Skimmer is overflowing

D

David Gibson

Premium Member
With a new Mag5 in hand, I've put my EV-120 skimmer back into use. As of yesterday, bubbles would not even rise up into the neck. Today though, it's gone insane and even with the gate valve open all the way, bubbles continue to pour into the collection cup and overflow it in a matter of minutes.

Should I just let it overflow for a bit while it slimes up, or is there something I can do to adjust it. The skimmer is also sitting up on a stand to barely have the bottom of the output gate at the water's surface.
 
Yeah, let it overflow for now, or toss out any skimmate it dumps and replace it with more saltwater until it settles down.

The pump size is correct, and you have it set up correctly with the skimmer stand.
 
I let it overflow back into the sump overnight and this evening it seems to have settled down a good bit. It's back to having the bubbles barely coming up into the neck, so over the next few days I'll start dialing the gate valve down.

Thanks, Marc.
 
Well, it's been a week now and it's still a constant overflow. I put so much as a finger in the display tank and it dies down for a little while, but then goes back to really wet overflow. The skimmate is pretty much clear, so I don't think it's really pulling out much. There's been a time or two that I've fed the nassarius snails, so I know there should be something for it to pull out.

Is this a case where I just don't have much of a bioload (only snails in the tank for the past month), so it will take longer for the skimmer to break in?
 
You may need to talk to Jason Kim about this. By now, it should be broken in. http://www.proteinskimmer.com/

Maybe you are adding something to the tank that sets it off.

Chemiclean is known to do that. As is two-part putty for gluing down corals.
 
No additives, chemicals, putty or other foreign matter has gone into the tank. The only recent addition, aside from snails, was I pulled the CPR Bak-pak skimmer out of the sump and replaced it with the EV-120.

Now you've got me thinking that maybe something got on/in the skimmer while I was waiting for a pump for it? I don't use any cleaning chemicals near the shelf it was on (aquarium stuff only there), but I can't say that it's impossible.

I'll see what Jason Kim says.
 
Already got a response back from Steve Prince (now there's some customer service for ya!).

He pretty much confirmed that my bioload is so light that it is preventing a stable foam from forming. He suggested that I plug the JG fitting with some airline tube with a knot in one end, then close the air valve some until I could dial it down to a manageable level of foam.

I'm going to be hitting up Rift2Reef today for their big shipment, looking to get a pair of clowns for my first fish. Once they get out of QT in a month or so, we'll see if the skimmer behaves better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top