I can't get my skimmer to stop filling up with bubbles

[JustinMN18]

Hello, I have a reef octopus essence 130. I have it on a raiser, and using a CO2 scrubber.

For the last week and a half, I have not been able to stop getting the cup absolutely full of bubbles. They seem to eventually pop to create a liquid but it takes a while, and the bubbles will push the lid off, go through the holes, or exit through the side.

I'm waiting for a recirculating piece for the scrubber and I'm worried this will cause issues.

If I restrict the air flow then no skimming happens. If I open it up, the bubbles go almost to the top of the kneck. Please help lol

 

[Fishyfish22]

Water level in skimmer might be too high, or flow coming in. If it let's you control it try to decrease the water flow entering or raise the skimmer up higher

 

[HJ99]

Just did a search and I have this exact same problem with a Curve 7. I tried raising the skimmer to lower the water level and restricted the airflow but same result. It had been working fine for several months . It's as if it's making foam but the bubbles don't pop.

 

[ying yang]

Anything added to water lately thats different than usual?

 

[HJ99]

Anything added to water lately thats different than usual?

Nothing I know of except more fish.

 

[JustinMN18]

Nothing I know of except more fish.

The answer is rub some oil inside the cup. It is an absolute game changer. It seems to last me about a week, so I "re-oil" on water change days.

Add oil (I use avocado, but I'm sure olive, vegetable, etc would be fine) to a paper towel, and then just wipe on the inside of the cup, and around the neck (not inside the neck, the outside of the neck). I also then rub oil around the circle that is on the cap that pushes the bubbles down into the cup.

It's an absolute game changer.

 

[HJ99]

The answer is rub some oil inside the cup. It is an absolute game changer. It seems to last me about a week, so I "re-oil" on water change days.

Add oil (I use avocado, but I'm sure olive, vegetable, etc would be fine) to a paper towel, and then just wipe on the inside of the cup, and around the neck (not inside the neck, the outside of the neck). I also then rub oil around the circle that is on the cap that pushes the bubbles down into the cup.

It's an absolute game changer.

Thanks, I'll give it a try.

 

[HJ99]

The answer is rub some oil inside the cup. It is an absolute game changer. It seems to last me about a week, so I "re-oil" on water change days.

Add oil (I use avocado, but I'm sure olive, vegetable, etc would be fine) to a paper towel, and then just wipe on the inside of the cup, and around the neck (not inside the neck, the outside of the neck). I also then rub oil around the circle that is on the cap that pushes the bubbles down into the cup.

It's an absolute game changer.

I tried it with canola oil and it worked for a few days. Now I'm back to the same thing. It's making big bubbles and foam way down in the chamber even with the valve all the way open. Never was like that before. Did a large water change yesterday and no difference. About ready to take a sledge hammer to this skimmer.

 

[JustinMN18]

I tried it with canola oil and it worked for a few days. Now I'm back to the same thing. It's making big bubbles and foam way down in the chamber even with the valve all the way open. Never was like that before. Did a large water change yesterday and no difference. About ready to take a sledge hammer to this skimmer.

Couple questions..

1) Are you saying you can't get the microbubbles produced by the pump into the neck of the skimmer?

2) If you can't get the water higher in the skimmer, can you lower it in your sump? If the answer is no... could you add more water to the tank in general (like raise your ATO sensors, and add some more salt water)

I haven't tried Canola oil.. and idk if there's differences between oils, but avocado oil seems to work really well for like a solid week. When I do my WC, i just clean the cup completely, and re-apply some oil lol.

I agree though. The skimmer is definitely not great. Had I not been so blown away by the price of getting into the hobby, I would have probably picked up a more expensive skimmer, with a pump that is external to the unit.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Hello, I have a reef octopus essence 130. I have it on a raiser, and using a CO2 scrubber.

For the last week and a half, I have not been able to stop getting the cup absolutely full of bubbles. They seem to eventually pop to create a liquid but it takes a while, and the bubbles will push the lid off, go through the holes, or exit through the side.

I'm waiting for a recirculating piece for the scrubber and I'm worried this will cause issues.

If I restrict the air flow then no skimming happens. If I open it up, the bubbles go almost to the top of the kneck. Please help lol

Looks like mine when I started dosing nopox

 

[HJ99]

The micro bubbles turn into large bubbles before getting to the neck. I should take a pic. When it worked correctly there were the micro bubbles and a head of foam right around/above the neck area.

I actually raised it about an inch or so when this first started. I'll try letting it back down but there wasn't any change when I raised it. I have it on a PVC stand so any height is possible.

It does seem like the oil disappears quickly. I was thinking maybe something thicker. I had the canola handy since it's supposed to be more healthy for deep frying. LOL Wife says she has avocado so worth a try.

There must be a change to my water that is causing this but I have no idea what. It has been super sensitive since I got it. It completely stops making foam when I feed frozen shrimp. A couple months ago I used a new sponge to clean the glass in my fuge. The skimmer went nuts literally foaming and pumping water out the top. I'd be open to something else but hate to spend hundreds more and still have the issue.
Thanks

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I tried it with canola oil and it worked for a few days. Now I'm back to the same thing. It's making big bubbles and foam way down in the chamber even with the valve all the way open. Never was like that before. Did a large water change yesterday and no difference. About ready to take a sledge hammer to this skimmer.

Use molykote greese, last me months

 

[vintage detritus]

Just thinkin' outside the box after seeing the beaches foam every year up after our Pacific storms as a result of waves breaking up the seaweed. (forming "alginate" which was used to keep the head on cheap beers) Are you feeding nori or an algae - based food that perhaps isn't getting fully consumed by the critters?

 

[JustinMN18]

The micro bubbles turn into large bubbles before getting to the neck. I should take a pic. When it worked correctly there were the micro bubbles and a head of foam right around/above the neck area.

I actually raised it about an inch or so when this first started. I'll try letting it back down but there wasn't any change when I raised it. I have it on a PVC stand so any height is possible.

It does seem like the oil disappears quickly. I was thinking maybe something thicker. I had the canola handy since it's supposed to be more healthy for deep frying. LOL Wife says she has avocado so worth a try.

There must be a change to my water that is causing this but I have no idea what. It has been super sensitive since I got it. It completely stops making foam when I feed frozen shrimp. A couple months ago I used a new sponge to clean the glass in my fuge. The skimmer went nuts literally foaming and pumping water out the top. I'd be open to something else but hate to spend hundreds more and still have the issue.
Thanks

I don't remember, but did you say you were dosing NoPox as well, or just having the skimmer problems?

I think lowering it a bit will help at least get the foam up to the neck so it can push the larger bubbles out of the top.

I'm with ya man lol. This skimmer went from working great to absolute chaos in a blink of an eye haha

 

[HJ99]

No, that was another poster. I don't even know what NoPox is. LOL