need some help

I have a Seaclone Protein Skimmer 150 and it has been in the tank for 2 months. I have a gang valve to regulate the amount of air that the powerhead ingests.

I have been moving the amount of air that it gets with 1/2 turns of the gang valve but I have not been able to get anything other than evaporated water in the collection cup.

I cant be sure that my issue is too much water or too much air. I have started over where it was all the way open and over the course of a week or so restricted it to the point that there is no air hardly at all.

I am at a loss here. I know that other have mentioned that some modifications would be helpful (from cutting pipes to inserting air into the unit via an air pump).

As a test of the condition of the water going through the skimmer I also recently added a small amount of filter floss to the down spout to see what it would collect. After a week of it being attached (with a rubber band) it did collect a reasonable amount of brown--something Nothin solid the white pad I attached just turned brown. So there must be something that this unit should be catching and isnt.

I can not afford to go out and get a different one.. Any ideas

 

Hate to tell you this...I would sell it and get something else..They have a bad reputation