Skimmer problem

[Koh23]

Hello!

I have problem with aquamedic power flotor l skimmer. Skimmer runs about two month now, and produces absolutely no foam. Everything is clean, assembled correctly, nothing clogged, pump makes bubbles, but no matter what water level i set in skimmer body, and no matter what pump speed i chose, bubbles level is constant, there is about 5mm of foam bubbles at surface, but they pop imediatley, and produces no foam. Even if i set water level inside skimmer to overflow water into cup, no foam. No matter what i try, skimmer is full of bubbles, but there's no foam forming. Bubbles are white, skimmer body is clean, no gunk on body.

There is live rock and fish in tank, i feed twice a day, so there should be enough organics for skimmer to work properly.

So, whats wrong? Faulty skimmer? Something i do wrong? Something in water that prevents foam to build properly?

Hope you will have some ideas, what can i do for skimmer to work.properly, now i'm one step to throw that into garbage.....

 

[shwareefer]

What depth of water is the skimmer sitting in? If it's the L.3 model, it says the optimum water level in the sump is 16-20 cm.

If you have a contaminant in the water that acts as a surfactant, foam can't form. If I suspect this, i usually set my water level right at the top of the neck so it "spits" into the cup. It's ok to overflow slightly, but you have to stay with it, adjusting the dial so it doesn't fill all at once. Fill the cup slowly with "spit" over several minutes, then lower the level rapidly right to the lowest level by opening the valve all the way. Watch in the reaction chamber, if foam starts to form even temporarily, then you definitely have a contaminant. You can repeat this several times and sometimes it will clear. Other times doing a slow water change using the drain plug on the collection cup will clear the surfactant, but I don't think your cup has a drain.

It might not help at all but it has worked for me.

 

[Koh23]

I tried all water level in skimmer chamber in sump, from 16-20cm, and it's all the same, only thing that changes is water level inside skimmer.

I will try that method, not sure what can possibly be in the water, maybe the food is causing problems....

 

[Koh23]

Update....

Seems that your diagnosis is correct, i tried what you suggested, and after i overflow two skimmer cup, i open walve all the way, and there was some foam forming and started to rise, but collapses after few minutes.....

Sadly, i didnt manage to achieve level of slow overflow, either overflows into cup like crazy, or just bubbles in cup neck. Water or "foam" level is unstable, so its hard to adjust.....

I changed active carbon to another brand, i changed food.... Not sure what else can i do, i will try water change, 25-30%, and see will that maybe solve problem.

Is there anything else that i can try, i know this is low end skimmer, but still, it should do something, right? Or should i throw it in garbage?

Tnx!

 

[shwareefer]

Is it a low end skimmer? It's not a common skimmer here in Canada. I remember the old turbofloaters that's about it.

If there's something in the water then it will affect any skimmer negatively I think. If you have the patience, keep dumping cups like you are and you should get to where it makes stable foam. It seems to me the contaminant concentrates in the skimmer so is much better removed this way than through water changes. Of course you still need to replace the water you remove.

 

[Koh23]

I meant "low end" as "it's not 1200$ skimmer"

Years ago i have wave1200, bubble magus, and reef octopus diablo, and newer had similar problems, from day one, they produced foam, even in moment when there was nothing live in tank. Even brand new skimmers worked from first second....

I will keep as you suggested, dumping water from skimmer cup and replacing it with fresh mix, hopefully this will take short before skimmer starts to foam...

So, i don't say this skimmer is garbage, but, right now, i don't know what to think.

 

[Koh23]

I give up.....

Really dont have time and will to empty cup every 5 minutes, so i just push skimmer in back od sump, adjust water level half way into body....

And now i'm gonna forget it for about month or two, enjoy my fish and tank, if skimmer ever start to work as is should great, if not, i'll just buy something else....

 

[shwareefer]

If you haven't watched this guide, there may be something helpful in it.

 

[Koh23]

Thank you, i watched this (and more), but nothing.....

Like i said, this is not my first skimmer, just first time i have this issues.

Of course, maybe there's nothing to skimm, maybe i just "think" there is, and with time, skimmer will start to work.....

Skimmer is bubbling nicely, so maybe lack of foam just means that bioload isn't enough to form stable foam in skimmer....

 

[Koh23]

Ok little update....

Skimmer started to skimm, but foam is very watery, feels more like soap foam (for kids to play), and in collection cup is dirty water with particles settled on bottom of cup.

Probably, theres still not much in water to create stable foam,.but, there's another issue....

After day, foam starts to get dryer, everything looks as it should be.... Until i feed... Then, foam collapses, and again i need to adjust water level untill i got that soapy watery foam...

