Is this normal for my skimmer?

wantvws

wantvws

AC Members
Jul 15, 2007
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Waynesboro, VA
I think I have tuned this thing right...I'm getting nothing but foam collecting in the cup....but it is collecting at an alarming rate. I emptied it this afternoon and here it is less than five hours later. I don't think there is much of a bio load on my tank...I have the 5 chromis, a blenny and some crabs. Little crabs.
Will this thing calm down or am I gonna have to empty this thing two or three times a day?
Thanks!!
Robbie

skimmer.jpg
 
Seems to be a little too dry. Try adjusting the water level up very slightly (1/8" of an inch). You should pull more skimmate and less ultra stable foam.
 
Amphiprion said:
Seems to be a little too dry. Try adjusting the water level up very slightly (1/8" of an inch). You should pull more skimmate and less ultra stable foam.
Click to expand...
I'll give it a try...I actually pulled it back slightly this afternoon because it looked to be about 1/3 full of black water:barf:
Thanks!
Robbie
 
Well, it is usually too dry if the foam is stable enough to poke out of the lid. At least get it beyond that point and watch it carefully.
 
Amphiprion said:
Well, it is usually too dry if the foam is stable enough to poke out of the lid. At least get it beyond that point and watch it carefully.
Click to expand...
Interesting...I had no idea there was a difference in the foam. So raising the water level will make the foam less stable? I guess I figured that the foam kinda "popped" and ran down into the bottom of the cup....thus appeared the black water. I emptied and raised the level slightly...we'll see what happens.
Robbie
 
I'd say your water is dirtier than you thought. The amount of foam will settle down as the water cleans up. Looks good!
 
That looks like the coralife super skimmer. If so, I have the same skimmer on my tank. I turned mine back a little and got more skimmate and a lot less foam. Mine has been on my tank for over 2 years.


HTH
Dorothy
 
A little of my experience from my superskimmer:

1. I eventually took out the valve above the pump. That's really only needed for the initial first week or two.

2. That being said, the first week or two, your skimmer is going to be very unstable. It will clear up.

3. You want the initial line of white bubbles (maybe 1/2 inch thick) right above the red ring, maybe 1/2 way to the collection cup.

Is this newly set up? If so, you might just have to let it ride for a bit.
 
Yeah make sure you keep an eye on it...In the first few weeks mine was running, there were a few times it pumped several gallons of water out of my tank overnight. If the skimmer is in the sump, no problem, but mine hangs on the side of my sump and it made a real mess. After a few weeks they seem to calm down quite a bit though.
 
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