaning that remove the bottleneck ? where there's a place it bcome a very small hole , somehow like a "V" shape rite?

but if this case, how can i get the air ?

[angmoh]

ok i'v roughly sketched it. is that wat u mean ? remove the thingy?

[STORM TROPPER]

Hi bro

i will pm u for my no n we talk better through the phone.

thks.