Skimmer Production Questions? I'm stumped.

[falconut]

I've had my ASM G-2 skimmer on my 90 gallon setup for over 5 years now. The production of this skimmer seams to be way down. This skimmer used to really pull some crud. I know there are better designed skimmers now, but I'm trying to determine why it wouldn't be working as godd as before. I'm lucky if it pulls an inch in a week. It used to do that much in a few days.

Is it possible that my sump (where the skimmer is) is fairly clean and there's not as many organics to pull out? My chaeto in my separate refuge tank has really slowed down to where it takes months before I even need to prune it back. I used to have to prune it weekly. I have a nussance algae starting to come back in my DT, so there definitely appears to be organics in the DT.

I have a Mag-Drive 18 as my return pump sending the sump water in the DT at the back left corner. I have an overflow box with dual 1" holes on the far right side. I have a Mag-Drive 9.5 as a closed loop, the intake is in the rear left corner (next to the return pump intakes) and the outlet is under the overflow box. This is how it ran for the 1st few years. I added a Korlina PH next to the overflow box blowing the water towards the left side across the top of the rocks.

Any particals that get stired up will usually settle out in about 5 - 10 minutes or 20 - 30 minutes if there are really alot. I'm wondering if some how the organics are just settling to the bottom or onto the rocks and not making it into the overflow box and down to the sump. Does this sound possible?

I've completly taken the skimmer out and cleaned all the crud (and there was alot). I have a 3 month old Sedra 3500 pump and I've tried the mesh mod, but no real difference in skimmate.

I may move the PH around so it aims towards the overflow box. What do you think?

[psychostieg]

Where is your salinity??... I know that since skimmers operate on dissolved organics, a salinity between 1.022-1.026 will yeild some better skimming since the water has more dissolving ability ....... I think it's because more salt= more open ended ionic charges waiting to grab something and hold onto it....... Another possibility is that you have a new food or additive that is bumpn the foam head out.... You'd be supprised.... Sometimes too much particulate matter in planktonic form will make it really difficult for the skimmer to get a foam head going...... Other than that.... The only other thing that I can think of is maybe your air feed to the skimmer is occluded (old tubing)..... Or possibly the pump is poopn out since it's old...... You could always give it all a good vinegar bath and a run through the dishwasher..... That can bring years back to an asm..... Hope this helps....

[Ward1]

What about the impeller?

[Stanley-Reefer]

but how is your tank doing? I'm seeing similar things in my 90 that has a ER RS 135 on it. It is 2.5 years old and I've been carbon/mb7 dosing over the last year. All of my algae is gone, spones and little feather dusters galore and my skimate has turned into a thick tan froth. I clean my skimmer every 4-5 days because he neck gets really thick and cruddy but I get about 2"/week o green/brown skimate.

If you tank is thriving and your skimmer is working right (I've pulled and vinegared my skimmer and pump for similar reasons) lots of times the tank has become effecient at recycling DOCs rather than them being left over for the skimmer to remove.

My 175 isn't quite there, but I'm seeing similar things to the 90 that is 1 year older.

[falconut]

It has a brand new pump and impeller and I'm currently using a mesh mod impeller. My tank is doing good, just that I have some nussiance algae on the lower rocks and back glass. There must be some nutrients in there. My chaeto isn't really growing either, so maybe I have another problem.