Fluval evo skimmer removal for media basket?

[ma77y]

I’ve had my tank setup for just over 2 months now with a skimmer in chamber 1, it’s been working well I think pulling crap out the water.

The last couple of days it’s been filling up with clean tank water in around 5 minutes without any changes to water level etc, I’ve tried adjusting the water level screw so many times but again within 5/10 minutes it’s full!

I now can’t leave it on when I’m out of the house or at night so I’m thinking of removing it for another media basket as many say it’s not needed in a tank of this size.

I’ve got a basket in chamber 2 already with filter floss then a section of sponge cut from the original filter, bag of carbon, bag of fluval bio-max

I’ve got some chemi-pure blue and purigen to go in which I was going to put in chamber 2

what would you recommend putting in chamber 1?

Sorry for the long post any suggestions appreciated

 

[Spare time]

Any idea what is causing the skimmer to fill up with water?

I guess a lot of it comes down to how the tank is doing as in do you have phosphate or nitrate issues, etc.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Its a pretty bad skimmer. I would 100% suggest replacing it with a media basket. I suggest a media basket in chamber 1 (with the overflow) with a flow director. No issued with nutrients with an overstocked tank.

 

[ma77y]

Any idea what is causing the skimmer to fill up with water?

I guess a lot of it comes down to how the tank is doing as in do you have phosphate or nitrate issues, etc.

No I’m not sure, that’s what I don’t understand it just started filling with water one day and I couldn’t stop it.

I don’t have a phosphate test kit, I will get one tho.

nitrates are around 10 with an api test kit

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Try disassembling it and rinsing the air line control. Sometimes it gets clogged because it was so poorly designed haha

 

[MarkyMark_]

Have you considered running your tank without a skimmer? Part of the appeal (for me) of a nano tank is the simplicity

 

[ma77y]

Its a pretty bad skimmer. I would 100% suggest replacing it with a media basket. I suggest a media basket in chamber 1 (with the overflow) with a flow director. No issued with nutrients with an overstocked tank.

Unfortunately I didn’t look into it before I got it as after reading about it I probably wouldn’t have!

what would you recommend putting in the basket?

 

[ma77y]

Try disassembling it and rinsing the air line control. Sometimes it gets clogged because it was so poorly designed haha

I will give this a try, it was fine one day then the next day it started acting up!

 

[ma77y]

Have you considered running your tank without a skimmer? Part of the appeal (for me) of a nano tank is the simplicity

I think I might go that way yes, having it off for a couple days now the tank is so much quieter

 

[Spare time]

No I’m not sure, that’s what I don’t understand it just started filling with water one day and I couldn’t stop it.

I don’t have a phosphate test kit, I will get one tho.

nitrates are around 10 with an api test kit

For phosphate test, make sure you can read between 0.1 and 0.00 as many of them are impossible at that low of a level. Hanna makes the best.

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Unfortunately I didn’t look into it before I got it as after reading about it I probably wouldn’t have!

what would you recommend putting in the basket?

I run just a piece of two layered floss. Just a strip the flow director pours it onto. Carbon after trimming leathers but mostly just floss. Filtration is all about the live rock

 

[ma77y]

I run just a piece of two layered floss. Just a strip the flow director pours it onto. Carbon after trimming leathers but mostly just floss. Filtration is all about the live rock

Thank you for the advice