Protein Skimming Question

[johnnroe]

We have a Coralife Super Skimmer (125) on our 90 gallon (actually it's in our sump). It was working great at first, but last week we treated our tank with Maracyn for 5 days (long story) and when we turned the skimmer back we get non stop microbubbles. We decided to shut it off while we found out what we are supposed to do. (This is our first tank and have had it since February- but there is info you can't find in the books :roll: )

 

[Ashlar]

Medications, epoxy, and other things can cause a skimmer to stop skimming, or overflow. Anything that has an effect on the surface tension of the water will make it go wonky. Are you running carbon to remove the medication, or are you doing water changes? Eventually it should clear up, but you may have to dial down your skimmer until that point.

My skimmer is so tetchy that if I put my hands in the water for more than a few seconds, the bubbles collapse. Same at feeding time.

 

[johnnroe]

We've never used carbon, we did a 20 gallon water change last week but it didn't really help. I've been reading alot of posts from members who always run carbon & have been wondering if we should also, but am unsure as to how it is used..

Suggestions???

Thx

 

[tnn1567]

@johnnroe wrote:

If you have a phosban reactor, you can run carbon through there.

Here is a link: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=TL4311

 

[Ashlar]

Well, the point is to remove the byproducts of the medication, so either will work. A lot of folks run carbon because they have corals that 'chemically war' with each other. Personally, I don't run carbon unless I have an emergency that I need to clean up (macro dying, urchins spawning, etc.) But then again, I have a community tank with not many SPS.

 

[DaveJ]

@johnnroe wrote:

Get a phosban reactor for $35 bucks and a small mini-jet and fill it up about half way with carbon and put it in the sump. Works well, provides active carbon usage and is easy to take out to change every couple of weeks. You'll want to run the carbon in a bucket at first to clear out the dust then put it in the sump.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=TL4311

There is a school of thought that carbon may increase the chances of HLLE, but I have no experience with that happening. My Hippo had HLLE about a year or two back but that was probably water conditions and the like after my RIO pump burn-up.... he's healed up and while he has the scars, has shown no more issues with it and I run it 24/7.