If i dont feed, 24-48hrs, then skimmer starts to foam as expected....

Question is, is it possible that this type of food is causing such problem?

I mean, i know that all food affect skimmer,but i never seen something like this.....

 

[Koh23]

Ok, i'm now officialy crazy....

So please, help....

I kinda figured out whata wrong with skimmer, but that raises more questions than answers....

Filter sock. Only timr that skimmer work is when i dont use filter socks. Skimmer runs great, stable, thick foam, pulls out really nasty gunk. BUT if i put filter socks, after few minutes, foam colapses, and stays there, just bubbling big bubbles, like boiling water,and no matter how much time pass, it never get stable foam, or really do anything but bubnling.

When i remove filter sock, in short time, skimmer works great....

This happens with brand new socks, and previously used, the same.

So, my conclusion(s) are:

Filter sock is too fine and eliminate everything from water before it gets to skimmer, so he dont have anything to create stable foam. (Not likely)

There's something in material that is beeing leeched into water, something that countless washing and soaking cant remove, also something immune to active carbon.

Material of socks somehow affect tension of water, so skimmer cannot work properly.

Any toughts, suggestions? Please.....

 

[Koh23]

Ok, strange problems continues, so far there was little help, but mayne this can help someone figure out.....

As seen on pictures, skimmer colect in cup to some point, then only thick foam goes into cup, goes trough holes on cup lid, then simply lift cup lid and foams over the cup edge....

Not sure how to dial it, gate is fully open, pump speed seems to dont have affect, so im clueless.....

 

[shwareefer]

Ok, strange problems continues, so far there was little help, but mayne this can help someone figure out.....

As seen on pictures, skimmer colect in cup to some point, then only thick foam goes into cup, goes trough holes on cup lid, then simply lift cup lid and foams over the cup edge....

Not sure how to dial it, gate is fully open, pump speed seems to dont have affect, so im clueless.....

Looks Beautiful. Your foam is dry because it's forming low in the body. You should watch that video above again to adjust it wetter if that is what you want.

Are you carbon dosing or otherwise adding large amounts of bacteria? I ask because that can make fluffy foam that won't collapse.

 

[Koh23]

If i raise water level in skimmer, then the foam is wetter, more water is in collection cup, but if fills faster with foam, so i need to.empty cup and clean mess few times a day.....

Nothing dosed, i added votka before, then stopped, have enormous bacterial bloom, get the uclv, cleared it.....

no3 is very low, undetectable by salifert test, yet my chaeto grows like crazy, i feed crazy amount if food, but cannot raise no3...

 

[shwareefer]

You probable are raising phosphate more than nitrate by feeding more. I had a similar isssue and had to start dosing neonitro. I find the salifert only works usefully if you look through the side and divide by 10 for low values. Looking through the top as they instruct is useless.

Are you still running the UV? When I ran UV my skimmer foam was fluffy like that too.

 

[Koh23]

I know, but no matter how i look, water in test vial is clear.... I tried tetra test also, same, 0 no3.....

There's no algae growth in tank, some patches of diatomas left on rock, everything else is clean, now i really wish to see some green alge to grow

Edit: yes i still run uv, do you recommend.to shut it off? I plumbed second pump return trough sterilizer, but i can turn light off, theres no potential problem of running water trough sterilizer if lamp is off?

 

[shwareefer]

No I don't recommend you turn it off. I think UV is good. I took mine off with a setup change and just never put it back. No harm in running water with lamp off if that's what you decide.

Try dosing neonitro or some people use stump remover (potassium nitrate) to raise no3.

 

[Koh23]

Thank you for help, i guess ill try to fiddle with skimmer.some more to fine tune it, for now really isnt issue, i have light bioload, so its not crucail that is set up idealy, also i will try to turn off lamp for few days and see whats happening.....

 

[Doron_ho]

Hi Koh,

Do you recommend this skimmer?
It has an affordable price in Europe.

 

[Koh23]

Totaly!

Yes, price is great, in fact, now is little bit expensive then it was when i purchased, but they add new wifi controller, so thats why i guess.

Skimmer runs great, problems was bioload, and most important, skimmer dont like to be lifted....

Not sure how to explain exactly, but, when working, it form some air bubble underneath the bottom plate. Moving is ok, but if lifted or leaned, bubble escape, and skimmer lose foam for some time, but just leave it alone and soon enough if will start to foam. Not sure is this some desing failure or common thing with pump in skimmer body model, but, leave it alone and it work great.

For money, great skimmer, no maintenance, once a month i clean intake from salt build up, and wash collection cup. I added drain to cup, so when needed i just empty it. Once a week i use tootbrush, and clean inside of neck....