skimmer producing no foam

[kylemagoo]

Hi,

So I completed all of my plumbing for a 120 gallon DT with 30 gallon sump, including an in sump skimmer. I am doing my water test and the skimmer is producing no foam. Instead it is producing large bubbles in the skimmer body.

Any ideas?

thanks

Kyle

[walkthedog]

What do you have in the tank. The skimmer won't skim fresh water. Do you have LR or Fish in the tank? Must have organic material to skim. Need a little more detail to be able to help.

[kylemagoo]

There is nothing in the tank except fresh water.

So are you saying the skimmer should not be expected to produce foam unless there is salt water in the tank and/or there is organic material in the tank?

If that is the case, is there any way to be sure your skimmer works when you are doing your initial fresh water leak test?

thanks!

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14987877#post14987877 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kylemagoo
is there any way to be sure your skimmer works when you are doing your initial fresh water leak test?
sounds like it's working if it's not leaking :)

make sure to drop the water level WAY down inside the skimmer before adding salt to the system.

[walkthedog]

If you have air bubbles in the skimmer than yes it is working............. The reason you don't see skimmers on freshwater tanks is because they don't work in freshwater. It has to be saltwater. Skimmers remove organics that bind to the air bubbles that the skimmer produces. With nothing in the tank but water than you can't skim. (no organics to remove). Even when you put the salt in the tank you won't get foam. You will have to add an organic source. Fish or live rock. The skimmer will break in. (takes a day - few weeks) depends on skimmer. After break in you will start to collect waste in the cup. The bottom line is your skimmer is working because air is mixing with water and you have bubbles. You won't know how well it works till you put livestock in the tank. Good luck!

[kylemagoo]

never whudda thunk it! thanks!

[Gary Majchrzak]

taking it a step further:

protein skimmers work more efficiently at SG 1.026 than (say) 1.023

:)

[saltydog1]

Yeah, the higher the SG, the higher the density of the water. Hence the smaller air bubbles.