Skimmer went nuts

[Travis]

My ETSS 800 clone- that's a downdraft- is pulling wet skimmate like crazy, at about a gallon per day.

I had shut it down for about 1.5 days around xmas (pump noise was interfering with family time) and when it came back on, it just started pulling like crazy. I dialed the gate valve WAY back from where it had been set for weeks with about the same output and it's still pulling wet foam. Do the bioballs need cleaning or something? Is there something stuck in there now, or was there before and it's gone?



Thanks!

[mkpaulson]

could it be possible that the pump was not working in its full capacity, sometimes pumps get noisy from buildup of calcium deposits in the impeller area and shutting it down for a day or two loosened up some of it buildup , and now the pump is flowing more water to the skimmer?

[mps9506]

you didn't change the filter socks or anything did you?

[Travis]

Nope. Could be possible something unclogged to give better flow, but I'd be surprised to see that after two months.

[DaveK]

I use a downdraft skimmer on my 125 gal reef. I have found that some additives can cause a skimmer to produce a lot of really wet foam. So can some types of frozen fish food. Some amemones, and soft corals can throw a lot of slime that a skimmer will pick up. This can occur if something disturbes them. Lastly, but perhaps most important, make sure nothing died. That can cause a skimmer to skim out a lot of stuff also.

As mentioned in other posts, so can a new filter sock. I think that from some sizeing or something similar used in the material.

The bioballs in a downdraft skimmer do sometimes need to be cleaned, but the effect of the build up on the bioballs is usually that the skimmer doesn't skim as well.

I believe what you did was right. By backing off on the gate valve, you cause the skimmer to make a much more dense foam. I believe it's correct to assue that whatever is causing the foaming is something you don't want in the system.

[Travis]

Thanks DaveK!

As a matter of fact, the day before I turned off the skimmer I added a BTA I rescued from a friend's tank- he's on vacation and the BTA decided to take a walk into the overflow. It slimed all over that guy's tank, a likely explanation is that it has been dropping some slime in my tank as well.

Thanks again, and karma to you!

T

[Woodstock]

Ahhhh... it's skimming anemone slime~~ Gotta love a good skimmer!!