protein skimmer out of control

[ps3]

i dosed red slime remover 48 hours ago and my skimmer is filling the collection cup every 1/2 hour.the foam in the skimmer is very wet and the cup fills with water within 30 min. i have already removed about 2 gallons of skim from my tank. any thoughts? also not sure about the brand of skimmer in my sump, it came with the used setup i purchased.

[jsr]

Can you dial the skimmer down? You should be able to adjust the water volume of the skimmer so that it skims dry. If you cant find the valve, or know how to turn it down, post a pic so someone can help out. Or, just turn it off for a few hours and see if that helps.

[abulgin]

Well, it's too late to tell you not to use Red Slime Remover. Don't ever, ever use this stuff again, especially in a new tank. It's an antibiotic, so it kills the good (your biofilter) and the bad (the cyanobacteria--red slime). Be VERY diligent about your water testing to make sure your ammonia doesn't go nuts. Be ready with new water.

Read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm

Especially take note of:

"There are numerous products promoted as chemical controls of BGA, some erythromycin antibiotic based, others of copper, sugars, even pepper sauce… All should be avoided on two counts: Though they (the antibiotic based ones) may apparently work, the materials that make up the BGA frequently poison the system within minutes to days of their "dissolving". And, adding insult to injury, unless you change the circumstances/conditions in your system, the Cyanobacteria very often "reassemble" in a short while if chemically treated."

Now that I've said my bit about red slime remover . . . unplug your skimmer for 48 hours or so. Otherwise, you're salinity is going to go all over the place unless you're ready to replace the skimmed water with new salt water. I would run a polyfilter and carbon pronto to remove as much of the antibiotic as you can. Moreover, I'd do a large water change--all that red slime has bound up nitrates and phosphates--guess where that goes when the red slime dissolves? Yep--right back into your water, where it will fuel a new crop of red slime in 3 days.

From your signature, your tank appears new. Red slime, among other nuisance algae, is just one of the many things that you can expect with the first year to year and a half of your tank's life. Remember, that nothing good in this hobby happens fast. Patience will get you a lot farther than red slime remover/a quick fix. Once you get everything settled, just be vigilant about water changes, siphon off the red slime from the rocks/substrate and limit your feedings to once or twice a day max. Also, make sure your daylights aren't on for more than about 10 hours. Other than those things, just be patient. Trust me, if you do these things, it will eventually go away once your tank matures/stabilizes.

Good luck.

[brian2kgt]

You usually need to turn the skimmer off when you are using these types of products. Water changes and running carbon will both help the skimmer get back to normal.

[ps3]

will turn skimmer off for awhile. also am in the process of redoing the refuge and sump to include sock filter in the sump. so i have the stuff to do the carbon now i will just have to rig up a temp holder.the tank is going on 3.5 months and i gave the lfs all details of my system before they sold me the slime remover. so patience it is.

[ps3]

i have been keeping a log on parameters since the day i set the tank up. started out every day, now check every 3-4 days, except when i notice a change, then every day. so yes i am monitoring the parameters closely.

[abulgin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13761354#post13761354 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ps3
will turn skimmer off for awhile. also am in the process of redoing the refuge and sump to include sock filter in the sump. so i have the stuff to do the carbon now i will just have to rig up a temp holder.the tank is going on 3.5 months and i gave the lfs all details of my system before they sold me the slime remover. so patience it is.

So listening to your LFS (or any LFS for that matter) was your first mistake. From now on, search your problems at www.wetwebmedia.com or post it here.

[splateee]

After dosing red slime remover after 48hrs you are suppose to do a 20% water change. Your skimmer will act nutty for a little bit but will settle down. I have used red slime remover a few times before and the skimmer acting crazy is normal.