ASM G3

[discretekarma]

I just got my first real skimmer today and don't know how to use it. I was told that all I really had to do was plug it in. I did that and there is foam just pouring out of the top. The cup filled up in about a minute and has stayed full. Do I just have to wait a few days or should I be adjusting something. There is a shaft on the side that slides up and down.. Not sure what it's called. Should I adjust that? Thanks.

 

Edited September 9, 2007 by discretekarma

[davelin315]

It controls the water level in your skimmer body which in turns effects how much the skimmer "overflows". Adjust it down and then slowly move it up until you get the bubbles in the skimmer cup about 1/2 way up the neck. I would recommend the gate valve modification as this will reduce the amount of splashing you have.

[discretekarma]

When I have it all the way down, the entire neck is full of bubbles and since the cup stays full of water, the bubbles just pour over the sides. When I try to lift the tube, the bubbles just pour out faster.

 

 

 

It controls the water level in your skimmer body which in turns effects how much the skimmer "overflows". Adjust it down and then slowly move it up until you get the bubbles in the skimmer cup about 1/2 way up the neck. I would recommend the gate valve modification as this will reduce the amount of splashing you have.

Edited September 9, 2007 by discretekarma

[discretekarma]

Here are pictures of what I'm getting with the tube all the way down. When I raise the tube it only makes more bubbles pour out faster.

 

 

[jnguyen4007]

WOW. I don't think it's supposed to do that.

[discretekarma]

So what should I do to fix it?

 

WOW. I don't think it's supposed to do that.

[jamesbuf]

Does the skimmer have the recirc mod?? If it does, you might want to use a smaller feed pump.

 

If the skimmer has no mods, you might try to lower the water level in your sump. Since you haven't had a real skimmer on that tank since you set it up, there might be alot of dissolved organic material making it foam so much.

[Rascal]

So what should I do to fix it?

 

If the tube is all the way down and it is still overflowing, you have what is called a "skimmer going crazy". Many things can cause this, but it is almost always a temporary condition.

 

Did your rinse the skimmer out before adding it to your tank? If not, maybe there was something on it which is causing the overproduction of foam.

 

What skimmer were you running prior to this one? It's a long shot, but it is possible your water is just so full of dissolved organics (i.e. - stuff that needs to be skimmed) that your skimmer is overwhelmed. Like I said, this is a long shot.

 

Whatever the cause, your question is how to fix it. One way is to restrict either the water or air entering the skimmer. The easiest thing to do is stick an airline valve on the air tube feeding the venturi, and turn it down until the foam production becomes manageable.

 

Here's what I have done though: just keep draining the collection cup until it stops. This is a lot of work and requires that you keep adding fresh saltwater. The way I figure it, though, there is something in that foam that shouldn't be in your tank, so you might as well get rid of it during what amounts to a targeted water change.

 

Once you get the crazy foam production under control, then we can talk about doing the recirc and gate valve mods.

Edited September 10, 2007 by Rascal

[discretekarma]

James, I don't know of any mods it has but I probably wouldn't recognize it if I saw it.

 

Rascal, I didn't rinse the skimmer before I put it in. I guess I was excited and jumped the gun. I used my dad's Sea Clone skimmer. Cheap hang on the back skimmer. I only used it for a few days though before I bought this one today.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll keep you posted on the progress and let you know when it settles down so you can walk me through the mods.

 

Thanks again.

 

Scott

 

If the tube is all the way down and it is still overflowing, you have what is called a "skimmer going crazy". Many things can cause this, but it is almost always a temporary condition.

 

Did your rinse the skimmer out before adding it to your tank? If not, maybe there was something on it which is causing the overproduction of foam.

 

What skimmer were you running prior to this one? It's a long shot, but it is possible your water is just so full of dissolved organics (i.e. - stuff that needs to be skimmed) that your skimmer is overwhelmed. Like I said, this is a long shot.

 

Whatever the cause, your question is how to fix it. One way is to restrict either the water or air entering the skimmer. The easiest thing to do is stick an airline valve on the air tube feeding the venturi, and turn it down until the foam production becomes manageable.

 

Here's what I have done though: just keep draining the collection cup until it stops. This is a lot of work and requires that you keep adding fresh saltwater. The way I figure it, though, there is something in that foam that shouldn't be in your tank, so you might as well get rid of it during what amounts to a targeted water change.

 

Once you get the crazy foam production under control, then we can talk about doing the recirc and gate valve mods.

[discretekarma]

I took the valve off my dad's skimmer and put it on mine and adjusted it so that the rate was managable. I guess I'll gradually open the valve until it can come off. Right?

 

Thanks for everyone's fast responses and help.

[JMsAquarium]

If you got it brand new, then this is absolutely normal. Skimmers need a break in period during which you are better off running them out of your system. Put it in a bucke or vat or any container in which it fits , along with salt water. Let it run as is for a few days until it stops producing all this foam. What happens is that there are some kind of oily things that covers the acrylic and thus the skimmer needs to purge and clean itself before it becomes efficient.

[ReeferMan]

You can take a small amount of cooking oil and rub it around the neck to make the bubbles collapse until whatever is causing it to overflow goes away. This happens with mine sometimes. Anytime i add something new without rinsing or even after i have just washed my hands and put them in the tank. Key is to keep skimming without it overflowing, which helps making whatever is causing it go away faster.

[davelin315]

How much is coming out of the exit pipe? Maybe it's clogged. It's normal to have overproduction of bubbles, but yours is a bit extreme. I have never had a skimmer do that much.

