Skimmer Has One Job To Do....

[akabryanhall]

I was noticing that my skimmer was not skimming out as much of anything anymore. I knew it was overdue for a cleaning so I took it out and ran it in vinegar and water for 10 minutes, came out clean as a whistle.
It still isn't skimming. It still produces bubbles and it has bubbles spilling over into the cup but no skimmate. I have raised the water level two days ago, still nothing.
Will post pics when I get home.

 

[luke33]

What do you mean it has foam spilling over in the cup but no skimmate? When you clean with vinegar its going to take it a day or two to get back to normal function. That gives it a small re breaking in to go through. What kind of skimmer is it and how large is your tank, what are you keeping in your tank.

 

[RBursek]

My Kent Nautilus did the same thing for a day or 2 when I cleaned it out with a Muriatic acid wash.

 

[akabryanhall]

The foam is spilling over, but in small quantities. It is a eurousa skimmer rated for 135G I think. Its a few years old but still was working fine till a couple weeks ago. Still seems like it produces fine bubbles and a lot of them, just not getting high enough?
Tank: 92G corner
Fish: Panther Grouper and Humphead wrasse
lol j/k
Fish:
Purple Tang
Tomini Tang
McCoskers Wrasse
Bangaii
Pajama
Black Oscillaris
False Perc

 

[akabryanhall]

I will give it another day or two. Hopefully it just needs to break in again.

 

[LegoZ81]

When you cleaned it you removed a film build up on the skimmer neck that helps the bubbles "crawl" up the neck. Just set the water level where it will have bubbles up to the top of the neck and watch it for a few more days and see how things go. My thinking is you will be ok.

 

[akabryanhall]

On the plus side I can see into my skimmer cup again without trying to judge different shades of green to see if it was full lol.

 

[akabryanhall]

When you cleaned it you removed a film build up on the skimmer neck that helps the bubbles "crawl" up the neck. Just set the water level where it will have bubbles up to the top of the neck and watch it for a few more days and see how things go. My thinking is you will be ok.

That makes sense, with a smooth neck they cant go up as easy.

 

[LegoZ81]

rinse the cup weekly also but don't scrub it and you should have more consistant skimming long term. you want a think film not a thick gunk buildup.

 

[stedfast82]

did you check the air intake i have a aqua c120 that was not working cleaned the intake and the pump now it's ok

 

[CoralBandit]

Give it some time and actually put the bubbles a little lower it will give them more contact time to get frothy stick together and then be pushed up and over.

 

[rock_lobster]

maybe there is hardly any organics in your water you need to feed those fish!

 

[akabryanhall]

did you check the air intake i have a aqua c120 that was not working cleaned the intake and the pump now it's ok

I'll have to check that when I get home.

 

[akabryanhall]

Give it some time and actually put the bubbles a little lower it will give them more contact time to get frothy stick together and then be pushed up and over.

Hmm will try that, def don't want watery skimmate when it starts working again

 

[akabryanhall]

maybe there is hardly any organics in your water you need to feed those fish!

I thought about that, didnt think it was possible even though the live rock and live sand are almost 5 years old and seem to be incredibly efficient. I only do a water change once a month, not even sure I need to.
I feed once a day, and 7 fish are probably a decent bio load for a 90 gallon right?

 

[CoralBandit]

yea that many fish and the food for them have to produce something

 

[rock_lobster]

I would say that is a pretty small bioload those fish in a 90 are very small. Unless they are all adults but still a pretty light load. If you have lots of softies in your tank I would definitely say that unless you are feeding heavy you probably just don't have much organic at all.

 

[nater]

is not having organics in the tank beneficial or bad? i sort of have the same problem with my skimmer , but i know when i feed i definitely see my skimmer go to work. i only have three small fish in my 90. is this not good? does the skimmer pull waste from coral? thought i would throw that out there

 

[akabryanhall]

I would say that is a pretty small bioload those fish in a 90 are very small. Unless they are all adults but still a pretty light load. If you have lots of softies in your tank I would definitely say that unless you are feeding heavy you probably just don't have much organic at all.

They are all small, the largest is the purple tang, and he is only 5 inches or so and over 4 years old

 

[akabryanhall]

is not having organics in the tank beneficial or bad? i sort of have the same problem with my skimmer , but i know when i feed i definitely see my skimmer go to work. i only have three small fish in my 90. is this not good? does the skimmer pull waste from coral? thought i would throw that out there

You want a good balance, you will find your zoas will have trouble flourishing if your tank is too clean.
I have a decent amount of softies in my tank, including zoas, and they are doing well.