Skimmer woes-

[scouncil]

OK, I'm a skimmer idiot. I admit it. Last night I was gluing/puttying stuff into my live rock so that it doesn't fall off all the time and irritate me and all of a sudden I've got a zillion bubbles everywhere. The water was so milky looking with bubbles that I just knew there was some freaky chemical reaction going on due to the putty stuff or something.

My skimmer's (the new current octypus) been working fine, but it started putting out a ton of bubbles. I've got it in my sump between where the water comes in, goes into a bubble trap and then to the skimmer area. This skimmer takes up the whole compartment. I turned off the water pump and that didn't help other than slow the bubbles down and then I turned off the air pump (both are underwater) and the bubbles stopped. OK, it was just bubbles. I felt better. Then I plugged the pump back in and NO bubbles in the skimmer. The air line isn't kinked. Do I have to lift the thing out of the water? would water flush into the air line and the pump can't pull it out? I'm so frustrated. I guess I was just lucky that it worked perfectly when I set it up the first time? I'll try the pulling it out of the water and see if that does any good tonight.

And once I get it going again, I need to know how much skimmate should I be getting and how wet/dry it's supposed to be. It was skimming, but I wasn't getting a lot.
Ugh!
Susan

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

i know that sometimes my old skimmer used to not skim after water changes and addition of chemicals but never had one go completly awall i wish you luck on your problem if i knew more i would help but i have a nack for flying blind in the dark on those kinda things

 

[salt newbie01]

What kind of glue are you using? I hope the answer will be super glue GEL and the ingredient you want in there is cynoacrylite (sp).

What kinda of putty are you using? I hope the 2 part aquarium putty not some putty from homedepot.

I am not familar with your skimmer at all - so I wouldn't know how to advise on mechanical failure. Hopefully brandon, bryan or tommy will chime in shortly.

Some times chemical reactions can cause skimmers to shut down or produce overly wet skimmate.

 

[scouncil]

I'm using aquarium putty (the 2 part putty). It sure doesn't seem to stick very well. Does it have a shelf life? And I'm using glue that one of the MTRC told me to use and it hasn't caused any problems before (though it doesn't work as fast as I'd like and would take suggestions on what glue to use (super glue gel? didn't know that they made that).

For the skimmer, it seems that both pumps are working, but the one that makes the bubbles swirl isn't making bubbles. I can't see or feel any kinks or spots in the air line that would be stopping the air. My husband just turned on one of the defunct timers and tells me that bubbles started in the tank again, but didn't look in the skimmer to see if it was making bubbles. None of the skimmer pumps are plugged into the timer, so I can't see that turning it on (but I'm sure going to check it out when I get home). I did have to turn off the long strip bulbs since the timer turned them back on after an hour of being off. I swapping that timer out too (had wanted one of the door prize timers- oh boo hoo....).

Bryan, Tommy and Brandon- where are you? (I bet you are sorry that an old clueless female joined the club, huh?)
Susan
Susan

 

[gflat65]

What kind of skimmer are you running? If there is an air pump to power it (not familiar with anything like that, but I'll give it a shot), and the air pump is on, is there water in the air line? If so, it may need help getting the water out. If it is a venturi plate pump (air line on th einlet side of the pump with a special fitting to pull air as it pulls water like aith an MJ1200 venturi plate), make sure nothing is plugging the inlet or the air tube. It is very common for a skimmer to go nuts, especially when you use epoxy. It'll do it with glue gel, too, but epoxy sends them through the roof. I've only ever used Aquamend from Home Depot (but they don't seem to carry it any more) and never had an real problems other than my skimmer going nuts for a little while.

Describe your skimmer and pumps. It sounds like there are two pumps (a water pump and an air pump)? What kind of skimmer (manufacturer and model)? Wish I could be of more help.

 

[scouncil]

This is what my skimmer looks like, but I only have 2 pumps (not 2 attached and a third). http://www.aquacave.com/octopus-ddnw-150-recirculating-brprotein-skimmer-with-2-pumps-1321.html I have one pump attached on the side and then I have a 350 (gal/hour- I'm assuming) pump that has a line into the main chamber. I'm not sure what pulls the air in. I'll have to take a closer look at it tonight when I get home. I don't remember plugging in 3 things. What in the putty makes the skimmers go wild? Do you think that's it? I'll check the airline tonight too. Thanks for your help.
Susan

 

[ironman]

Hey susan, Im not sure how your skimmer is plumbed, whether it is recirculating from an overflow or a pump, but either way you would have to have the pump that is mounted in the side of the clear tube plugged in. it is a venturi skimmer so as long as the pump is plugged in and the air hose isnt plugged it will suck the air in on its own, you shouldnt have to do anything but plug in the pump and it should work fine.

