I just did a 4.5 gallon water change in my 34 gallon tank. Immediately after turning the protein skimmer back on, it began foaming madly but producing only clear residue in the cup. It had been working great and was getting the dark colored stinky stuff out. Why after the water change?
Overactive Skimmer after Water Change
- Thread starter tyleratl
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The water level did not change. I have it at the same point as before. I tried not to stir up the substrate, but who knows.... maybe a little. I use DI water tested for 0 TDS before mixing with Red Sea Coral Pro salt and aging the mixed water for 24 hours with an airstone and heater.
i believe that with that type of skimmer it will require a fair bit of tinkering from time to time to dial it in. the reason i ask about water depth is that with your less high end skimmers a small change in the depth will really mess with your skimmmate. i had this issue with an old skimmer of mine until i purchased an auto top off system to ensure the water depth was always exactly the same.
there should also be a way to restrict the amount of water leaving the skimmer which will allow you to raise/lower the water in the reaction chamber. based on what you are describing i would let more water out of the chamber. i always take the air valves off of my skimmers as more air usually equals more/better foam.
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Did you add any additives when doing the water change? For example, some very viscous water conditioners will drive the skimmers crazy. Or how about a probiotic, like prodibio. Likewise with that.
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Im not familiar with that product, but that may have done it. How long did you mix your saltwater before adding it? I have found that sometimes saltwater that is not thoroughly mixed will also have this effect.
The salt was mixed for about 24 hours. However, I added the Red Sea Buff to the mix today. This product contains sodium bicarbonate, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and boron. Instructions recommend weekly use at a rate of 5 ml per 30 gallons done in conjunction with weekly 10% water changes.
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Well, I dont know if that would do it or not. I just know certain things drive a skimmer crazy. Maybe someone else can comment, or you can "test" it at a later point by adding some and watching your skimmer. Did you by chance clean your skimmer during the water change? That, too may have bumped the performance. At any rate, it will likely slow down, so just keep an eye on your salinity and water level.