[discretekarma]

I took the air valve off my dad's skimmer and put it on to my G3 and now it's working fine. I'll just have to slowly let more air in until I can take it off.

[discretekarma]

Adjusting the air seemed to be working but after a few days of trying to adjust that, it is back to being crazy. One thing I found out from Aquarium 1 is that the AquaSafe I was using to treat the water has a slime coat that makes skimmers go crazy. I have now started using Prime by SeaChem which claims to not do this. Anyways my skimmer is still going crazy. Is it defective? Can anyone help me get this thing working...please.

 

I bought the skimmer used so it shouldn't be a breaking in issue. Also, the output seems pretty strong from the out tube so I don't think it's clogged.

Edited September 22, 2007 by discretekarma

[jamesbuf]

You should really try to stop using any of those chemicals in your tank. What are you using the prime for? To treat tap water? If so, save your money up and get an RO/DI filter. You'll thank yourself in the long run. The G3 is a pretty good skimmer, so its gotta be the chemicals you're adding that is throwing things out of kilter. Those products will throw off any skimmer, not just the ASMs.

[dschflier]

I wish I would have seen this post earlier. One thing I would try first is to raise the skimmer higher in the sump. This should help. If you have the room above the sump to do this. Just build a stand out of PVC and something like egg crate. I would take the valve off and try this.

[discretekarma]

I don't think I have the clearance to put it too high but I think I could put it about 4-6 inches higher. I have a clearance issue but I think I can only raise it a few inches and still have the pump in the water. What is the valve you are talking about taking out?

 

James,

I use the chemicals instead of RO/DI. I should be getting Bemmers RO/DI next week and will be hooking that up. I would like to have it fill up a kitchen size trash can in my laundry and then have some sort of mag pump in the trash can with a tube ran to the tank. I can just plug the mag in when I want to top off. About 5 gallons a day. The Prime does say on the back that it won't make skimmers over produce but mine still is. I wonder if there is still the heavy slime coat from when I used the aqua safe.

 

 

Thanks

 

I wish I would have seen this post earlier. One thing I would try first is to raise the skimmer higher in the sump. This should help. If you have the room above the sump to do this. Just build a stand out of PVC and something like egg crate. I would take the valve off and try this.

Edited September 23, 2007 by discretekarma

[discretekarma]

I'll be getting and TRYING to set up my RO/DI in a few weeks. I guess I'll wait till then to ask for skimmer help since that keeps coming up.

[Rascal]

I'll be getting and TRYING to set up my RO/DI in a few weeks. I guess I'll wait till then to ask for skimmer help since that keeps coming up.

 

 

In the meantime, you could buy distilled water or better yet, ro/di water from a LFS if possible.

 

Use your skimmer to do water changes.

 

This is what I mean: either install a drain line or just run some airline tubing from your collection cup to a bucket. Let the skimmer run -- unrestricted. As the cup fills up, drain it by siphoning with the airline or using the drain line. If your skimmer is really "going crazy", you will quickly take out a lot of water this way. Replace it with good quality fresh saltwater. When you've exhausted your supply of fresh saltwater, put the air valve back on the skimmer to get it to stop overflowing. Mix up a new batch of saltwater and repeat a day or so later.

 

This is very time and labor intensive, but from your posts it seems to me that there is something in your water which your skimmer doesn't want in it. Whatever this is, it will either need to be metabolized or removed. The best way to remove it is through targeted water changes using your skimmer.

[discretekarma]

I've seen skimmers with drain lines coming from the cup. Is it safe to slowly drill a hole in the bottom of my cup and run a line from it to a bucket or is it better to siphon. Either way I will start that ASAP. If I drill, do you have a recomendation as to what I should install in the hole that I drill as a "bulkhead" for the drain?

 

Thanks so much for the advice.

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, you could buy distilled water or better yet, ro/di water from a LFS if possible.

 

Use your skimmer to do water changes.

 

This is what I mean: either install a drain line or just run some airline tubing from your collection cup to a bucket. Let the skimmer run -- unrestricted. As the cup fills up, drain it by siphoning with the airline or using the drain line. If your skimmer is really "going crazy", you will quickly take out a lot of water this way. Replace it with good quality fresh saltwater. When you've exhausted your supply of fresh saltwater, put the air valve back on the skimmer to get it to stop overflowing. Mix up a new batch of saltwater and repeat a day or so later.

 

This is very time and labor intensive, but from your posts it seems to me that there is something in your water which your skimmer doesn't want in it. Whatever this is, it will either need to be metabolized or removed. The best way to remove it is through targeted water changes using your skimmer.

[jamesbuf]

Eventually I would also consider doing the recirc mod on that skimmer. Make a big difference. I know from experience with both a G3 and a G5. Its amazing how much darker the skimmate is with the pump being recirced.

[discretekarma]

Do you have a link on this. I've found a link for changing the impeller to a mesh impeller but I can't find any others. Thanks.

 

Eventually I would also consider doing the recirc mod on that skimmer. Make a big difference. I know from experience with both a G3 and a G5. Its amazing how much darker the skimmate is with the pump being recirced.

[discretekarma]

Found it. Here it is for anyone else interested.

 

http://www.asmskimmer.com/modifications.htm

 

 

Do you have a link on this. I've found a link for changing the impeller to a mesh impeller but I can't find any others. Thanks.

Edited September 25, 2007 by discretekarma

[discretekarma]

Now that I have my RO/DI set up, and ATO working my skimmer has finally stopped going crazy. It is working perfectly.

 

Thanks to everyone who helped me trouble shoot while I didn't have an RO/DI.