skimming question

[flrman]

Hello all, I just recently added a phosphate removing pad between my baffels in my sump. Now my protien skimmers is not foaming like it use to. Before the skimmer would make great foam and skim out dark brown waste. I added the phosphate pad to help lower my nitrates to help elimatinate some alge growing in my display tank. Is this normal for my protien skimmer to stop skimming when using this pad. How long should I use this pad, and since the skimmer is not realy skimming now, will this effect the tank?

Thanks,

Carl

[lvpd186]

Maybe the chemicals in the pad are messing with the skimmer? I've never used one of those pads so I'm not sure what kind of chemicals they have in them. BTW how would a phosphate pad reduce your nitrates? I thought they were only for phosphates. If you don't have a phosphate problem I would take it out. IMO the skimmer would do more for your nitrates then a filter pad so to speak. Maybe someone who has more experience with using these pads will chime in.

[GreenSarco]

Maybe there's nothing to skim anymore?

[melev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9431772#post9431772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lvpd186
Maybe the chemicals in the pad are messing with the skimmer? I've never used one of those pads so I'm not sure what kind of chemicals they have in them. BTW how would a phosphate pad reduce your nitrates? I thought they were only for phosphates. If you don't have a phosphate problem I would take it out. IMO the skimmer would do more for your nitrates then a filter pad so to speak. Maybe someone who has more experience with using these pads will chime in.

I tend to agree with these comments since we don't have more information to work with yet. Please provide more details about your system, the amount of livestock, age of the system, amount you feed daily, etc.