BERLIN SKIMMER PROBLEM

[Lynski]

Help! My skimmer has stopped with the air bubbles in the tube. I'm assuming it is stopped up somewhere and that I need to unstop it. Could anyone please give me instructions on how to accomplish?

 

[nobby]

hi there,i suppose you have tried to adjust the small white screw halfway up the skimmer? id also blow into it to see if there is any salt thats built up inside it, berlin skimmers use a venturi at the base of the skimmer where thepipe goes in, the area there is quite small so i suppose thats where i would look for a physical blockage, you should have been given a small flat key to undo the venturi when you got the skimmer.
hope that helps
andy

 

[Lynski]

Is there anywhere out there where I can get something (schematic-wise) that can show me how to use the key for my venturi and take it apart to clean. The bubbles in the center tube are coming up big. They're not traveling back down like they should either. Am I making sense? Probably not - but I really do want to fix my blasted skimmer! Any help out there?

 

[cavediver]

Lynski,
What model is your Berlin. I have a Classic and could walk you through it if it would help you out?

John

 

[aquarist=broke]

Lynski,
What model is your Berlin. I have a Classic and could walk you through it if it would help you out?

Ditto to above. It says triple pass on the label.
Maybe I will stop it for a few and take some pix!!

 

[aquarist=broke]

here we go
1. Unscrew this to check and see if this is plugged.
2. Check to see if this little plastic square is still there.(bottom of clear inner tube)
3. Use the key to unscrew is part in here. The two slots are the grip for the key. Normally unscrew this piece. ya' know righty tighty, lefty loosey.
4. It's almost out...
5. This is what it looks like when removed.
6. In here, there is a small slit(sorry it's blurry) but you will see it. Its right where the Venturi sucks air into the skimmer.
7. Reassemble and check to see if it works.(and I pray that it will work now.)
P.S. I don't recommend you attempt this unless you absolutely feel confident that you will be able to take it apart or put it back together without breaking anything. I am only suggesting you try this.

 

[aquarist=broke]

here's 4-6

 

[Lynski]

I have a berlin classic. Sounds scary to take it apart. Frankly, I'm almost at the end of my rope w/ my tank. I have crabs! That I can't seem to catch and they're eating all my coraline algae (my LR is turning white). I've had a plastic bottle w/ chicken in the tank for the last couple of nights and no caught crabs. I have a tomato clown that beats up and eventually kills every other fish I buy. And now my skimmer's broke! Seriously thinking of selling - real serious when it's time to clean/do water change. Afterwards - it looks so pristine - I fall in love with it all over again. Oh, and did I mention that I think I have a bristle worm problem, as well? I believe I've been overfeeding the tank for the year and 1/2 that I've had it so these guys have really multiplied. Wonder what sort of price I could get... ;(

 

[aquarist=broke]

I can understand where you are coming from.....
There have been many(well not that many) nights where I was up until the wee hours in the morning doing stupid water changes. Not to mention when I look in there and somebody is missing(stupid powerhead). Just a couple of days ago, I found salt creep creeping up the front corner. Hopefully it isn't a leak, but a powerhead that was splashing water over the top. It always needs topoff water(almost a gallon a day). Then I have to feed the fish.... and the list goes on. But I really don't have that many things to do in a day anyway. I have grown accustomed to it. If I spend the night at my parents house(Christmas time and such), I cant sleep because there is no sound of water splashing over the overflow, no little giant pumping, and no (sucky)berlin skimmer skimming. If you do decide to get rid of everything, I would recommend at least keeping some of your reef in a smaller tank. Smaller tank does not equal less hassle, but with fewer animals some of your old equipment and hopefully a solid background in the basics of this hobby ya' cant go wrong.......
Does anybody agree?

 

[tazdevil]

Lynski, here's another recommendation, you may not like it though. Get rid of that skimmer. I had a berlin turbo classic, and the thing would never maintain its settings and achieve good skimming. I gave up on it, after about a year, and replaced it with a AquaC-ev120. After the initial break in, when it generated lots of heavy, wet, almost clear foam (about 2 weeks of that), it settled down and produces a nice brown/green skim. During those two weeks, I did have to add water constantly, however, it was akin to doing the required water changes, just easier in a way. I've heard good things about the Pm bullet 1's as well, not tried one, think they're basically the same operating technique. This also depeneds on tank size, and how much money your willing to spend on it (they're NOT cheap!).