Skimmer ?

[redstang]

Has anyone had a skimmer work fine, then start creating tons of bubbles to the point you can't avoid overflowing the cup, and then go back to working fine again?

I have a Reef Octopus NWB-110. It worked very well for months. I did a chemi-clean treatment and left the skimmer off as instructed. Did a 40% water change, turned on the skimmer, and it started overflowing instantly. Waited 2 days and did another 40% water change. Same thing. Did 20% water changes twice a week for a month. Same thing. Finally just let the skimmer cup drain into a filter sock and let it run.

Tuesday night after feeding the fish, no water change, the skimmer started working just fine again. Before feeding it was still overflowing. Just crazy. I must have done at least 150gal in water changes though over a 4-5 week period before I gave up and just let the cup drain into a filter sock. I am happy that it's finally working properly again though!

 

[picoreefguy]

yea it happens with chemi clean. i just turn the skimmer down until the foam head is bearly in the neck of the skimmer and let it do its thing till it goes back to normal and re tune it. i bet what happened was that you removed enough of the chemi clean through water changes that the oils in the food were enough to counter act its effects on your skimmer

 

[picoreefguy]

although i can say ive never had the effects last as long and take as many water changes as you did to get back to normal. is it possible you overdosed the chemi clean?

 

[hiimsean]

I just add a drain tube to feed back into the tank. Mine did that about a week or so ago. Took a week of overflowing to level out and then it pulled a ton of junk.

 

[jdavid]

Carbon after chemiclean