Help no(few) bubbles **Make/Model?** *Problem resolved*

Hey guys,

First, i apologize... i have no clue what brand/type skimmer i have. It was with the setup i purchased and has no markings on it... I'd snap some pics but it's not exactly easy to get out of the sump either. Anyhow, i had decent bubble rate on it initially. Unfortunately the Mag pump driving it died and i replaced it with a Rio 1700 rated at 620-640 gph at the 1' head or less that i'm using it at. Unfortunately since replacing the pump i've never gotten a decent amount of bubbles out of it. Could this be because the impeller is a straight normal impeller? Could i have under rated it? Any other ideas?

My system is a 75 gallon with a roughly 15-20g sump/refugium

 

It's certainly possible you could have gotten an underpowered pump for it. Do you have any information on your dead mag pump?

 

The other possibility that just popped to mind is that you may have reassembled something backwards in there.

 

If the previous pump was a fractionating impeller then you need a needle wheel for the new one.

 

that's what i was wondering myself... Unfortunately i don't think i have the old pump on hand anymore... I think it was a ~mag 7

Not sure if this helps at all but the air intake to the water flow is not located right at the pump like on other designs i've seen but internally within the skimmer itself...

I may just have to break down and rip the thing apart and pull it out to snap some pics... just hate to have to go through all that mess.

 

Pretty sure I'm ok on this front, it was working fairly well before the pump died. all i took off/disassembled was the pump itself so not much to mess up there...

 

i suppose i could hook up my return to it to see if a higher flow pump changes anything... think the return is a mag 12 if memory serves.

 

did you find the model type yet? get up some pics of it.

 

nope, guess i'll have to play around with it and snap some pics tonight when i'm doing my wc.

 

Ok, here's the pics...

Top down into the skimmer. That green a hose is the air inlet into the system. You'll see how it's routed as the pics come together...



The middle brace, collection cup connects to this. You'll see the green air hose connects to an outlet here on the cap which is where the air is pulled in from the outside.




Best view i could get of that internal assembly where the water comes in from the hose and the air is mixed in...




This pip on the right is the outlet. This has an adjustable height to dial in the water level of the skimmer itself. I also have a ball valve i can throw on this to aid in control of the water flow.



Skimmer in all its glory (or lack there of... )