reduced bubble production

[desewer]

hi guys, did an online search but could not come up with any hits.

i used a beckett skimmer from first day of setup of my 322 fowlr tank. after adjusting the air valve i managed to produce a large volume of fine bubbles which made the skimmer contents look like milk (i.e. almost whole water column was white).

after some time, i noticed that the bubble production fell. how do i know? because instead of white, the water column now looks grey and i can see the return plumbing inside the beckett skimmer.

i have tried to clean the air valve intake but this was only a temporary solution.

is this normal from a beckett skimmer (or in all skimmers) and what can i do to overcome this problem? if i keep adjusting the air valve i will only get larger bubbles which is not very good for skimming.

pls advise, any help is appreciated. thanks!

[tunicate]

Check skimmer pump to remove any stuck debris.

[xaine]

could be a possibility of the needle wheel not acting effectively with particles obstructing it, you might need to open up and take a look at it.

[desewer]

Skimmer pump is ok and not clogged, tks for the suggestion.

As for needle wheel, im not sure what it looks like will post a photo here once im home.

[Joe_P]

Skimmer pump is ok and not clogged, tks for the suggestion.

As for needle wheel, im not sure what it looks like will post a photo here once im home.

Try dismantling the beckett nozzle and clean the internals. If the internals are clogged with debris, performance of the skimmer will be compromised.

The nozzle should look something like this.

HTH

[CFOh]

Try dismantling the beckett nozzle and clean the internals. If the internals are clogged with debris, performance of the skimmer will be compromised.

The nozzle should look something like this.

HTH

Ya, I suggested dismantle the whole nozzle. Below show pics how the internal beckett nozzle look after dismantling further from Joe pics. Its happen to some reefer friends before when Bio-pellets filter bag break. The escapee just seized the pump and Nozzle.

Below another pics show one tiny snail shell went into nozzle resulted skimmer not working properly...

Other than that, Beckett is a very reliable skimmer Cheers...

[desewer]

Whoa! So that's what i'm supposed to do! Ok thanks a million! Today after work will attempt to dismantle the bugger...

[desewer]

ok done. i removed the parts as shown, and found some considerable sludge buildup. used a high pressure tap to spray off and clean the nozzle. voila! skimmer working like a charm again. lots of bubbles and lots of froth.

thanks for all the help guys!