What's Wrong With My Skimmer?!?!?

patsheridan · Mar 22, 2017

I've got a 75g mixed reef, with a smallish sump, maybe 10-15g. I have a Reef Octopus 150 skimmer, which has been working to my satisfaction for about a year. About a month ago I did a ChemioClean treatment. I turned off the skimmer, and left it off for about 5 days. I did not have any other media (Carbon, GFO) in the system, only filter socks and filter sponge material in the HOB return and in the sump from one chamber to the other. I also had some Chaeto in the sump.

Before I turned on the skimmer I did two water changes (one 20% and one 15%), and I thoroughly rinsed the filter socks and filter sponges. Ever since I turned on the skimmer it has overflowed like crazy. No matter what adjustment it runs wet, wet, wet - to the point where it is not usable. I took the skimmer out and thoroughy cleaned it, washed the socks and gave them a slight bleach, and I removed the Chaeto - nothing. I did another water change. Nothing. I removed the HOB return,, cleaned out lots of debris from inside (still lots of debris left - any ideas on how to clean the inside of this, given that it does not come apart? See pics). Have done yet another water change, and still no change.

A couple of times, when I make the above changes the skimmer has gone back to what it should be, but it lasts only a few minutes. Then back to overflow.

I thought it might be the bleach in the socks, but I ran the system without socks with no change. I've been happy with this skimmer, but a month with no skimmer is about enough! I am thinking about junking this and finding a new one, but it seems a waste given this has performed well.

Any ideas would appreciated. Also, what is the best and most powerful skimmer for my tight-fitting sump?

Thanks in advance!

CodyRVA · Mar 22, 2017

How deep do you have the skimmer sitting in the water? You may need to raise it some until it breaks in, then lower it gradually over time.

Nomadic1 · Mar 22, 2017

Does the skimmer cup have a drain, by any chance? If so, route it into a large (10+ gallon) container outside your sump and let it run. Turn off your ATO if you have one. Let the skimmer go until it fills that container, then, drain that out and go again. If your sump starts to run dry, add salt water. This is what is called a water change via skimmer. Eventually, the skimmer will have pulled out all of that which is causing it to overfoam. Just make sure you have a lot of saltwater made up. Do this on a day in which you have a lot of free time to watch it to prevent overflowing that container the skimmer drains into.

skim · Mar 23, 2017

Did you add a healthy amount of fresh GAC after you did the water changes to remove any leftover ChemiClean? Water changes will not remove all of it as it will have made its way into the Rock, substrate.

Texas Reefer · Mar 23, 2017

Just let it run and over flow. I did the same thing recently and it took weeks to get back to normal.

jaws789832 · Mar 23, 2017

Run some carbon. After a little while it will go back to normal. Chemiclean causes it to go beserk. If you did a 20% water change you only took out 20% of the chemiclean so It is still going beserk. Another water change and some carbon will get it back to normal eventually

luke33 · Mar 23, 2017

Nomadic1 said:
Does the skimmer cup have a drain, by any chance? If so, route it into a large (10+ gallon) container outside your sump and let it run. Turn off your ATO if you have one. Let the skimmer go until it fills that container, then, drain that out and go again. If your sump starts to run dry, add salt water. This is what is called a water change via skimmer. Eventually, the skimmer will have pulled out all of that which is causing it to overfoam. Just make sure you have a lot of saltwater made up. Do this on a day in which you have a lot of free time to watch it to prevent overflowing that container the skimmer drains into.

Perfect answer. If you don't do this you will continue to have issue's for some time. This will pull all the chemiclean out.

patsheridan · Mar 23, 2017

Thanks all!!

I like the idea of letting the skimmer go into a 5 or 10 gallon overflow. I have been letting it run, but the overflow tube just flows back into the sump. i'll run it to an outside container until the skimmer settles down, at which point I will assume most of the remaining chemiclean is pretty much removed.

I ran a fist-sized amount of carbon for a few days, but got jittery with the continued wet skim; should I go back with carbon again, but a larger amount?