help, skimmer overflowing for a week now!

neotekz · #1 12/03/2006, 03:33 PM

not sure if this is in the right forum but i think it might have something to do with my water and not my skimmer(euroreef 5-2). last week i added a monti to my tank and using some of the 2 part reef putty that comes in the tubes. every since my skimmer has been going nuts and overflowing. i've use this stuff before and it usually only effects my skimmer for a day or so but this is the first time i used it on my 90g. my tank has been running without a skimmer for a week now. i tryed a waterchange it didn;t really help much, i might do another one soon if its still not working in a few days. not sure what else to do.

boxfishpooalot · #2 12/03/2006, 05:45 PM

Can you lower the water level in the skimmer? If so you need to do that.

The putty will cause the tension to change causing it to overflow. Also check to make sure your pump is not really dirty. It may be time for a cleaning.

neotekz · #3 12/03/2006, 07:48 PM

i cleaned the pump not too long ago and the gate valve is fully opened. i don;t think it has anything to do with my equipment. i also noticed that the bubbles are forming in the entire body of the skimmer as oppose to just the top 3/4.

bertoni · #4 12/03/2006, 08:20 PM

I thought I'd heard that putty can cause skimmer problems. You've wait a fair time, though. Perhaps a series of 20% water changes might help, although they'd be a lot of work.

chesapeake · #5 12/03/2006, 10:32 PM

you should beable to adjust your skimmer so that its not skimming as much.try that if you can for a couple days

at lantaman · #6 12/03/2006, 10:37 PM

it has happened to me each time i have used that putty. It will eventually go away. Its a real pain. Continue to do your water changes.

PatMayo · #7 12/03/2006, 11:10 PM

If you have bubbles in the body of the skimmer I would try this. I have a ER also and when that happens to me I have to pour some water down the air hose because there is an obstruction. Once I do this then the skimmer works fine. Usually when it does this though it won't overflow the skimmer so I am not sure. I have a tendency to think that it must be the putty. Waiting it out may be your best bet.

Regards,

Pat

neotekz · #8 12/03/2006, 11:59 PM

this couldn't of come at a worst time either, i just upgraded tanks so i really need the skimmer to work so the water stays nice and clean to reduce stress from the move. i just did another 25% waterchange. probably do another in a few days. and i bought some super glue gel too, that putty is going in the garbage...thanks for the input guys

Randy Holmes-Farley · #9 12/04/2006, 08:37 AM

Adding extra activated carbon may speed the removal of the offending organics, as will keeping the skimmer pumping away as much as possible. Skimming out 5% of the tank volume will take out a lot more of the problem organics than a 5% water change will.

neotekz · #10 12/04/2006, 10:56 AM

even if it's just removing clear water?

Randy Holmes-Farley · #11 12/04/2006, 11:30 AM

Yes. Foam is only a foam when the bubbles are coated with organics, regardless of whether you can see the organics. Otherwise the foam immediately collapses. Skimmate is only dark because some of the organics in the water are dark. But many organics are not colored. If you add a little soap to a skimmer, the foam piles up, and is white/clearish, but the organics are present.

neotekz · #12 12/04/2006, 03:18 PM

wow, great advice randy. i ran some carbon and let the skimmer overflowed and used an aqualifter to empty the collection cup as it goes and after it took out about 2g then skimmer was good to go again.

wouldn;t doing this be better than a big waterchange since it removes more organics? or does it not replenish enough trace elements as a big water change?

Randy Holmes-Farley · #13 12/04/2006, 05:15 PM

Yes, skimming out the water for a water change is better than simply scooping it out in most respects, particularly if one is concerned about organics.

neotekz · #14 12/05/2006, 12:42 AM

so would this be a good way to lower nitrates?

Randy Holmes-Farley · #15 12/05/2006, 08:27 AM

Skimming is a good way to export organics that may otherwise break down and end up as nitrate, but it won't do anything for nitrate that comes from fish excretion of ammonia that ends up as nitrate.

I discuss many ways to reduce nitrate in this article:

Nitrate in the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...t2003/chem.htm

saj01c · #16 01/03/2007, 05:20 PM

I am running into the same problem. I have done two water changes and have been skimming like crazy for two weeks now. I think my skimmer is working fine. I can seem to fix my wet skimming problem though. It has skimmed probably 100 gal so far and I havd done two 30gal water change.
I have added two bags of carbon but it didn't work.
All this because I added the two part apoxy to place a frag two weeks ago.
Any idea?

neotekz · #17 01/03/2007, 05:31 PM

do what randy suggest, change the water that overflows from teh skimmer. i only had to change about 3g and the skimmer stopped overflowing.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #18 01/03/2007, 05:34 PM

Wow, that's nasty. Maybe turn down the skimmer air to at least slow down the skimmate to a manageable level.

saj01c · #19 01/03/2007, 05:46 PM

I have a down draft skimmer. It will be tough to turn down the air. I guess I can place a valve over the air intake..

Randy Holmes-Farley · #20 01/03/2007, 06:29 PM

Can you turn down the water flow, or partially plug the air inlet?

saj01c · #21 01/03/2007, 06:37 PM

I have turned the water flow down and it seem to be helping. I just don't know for how long though. I am about to do another 30gal water change. My fish and sps are still doing well though.
It's been hard trying to keep the salinity steady.