Why is my Regal 200EXT 8" Recirculating Protein Skimmer not working right?

[Andrew Schubert]

I've felt for some time my skimmer is not working right; as its performance is pathetic. It will take 3-4 months just to fill the lid once in my 250 gallon setup (meanwhile my phosphates are sitting at .60 and nitrates at 40 - despite also running algae scrubber). No matter what I do, I cannot get the thing to consistently created proper skimmate. Initial thought wasy, "ok" maybe I need a feed it more water and need a large intake pump; so now I'm using an Vectra L2 pump but seeing no difference.

What is happening is I have to almost completely close the skimmer ball valve all the way just to raise the water high enough that skimmate will EVER tumble over the top. Problem is once you close the ball valve to a certain point the skimmer pinwheel VarioS-4 DC pump will completely stop producing any kind of bubbles at all (which I also don't understand why that happens).

Thing is for the first 6 months I never remember seeing this problem and it worked just fine. In the past year I've had nothing but problems. Originally I thought, "ok" maybe tank is just too small for it (was running it on a 12), but now its on a 250gallon and still see the same problems.

 

[Bruttall]

Sounds like your Air Inlet tube is plugged up. Bubbles should only stop when you close the Air Muffler, not when you adjust the water regulation valve. Might be time to totally disassemble the unit and clean every part.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

Sounds like your Air Inlet tube is plugged up. Bubbles should only stop when you close the Air Muffler, not when you adjust the water regulation valve. Might be time to totally disassemble the unit and clean every part.

Air inlet is not plugged. I've taken the thing apart and cleaned it multiple times thinking it just needed a good cleaning. However, per your suggestion I took off the air hose all together; and one thing I noticed was that when I close the ball valve enough, instead of air being sucked through and into the pump, water was instead leaking out through the air intake.

So it almost seems like the "weight" of the extra water in the chamber when it gets to a certain point is too much ... causing the water to back fill through the pump instead.

 

[George's reef]

Air inlet is not plugged. I've taken the thing apart and cleaned it multiple times thinking it just needed a good cleaning. However, per your suggestion I took off the air hose all together; and one thing I noticed was that when I close the ball valve enough, instead of air being sucked through and into the pump, water was instead leaking out through the air intake.

So it almost seems like the "weight" of the extra water in the chamber when it gets to a certain point is too much ... causing the water to back fill through the pump instead.

where you able to fix this issue? I think I'm having the same problem.

 

[BeanAnimal]

What speed are you running the recirculating pump and have you cleaned it? The Regal EXT skimmer are some of the easiest to dial in, stablest skimmers that I have ever seen. I run a 150 EXT on my 75 display (50 gallon sump).

 

[George's reef]

What speed are you running the recirculating pump and have you cleaned it? The Regal EXT skimmer are some of the easiest to dial in, stablest skimmers that I have ever seen. I run a 150 EXT on my 75 display (50 gallon sump).

Im running the recirculating pump at a speed of 80%....the feed pump is a jebao 10000 that feeds a uv before feeding the Regal 170ext, that pump its currently running at 39%

 

[HighlandReef]

I don’t actually have this skimmer but run a octo SRO5000 ext. have a larger system.
It’s hard to say for sure without actually seeing what you have going on but it seems like you may have an issue with pushing enough water through the skimmer.
Is your feed pump adjustable?

 

[The Last Strider]

I have this same problem currently. I have a 250 ext. ran great initially for months no in order to get any skimate I have to raise the water level well above the neck of the skimmer. I cleaned the recirculating pump and pinwheel thoroughly but there is no difference. Po4 .1 and n03 is 21