I recently built Lawfish's DIY skimmer, and btw thanks for easy to follow instructions, but when I went to test it...it didn't produce many bubbles at all?....I used the via aqua 4900 with a ball valve on it...I made up a fresh batch of saltwater to test it in...maybe the water needs to be dirty?...I am lost... :(

I have a retail skimmer, but could you turn up/down your air control valve?

Bubbles will be prduced regardless of water quality. When water is dirty, waste will come to the top.

what strength (SG) was the seawater??? it wont bubble as much the fresher it gets??????????

I had used the ball valve to reduce the flow from the via aqua 4900 and used the gate valve to increase the amount of water in the chamber..

I am not sure what the SG was of the water...so I should go and check that....hummmmmm thanks...and the fresher the water the less likely it is to bubble...ok, thanks :)

yep exactly, for example there is hardly any bubbles at all in freshwater if you try a skimmer there, thats one reason why they dont work in FW.

Also, try cheking the venturi line for blockages

Freshly made saltwater will bubble, freshwater will very little.

Ahhhh ok, that makes sense...thanks guys...here I thought I was going to have to explain to the wife that I spent all that money on building a protein skimmer, instead of buying one ... :shock: ...thanks again