Problem with skimmer, need some advice

[Matt LeBaron]

So the problem I am having is that my skimmer is overflowing. There are bubbles up to the top of the collection cup and it's producing a bunch of basically clear skimmate. (Filled a 5 gallon bucket in less than a day when it first started.) The skimmer is a Avast CS1 and has worked like a champ since I got it this summer. I have the gate all the way open, I can make a water fall easily by closing it. This is the same issue that caused a partial crash over the summer that prompted me to get the new CS1 and a skimmate locker. (which saved my tank this time, thanks Avast!) My old skimmer was really a crappy cheap one so I just replaced it when this problem happened before not thinking much on it beyond learning the lesson to buy quality equipment yet again.)

 

My parameters have not changed since this started happening, the only thing that I can think of that is different in the slightest is that I used a fair bit of the two part putty a couple days before this started, which I know they warn can cause skimmer over production but I'm going on two weeks with this problem now so I can't imagine it causes an issue for that long.

 

I did a 20-25% water change on Saturday and replaced the GFO and Carbon in my reactor since I was trying to resolve this issue and it was near the end of the month when I normally do that anyhow but the skimmer was still going in overdrive mode on Sunday.

 

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Anyone experience something like this in the past? Luckily I have the skimmate locker so I'm not really in danger of crashing the tank but having to do what is amounting to a water change every day is getting old quickly and I'm not a fan of seeing what the long term effects will be on my tank of not having a working skimmer will be.

[flooddc]

Try cleaning your pump and air intake. overflow, mostly like cause from salt build up that partially blocked the air intake.

[Shoelace]

It's pretty normal with the two part epoxy. Take the skimmer off line for a couple of days There are a lot of threads on this:

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1737201&highlight=skimmer+epoxy

[Matt LeBaron]

It's been almost two weeks, 11 days now so I don't think it's still the two part, or if it is there is something about my tank that makes the affect worse. Not sure if I'll have time to take the skimmer apart and clean it today but I'll try that tomorrow for lack of any better ideas at this point.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Matt LeBaron

[Incredible Corals]

I had the same problem with mine and it ended up being a combination of the filter sock I was using and the 2 part epoxy from the aquascaping.

 

I raised the skimmer up out of the water by making pvc legs for it that were longer than the peg legs it came with.

[Matt LeBaron]

This skimmer is a recirculating one so the height of the water doesn't affect it.(Should have mentioned that earlier) Maybe flooddc is correct and there's some partial blockage in the air intake, I don't know but I'll try and find time to disassemble it tonight or tomorrow.

[John Ford]

You could try injecting rodi down the air intake hose. If its just salt creep that should clear it up without having to break it down and cleaning it

 

This skimmer is a recirculating one so the height of the water doesn't affect it.(Should have mentioned that earlier) Maybe flooddc is correct and there's some partial blockage in the air intake, I don't know but I'll try and find time to disassemble it tonight or tomorrow.

[08can-am]

My skimmer was acting up recently. I pulled it apart and soaked it in vinegar and cleaned it real good. Works like new now

[YHSublime]

Could just need a cleaning as suggested. This happened to me with the cs3. Problem was that I had closed plumbing on the output pipe, causing the skimmer to occasionally burp, sending my collection overflowing back into the tank.

 

I would say clean et, then if that doesn't work, some videos or pics!

[zygote2k]

take out the 4 screws that hold the base plate to the bottom plate. this allows water to exit below. you may have to loosen the other 4 screws that hold the legs on to make a gap to allow the water through. changing the height of the standpipe affects the water column in the body too.

You can also run the cup drain right back into the sump until the issue is resolved.

sounds like some sort of surfactant or pollutant got into the water and is causing issues with the surface tension and makes the skimmer go crazy. this happens frequently when cleaning chemicals are used near fish tanks in offices.

[YHSublime]

I also heeded Robs advice while I was breaking in my skimmer. Best Reef Hack ever, can't believe I forgot that.

[Matt LeBaron]

So it appears *knock on wood* that things may be back to normal. I took the skimmer apart last night cleaned it out and put it back together. I didn't notice any blockages or other issues, it's only been running for about 5 months or so but this morning when I checked the foam level was very low around where I might expect it to be with the gate opened all the way.

 

I don't know if the cleaning did something or whatever may have gotten into the water finally go diluted enough that things are beginning to go back to normal. I'll slowly start closing the gate later tonight and get it back to a more normal running level and watch it carefully over the holidays. The tank doesn't get exposed to any cleaning chemicals, the tank is built into the wall and I keep my workshop/fish tank room closed off. The only thing I can think of at this point is that my tank reacts badly to the 2 part epoxy or there was some small blockage in the air intake that I just didn't see when cleaning it. I guess the next time I use two part I'll have to watch the tank carefully but a reaction that lasts almost two weeks and continues through a 25% water change is far more of a reaction to epoxy than I've heard of before. Problems that mysteriously fix themselves make me nervous because I don't know what I can do to avoid them in the future.

 

Another big thanks to the Avast folks, your skimate locker saved my tank. This was an annoyance rather than the mass SPS death that I had this summer.