CSS 125 problems

[reeferRob]

I bought a used Coralife Super skimmer 125. I seems to work great, that is as long as I keep an air pump hooked up to the air inlet nipple on the pumps strainer. The pump works real good and pumps massive amounts of water, it just doesn't suck the air into the inlet tocreate bubbles witthout the air pump. One person told me to cut the hose the pump hangs from as short as possible, I did but still won't draw air on it's own. I checked the needle wheel and it is in new condition.

Any suggestions? I mean it's skimming fine I would just like to eliminate the air pump.


Thanks


Rob

[profntbtr]

what kind of pump are you using?

[reeferRob]

what kind of pump are you using?

It looks like the original NW pump, I'm only guessing since it was used. But as clean as this skimmer was when I got it I don't think it was too used.

[Rychek]

Have you cleaned out the air inlet nipple? I purchased a used CSS 65 and it didn't work correctly until I took the pump apart and cleaned the nipple out (I never tried connecting an air pump to it though). Once the salt creep was gone, it worked great.

[reeferRob]

yeah I ran a skewer through it, it was clean. The little silencer was clogged so I trashed that and just ran the hose up but nothing. Right now the chamber is FULL of bubbles, but if I discon the air pump it won't make bubbles. Craziest thing I ever seen. Pump has great flow I don't understand

[reeferRob]

I'm curious, my sedra pump has a venturi where the air inlet nipple is located I assume to speed up the water momentarily to draw in the air. This pumps inlt is straight, no venturi. I'm thinking maybe the original owner lost the venturi and just replaced it with a straight strainer, then couldn't get it to bubble, got frustrated, then sold it, to me. :)

Anyone have one they can look at?

EDIT: well I just looked at the one pictured on Drs Fosters and mine looks exactly the same so I guess that isn't it.


Thanks

[jessinator752]

is that the one you traded from me? if it is, it was only used for about 2-3 mo by the person i bought it from. i never used it, i bought the full set up and used the equipment i already had. they never had any livestock in the tank. they set up the tank, cycled it, then had to move so they sold the tank as it was.

[reeferRob]

yes that is the one. and I was pretty sure it wasn't too used. I just would like to figure out the air problem and get rid of this noisy air pump. This is starting to drive me crazy.

[txstateunivreefer]

i have had similar issues how far underwater is your pump i find the shallower your pump is the more bubble you will get. ive had the same issues but when my pump is shallow it works just fine.

[tony]

i had the same issues with my css65 when i first hooked it up. i just had to open valve up after the pump, then adjust my air intake and it worked fine after that

[Rychek]

yeah I ran a skewer through it, it was clean. The little silencer was clogged so I trashed that and just ran the hose up but nothing. Right now the chamber is FULL of bubbles, but if I discon the air pump it won't make bubbles. Craziest thing I ever seen. Pump has great flow I don't understand

So without the air pump it doesn't produce any bubbles at all? Are you sure it's sucking air (it should make quite a bit of noise if it is. Mine sounds almost like a toilet without the silencer)? It sounds like there is a defect of some sort with the intake. Strange.

[Richard]

How deep under the water is the pump? I have several CSS skimmers and I have them so the pump is no more than a few inches under the water, otherwise they won't draw air into the pump.

[Rychek]

I just tried hooking an airpump up to my CSS 65 and it completely killed it. The bubbles in the reaction chamber stopped and all of the air exited through the intake grill. My pump is a Rio 1100. Are venturi's unidirectional? Is the venturi on backwards (my venturi actually separates from the intake grill and the pump housing). Just a few thoughts.

[reeferRob]

Well the top of the pump is about 6" under water and the air inlet is about 6.5" under.I cut the hose about as short as I can, maybe I could get another inch, maybe. Other than that I don't see a way of getting it higher. Don't know what a dif it makes but I have no sump on this, the skimmer is HOB.

RYCHEK: No it is NOT sucking air, hence no bubbles.


Hmmm well I guess I'm stuck with the air pump til I or someone figuress this out.


Thanks for the replies.


Rob

[Rychek]

Just as a reference, this is what my air intake looks like:

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc246/Rychek426/Venturi-1.jpg

[reeferRob]

Cool thanks for the pic, not sure if the air tube extends down into the strainer like that, have to check - yup exactly the same. but I did notice when I removed the strainer to check it made a dif noise, so I tried to discon the air pump and intall the original tube - nothing, no bubbles what so ever, put the air pump back on it ad a skimming we will go

[caferacermike]

Yes Venturis are sensitive to being installed in only one direction. The idea is that the pressure passing through the smaller diameter will create a vacuum just behind the restricted orifice, this lowered atmosphere actually causes the higher pressure atmosphere outside the inlet to push it's way into the system due to the lowered atmospheric pressure inside the venturi. Remember in nature nothing "sucks". So you need the larger side of the bellmouth to face outward and the side with the venturi nipple closest to the pump. My ER skimmer's venturi may confuse you a bit with that description since the longer section faces the pump, but indeed the venturi is right behind the large bellmouth opening.

[caferacermike]

Rychek the side facing us in the pic would be the side that faces the pump. The other way round could actually force water out of the inlet.

[reeferRob]

hmmm well with that said, I just pulled out my venturi and it only goes on one way, it can't be turned around. But this is a used skimmer as said so who knows if it is even the right venturi. Also after removing mine it doesn't look like Rychek's at all. Well similar but different.


Rob

[Rychek]

Rychek the side facing us in the pic would be the side that faces the pump. The other way round could actually force water out of the inlet.

Correct, the view in the pic is that of the end that faces the impeller in the pump. I'm holding the venturi by the the intake grill. Also, I was wrong about my grill coming off of the venturi. Upon closer inspection (and attempted disassembly) it appears to be one piece and not two.

reeferrob: what brand is your pump? You mentioned a sedra pump in an earlier thread, but, as I understood it, the sedra did not come with the skimmer.

This is a boggling problem.

[reeferRob]

I really don't know, I looked for a brand name but there was none I culd see. I think someone else mentioned the Sedra although I do have a 5000 on my ASM skimmer.


Yeah this is really bugging me, I still believe 1 part or another is not OEM. It just won't draw any air down the tube, the water rises up the air tube nearly to tank water level

[jkhunter]

This might sound a little strange, but on my CSS The intake strainer has to be pushed in a certain way or mine won't draw air either. With the pump running, I have to play with the strainerpushing it in and tilting it some here and there. I don't know if it will help you, but for some reason the strainer has to be puttting pressure on the air intake. I can't explain it but for some reason it works for me. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of fiddling, but my air starts going eventually. Good luck!

[Rychek]

That sounds like a pain, but at least it works. Hopefully it will work for reeferRob.

[reeferRob]

That sounds like a pain, but at least it works. Hopefully it will work for reeferRob.


Well I don't know what I did but I took the pump apart AGAIN and found nothing wrong, so I put it back together and discon'd the air pump and WALA it's working!! In fact it is skimming better than with the pump.

Thanks all



Rob

[Rychek]

I'm glad to hear that! There are few things better than solving a problem, except maybe solving the problem and getting a boost in efficiency to boot. ;)