 

[bkv1997]

Yea what bryan said.

 

[scouncil]

Well, both pumps are plugged in, so it must be the air hose. It's rather lightweight and flimsy, so the only thing that I can figure is that it must have gotten kinked or pinched and it's got a hole in it below the water line. That would stop the bubbles, right?

And now I have a bigger problem, my big tank is leaking from under one of the gaskets. Should I just pay Donny and have him come out, fix my skimmer and the tank too? I've got those little feather dusters in the overflow. Could they have gotten under the rubber and made it leak? I guess sticking a bunch of caulk under there wouldn't be a good idea, huh? I think the water may have shorted out my MHs. They aren't working and the water is the only thing different. My life is a pain right now.....
Susan

 

[ironman]

WOW! slow down here. you said your tank is leaking? thats bad. You dont just fix that. maybe the water is wiking from somewhere else? Pm me your cell susan, and maybe i can swing by after work today.

 

[scouncil]

Well, we had about an inch of water in the bottom of the stand (realize that the 75 gal tank for sump/fuge takes up 75% of the space) and the stand is polyurethaned heavily (saving the floor) and we mopped that up and didn't see a leak until later and it was drip drip dripping. We cleared out the electrical lines (I really hope that didn't kill my MHs....)from the drip path and put a tupperware big enough to last the night.

This morning there wasn't much in the tupperware, but we rushed out to work (Will is on Jury duty today) and didn't think to feel in the bottom of the stand (but the drip was dead on in the tupperware last night). I don't think it is the tank itself, but around the fitting in the drilled overflow pipe where it comes through the tank/stand to underneath. It's not the big screw on pipe connector, it's the section above that, I think where the rubber gaskets are on the inside (and outside?) of the tank. Would it seal itself somehow? Could it be those stupid tube feather dusters (which I love INSIDE the tank)? Could they squeeze in there and cause a leak?
Susan

 

[scouncil]

Saved by Bryan! Of course he commented on all the soddy work done by people unknown......

But the skimmer doesn't work still. Bryan took it apart and still couldn't fix it. I kill things AND Fish..... Oh boo hoo!!!
Susan

 

[bkv1997]

Susan:

Don't sugar coat it...... If your saying my work was shotty let me know. No need to start this walking on egg shells stuff now :) HEHE

 

[bamachamp92]

all that soddy work going on out here seems to be going pretty good, what about at your house brandon?

 

[ironman]

HEHE! Im sure the loose bulkheads got that way by miraculous intervention! LOL! But then again I believe brandon said tommy tightened the bulkheads? LOL! I think you both thought the other tightened them, thus creating shoddy workmanship! Its ok, you cant be good at everything right! Id just like to think yall are good at something! :D

 

[bamachamp92]

im sure that bulk head hasnt been leaking the whole time it would have flooded the whole house with dead tangs by now lol.

 

[ironman]

HEHE! all four are loose, three are seeping, and one with the skimmer comosion was bumped loose enough to pour. they were all very loose, but it took at little bump to start the leak, and I would say from the salt creep around all of them that they have been leaking since the tank was setup. And I think you are right tommy about pointing out you and brandons tanks dont seem to leak. I guess when its your own tank you try and do things right huh?

 

[bamachamp92]

lol
or if you screw things up you dont get asked much

 

[ironman]

So there was some logic! LOL

 

[scouncil]

They just work loose after a while, I imagine and I'm sure I was moving the tubing around when I was squeezing that skimmer into the sump. I'm sure you all tighten yours on a regular basis....

And Donny called and told me to blow into the airhose to jumpstart the skimmer and it worked. Took a ton of pressure, thought I was going to blow a hernia or something, but it started up and is running good now. I know you have to adjust it, but how much skimmate is it supposed to produce per day? I have been feeding the tangs a fair amount just to make sure the powder blue is eating. (both the blue and the purple are eating well, though they both have ich spots on them. The purple is looking better, the blue the same. Keep your fingers crossed and Brandon- shut up!)