My skimmer is going crazy :(

**Ocelot199** · 01-13-2007, 03:34 PM

I just added about 25 lbs of new base rock to my tank, and everything seems to be just fine... except my skimmer is overflowing the collection cup, even with the post-filter tube completely removed. Is that pretty normal? I had it off all night and was hoping the water would have settled by now, but it doesn't seem any better. Also, the gravity feed into my refugium was causing a lot of foam on the surface of that tank until I turned the flow way down... which makes me think its something in the water thats causing the extra bubbly-ness.

Should this just clear up by itself? I was thinking of make-shifting a gate valve (I think thats what its called...) for my skimmer, but I'm not really sure how thats suppose to work.

**TJcop** · 01-13-2007, 04:45 PM

It would seem that this all happened after you added the new rock, so I wouldn't change your skimmer settings. Did you rinse the new rock first? What kind of rock is it? You said "base rock"...do you mean dry, lifeless rock, or LR that doesn't have much on it? If it was LR, your skimmer might be going crazy due to the LR not be cured.
Oh yeah, 25lbs might not be alot of rock on a large system, but can cause issues when adding to a smaller system (I'm not sure what size your system is).

**Ocelot199** · 01-13-2007, 05:02 PM

Its very dead base rock from Marco rocks

I turned my whole system off to do a water change and added the rocks when the water level was down so I wouldn't overflow anything by the displaced water, then filled it back up and turned everything back on.

Yeah, I rinsed it off nicely before putting it in. Cleaned and happy.

Its not overflowing the collection cup with skimmant, its just water... like theres too many bubbles being made and its all flowing into the cup and poping, causing it to fill with water.

My system is something like 110 gallons total. 75 gal display and another 35 or 40 between the fuge and sump.

**CarmieJo** · 01-13-2007, 09:28 PM

When I kick up a lot of gunk in my tank, like from moving the aquascape. my skimmer goes crazy for a few days. I figure it is from extra junk in the water.

**Ocelot199** · 01-13-2007, 09:43 PM

What do you do then? If I let it run it makes all this foam in my fuge and doesn't actually skim anything. Should I just leave it off for a few days until it wants to work again?

**CarmieJo** · 01-13-2007, 09:50 PM

I just let it run and empty the overflow a lot.

**Ocelot199** · 01-13-2007, 09:57 PM

Haha, a lot? It fills with water in like, 20 seconds...

I guess I'll let it run. The waters actually getting kinda cold cause I don't have that powerhead on.

**CarmieJo** · 01-13-2007, 11:21 PM

By a lot I mean a couple of hours.

**JeffDubya** · 01-13-2007, 11:37 PM

Have you added anything else? Any chemical dechlorinators, or water conditioners?

**doctorthompson** · 01-14-2007, 11:31 AM

What kind of skimmer is it? Can you control the water level and the air volume separately? Is there any sediment collecting in the bottom of the cup?

**iglowce** · 01-14-2007, 03:19 PM

what kinda skimmer is it? if u have an aquaC, u can try raising the collection cup to collect a drier foam

**Ocelot199** · 01-16-2007, 04:14 PM

Its a euroreef skimmer, and I think Carmie was right about it... Its been a few days and its settling down. Still fills up all the way after a few hours, but at least its skimming again.