reef octopus bh100f issues

so just to let you know this is my first saltwater tank and also my first skimmer. i dont know too much about skimmers at all so any bit of knowledge helps. my skimmer has been acting funky lately its not spitting out alot of water, its been making gurgling noises, and the collection cup fills up with water within a day or two. i dont know whats going on please help!!!

 

one thing I have found is you really can't put anything in the last chamber of the skimmer. It will block the flow, and cause the water level to be too high in the middle section.

Check your airline tubes and silencers(thing on the end of the tube) make sure they aren't blocked.

 

I imagine it's been running for a few months? Every 3-6 months you have to take the motor out.

The inlet where the airline tube attaches to the motor, look in there. You'll notice it's clogged with salt. Soak it in some vinegar water and get a toothpick after it. Once it's clean, put it back together and you're off.

I have found, over trial and error, I can actually lean over my 55 gallon into the skimmer and remove and replace the motor without actually having to take the skimmer itself down. Once I figured that out, this maintenance got much easier.

That's my IME with it and those symptoms though.

My experience w/the third chamber has been opposite. I have always kept a big handful of LR rubble and my heater in that chamber.

I do agree with the tubes/silencer suggestion.

 

im kinda scared to take it apart ive never done so before. when i got it everything was assembled. is it going to be hard to put back together?

 

and its been about 9 months since ive had it up and running.

 

you can put stuff in there that allows for by pass a decent amount of bypass, I wouldn't recommend socks of carbon or phosban.

 

just take it off fill up the chambers with vinegar water mix. and let it soak over night, a few times turn on the pump so vinegar gets inside the pump.

after that rinse it out real good.

 

ok that sounds alot easier than taking it apart. i called one of the LFS today though and he said i could probably take it in and hell show me how to take it apart. i might just do that thanks for the help folks!