No skimmate after adding biopellet reactor

[KevinsReef]

Two weeks ago I added an Aquamaxx biopellet reactor to the sump of my 56 gallon reef. Since the day I added it, my protein skimmer will not produce any skimmate. I have a Nyos Quantum 120 in the skimmer section of an Eshopps R-100 sump. I also administered 1 vile of prodibio biodigest the day I added the reactor. This is the first time I had used biodigest.

Before adding the reactor the skimmer worked great. Now, the foam/water level in the skimmer fluctuates and won't produce foam. I've cleaned the skimmer, ran Chemipure for 24 hours but nothing helps.

Tomorrow I plan on taking out the pump that is running the reactor and plumbing it into a feed off of my return pump just to eliminate the extra pump from being in the same chamber as the skimmer.

Any ideas? Had anyone experienced this?

 

[wkscott]

I added an Aquamaxx reactor a couple of months ago and my skimmate did not decrease. The feed from the reactor empties at my skimmer's input and as the pellets are aging, the skimmate volume is actually increasing.
Are your skimmer and reactor in the SAME compartment in your sump?

 

[sawdonkey]

Did you put the biopellet output hose into the skimmer intake? I do this,and it definitely slows the water going in. Maybe you overdid it? Put it in more loosely? If not, it has to be a coincidence. I can't imagine biopellets making your skimmer stop. I should note that two weeks probably isn't enough time to get the pellets fully kicked in.

 

[KevinsReef]

Thanks for the feedback. The reactor is outside of the sump. Now that I've changed the plumbing, it is being fed from a Y off of the return pump and its output is going back into the return pump chamber. This is after the skimmer. I know this isn't what's recommended but I was just trying to troubleshoot. The skimmer is now alone in its chamber and is producing skimmate again. I don't know why unless when I had the reactor being supplied by its own pump that was in the skimmer chamber, maybe that pump was too close to the skimmer intake. The Quantum 120 is supposed to have a 2 inch clearance from its intake. Or maybe its just a coincidence, I don't know. I may try changing it back to test it.

 

[KevinsReef]

Update: With the skimmer working and producing skimmate, I moved the reactor's return hose back to the skimmer chamber. Immediately, the skimmer started producing way more bubbles to the point that I would have needed to decrease the water level in the skimmer. I instead moved the output hose back to the return chamber and the skimmer returned to working normally. What's the deal?

 

[KevinsReef]

Update: The reason the level of bubbles was changing in the skimmer with the move of the reactor's output was that the water level the skimmer was sitting in was changing. Switched the reactor back to its own pump and the skimmer is still working.