Lily pipe skimmer not skimming?

[mugsy]

Hi folks, iv just set up tank and lily pipe. The skimming part doesnt seem to be skimming the surface at all. The float just sits above the water line.Iv adjusted the bottom connection a couple different spots and still no luck. Am i doing something wrong?

 

[seedoubleyou]

Is the water high enough for the skimming head to be floating ?

 

[Tankless]

Is the filter intake flow strong enough for the skimmer to work?

 

[bazz]

I have to plop mine in from a few inches above the water the water surface after cleaning to probably displace a small amount of air allowing the intake to float slightly lower in the water.
It also should have an adjuster on the bottom to allow you to regulate the flow between the bottom intake and the top which is dependent on flow.
They do take a bit of fiddling to set up correctly but mine has now been running trouble free for 2 1/2 years and I wouldn't be without it.
Cheers!

 

[Mat H]

If you have an air trap under the skimmer section you may need to play around with the amount of air in there (syringe and a bit of air tubing), though I'd try the adjuster at the bottom first as mentioned by @bazz, it does take some fiddling but once you get used to it it's fine.

 

[mugsy]

Thanks for reply. What i did was wedge a small piece of sponge in between the skimmer pipe and the pipe it slots into to hold it in one place that skims water nicely. Worked a treat😀
Cheers

 

[LMuhlen]

Letting the skimmer top part floating freely is important for it to keep working even when the water level changes, like when water evaporates a bit.

If the flow rate is too low to slightly pull the floating part down a bit, I'd try to adjust the bottom part as people mentioned above. Restricting the flow from the lower entrance should force the top part to sink a little bit.

 

[seedoubleyou]

Just to point out. The OP has stated in their opening post that they’ve tried adjusting the flow via the bottom.

 

[mugsy]

Hi folks thanks for your suggestions. To be honest i think the problem is what tankless suggested. The flow isnt strong enough to pull it down. Iv tried adjust the bottom and iv also tried dropping it in to get rid of the air but it just keeps goung straight back up.
The little piece of sponge has done the job for now. I plan on upgrading the filter to bigger stronger one in a couple months.il keep an eye on it until then.


Thanks again👍👍👍