Protein Skimmer is making very loud noises.

I have a Juwel aquarium which is currently fitted with a Juwel skimmer.

for a year the skimmer had been working without issue. Then all of a sudden it started making 2 different intermittent noises.

The first noise sounded as if there was something jammed (clicking and rattling)

the second noise sounds like slow running water.

Both of these noises are intermittent and the skimmer appears to be working as it should do.

I'm fairly new to marine fish keeping and i am a bit skeptical about opening up the skimmer in case i cause further damage.

any help/suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks guys

 

The clicking and rattling usually means the pump is going bad. What you are hearing sounds like the impeller going out.

 

I would give it a really good cleaning before anything else. A lot of times debris can build up in the impeller housing over time which can make the pump noisier and sometimes less efficient.

 

thanks for your help guys.

i will try and clean it out now.

Wish me luck!

 

Buy a spare pump and impeller set, that can never be missed.
These things always go wrong at the most inoportune moments.

 

ah crap

Right so i have just attempted to open up and clean the skimmer but as it is an internal skimmer it wasn't really possible to open it. i did however, manage to remove the lid covering up all the internals. tried to remove the pump but it didn't want to move and i definitely didn't want to force it. at which point i gave up and reassembled the skimmer and put it back inside the tank.

when turning it on i was stunned to find out that the sounds had stopped and it was now making the slight hum that i am accustom to,

however since turning it on it doesn't seem to producing any bubbles whatsoever.

could this be because i've just turned it on after it being emptied. as i've read skimmer can take a few days to take effect. Or is it more likely that ive screwed something up when trying to remove the pump?

thanks guys

 

You can also clean it by running the entire thing in bleach or vinegar water. It sounds like you dislodged something from the impeller area and got something jammed in the air intake in the process. Can you post a picture of the skimmer?

 

yeah so i think i've broken it

i believe i can hear the impeller working but i've done something to the pump

i've put it back in the tank so i have also attached a pic from google so you can see what i'm working with.

Thanks

 

so i think its about time i replace the skimmer as i don't see myself being able to repair it
and of course i want to run my tank for as little time as possible without a skimmer.

i am considering upgrading to the Hydor Slim Skim Protein Skimmer 240.65

i have a 180L medium stocked tank
and this skimmer can handle upto 250L heavy stock as i have been lead to believe.

Has anyone had any experience with this skimmer
would there be something better for similar money (£130)

thanks guys

 

What makes you sure you have broken it?
Is it still pumping water, just no bubbles?
If its pumping water but no bubbles, try blowing through the intake tube for the bubbles. If you cant reach it try using a straw to blow into it.
If all you did was remove the cover and put it back on, and now no bubbles, it sounds(as pointed out earlier) that you have dislodged something in the pump that's blocking the air intake.