Got an octopus HOB, need help

So I picked up the octopus hb-100 skimmer. It is not the internal pump one -- the pump is in the tank. I got it running and its making lots of bubbles it seems, but they aren't collecting in the cup. They just make it about 1/2 inch up the little tube in the cup, but it isn't skimming anything.

The tank is super clean, no fish in it. Could this be why it's not skimming? Or is it not sucking in enough air?

 

is your cup down far enough?

 

Yup its actually pushed down as far as it can possibly go.

It has only been running 24 hours, maybe it just needs to be broken in? I don't really understand what that means haha but yea. I was thinking of drilling the air inlet in the venturi a little bit bigger to allow more air? Would that be a bad idea?

Thank you all for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i would drill it. Keep playing with it, eventually im sure it will start skimming. Mine took nearly two days to start collection bubbles.

 

mine took a few days to really start working right... see sig for my exact model.

 

Alright so I have given it a few days and its still not making enough bubbles. Now it is doing something funny that has me worried. The airflow seems to oscilate. I can hear the tube suck in, then stop, suck in, then stop. Also, every 30 seconds or so a bit of water creeps up the tube from the venturi (about an inch or two). Is this a pump problem? Does it have to do with the water flow in my tank? The bubbles are barely making it an inch up the tube, not even close to producing skimmate. And the cup is all the way down. What gives?

 

Update

So the skimmer seems to be working now. It is pushing some gross stuff up to the top of the tube, and it seems like it is just on the verge of getting it out into the cup.

I changed the position of my koralia powerhead and now the skimmer doesn't oscilate anymore. Smooth air suction. Problems must have been due to the waves/current my powerhead was making.

I also think it wasn't skimming merely because there was no waste in the water. Now that I added my first 2 fish (yesterday) and fed them, we are in business! Who knew a skimmer couldn't skim clean water haha.

 

I have the bh-100f and it puts tons of micro bubbles in the tank. You also have to suck start the siphon do you have to do it with your model?

 

I have no micro bubbles at all actually. Just spits out big bubbles that float right to the top. I did however use the second foam/sponge thing that came with the skimmer, so I have 2 in there breaking down micro bubbles.

As for suck starting, I didn't have to. Mine is the one with the external filter, not sure about yours?

I'm siked that its working now! Almost tempted to overfeed my fishies just to watch the skimmate build up haha. kidding of course..

 

You dont actually have to suck start it. You can just connect the air intake tube to the part where you were connecting the part you are sucking on... it will suck it for you. Then just pop it out. Now, if I only knew that for the first 6 months i had this thing!!!


I get a lot of microbubbles with mine too. And the water level wont stay high enough to keep the internal pump submerged completely. Overall, I do not like this skimmer. But it works. So I am not going to replace it until I upgrade tanks and get an in sump skimmer.