Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > General Interest Forums > Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 04/14/2011, 07:29 PM   #1
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Skimmer not foaming

What are the most common causes of this? Is my bioload too light?


iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/14/2011, 08:18 PM   #2
moondoggy4
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: menifee So cal
Posts: 11,042
It could be you need to turn down your air my bubbles where too big kinda of like peas going up the neck, so they were bursting and not carrying up the stuff.
Does the neck get dirty?


moondoggy4 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/14/2011, 09:55 PM   #3
07 Sti
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 32
To induce skimming, try and add a few drops at a time of Novaqua. It works wonders. Be sure not to put to much in all at once. I have an RSB Classic with the Mazzei venturi, that works/skims fantastically. To induce wet foam I just add a few drops of the Novaqua to my 100 gallon tank. Works like a charm.


07 Sti is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/14/2011, 10:54 PM   #4
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by moondoggy4 View Post
It could be you need to turn down your air my bubbles where too big kinda of like peas going up the neck, so they were bursting and not carrying up the stuff.
Does the neck get dirty?
moondoggy4, my skimmer (Reef Octopus XS-200) only has a gate valve to control water intake. I'm running it around 8.25", when Octopus recommends a range of 6"-10", I believe. The neck does get dirty - there is some dirty residue up at the very top, inside.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 07 Sti View Post
To induce skimming, try and add a few drops at a time of Novaqua. It works wonders. Be sure not to put to much in all at once. I have an RSB Classic with the Mazzei venturi, that works/skims fantastically. To induce wet foam I just add a few drops of the Novaqua to my 100 gallon tank. Works like a charm.
Thanks, 07 Sti. I'll look into that. Hadn't yet heard of it!


iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 09:06 AM   #5
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Just a bump for more ideas...


iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 11:05 AM   #6
rjmayes34
Registered Member.
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Kent (in the middle of Rochester and Buffalo)
Posts: 645
my old skimmer did this and it was my skimmer body and skimmer pump needed a good cleaning after that it worked great again! maybe your air intake is clogged??? Just thinking out loud


rjmayes34 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 11:53 AM   #7
reeftivo
Skim junkie
 
reeftivo's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: chino, CA
Posts: 3,417
How long has the skimmer been in operation?

Could be a variety of things.

Additives, feeding, new equipment in tank, hand oils from fiddling etc, etc.

Could also be the air intake is clogged so try running some hot RO water through the airline and let the skimmer suck it through. Mine gets salt and calcium carbonate build up from time to time and I run RO through mine weekly when I do my water change. Back when I had my Deltec I had to actually ream out the venturi with the blunt end of a drill bit every other week becuase I ran my Ca and Alk very high. Back then it would build quick.


__________________
I told you not to be stupid you moron!(Stern)

Current Tank Info: 60 gal cube/20g tideline sump-mixed reef, Aquamaxx c-tech Ca Rx, Akula 160 skimmer, paxbellum N18, mitras LX7 lighting with T-5s, apex controller
reeftivo is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 01:29 PM   #8
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by rjmayes34 View Post
my old skimmer did this and it was my skimmer body and skimmer pump needed a good cleaning after that it worked great again! maybe your air intake is clogged??? Just thinking out loud
I cleaned the body and neck out not too long ago, when I didn't really need to. Turned out most of the "dirt" was salt spray on the outside of the skimmer body. The air line appears to be clear - but I'll look more closely!

Quote:
Originally Posted by reeftivo View Post
How long has the skimmer been in operation?

Could be a variety of things.

Additives, feeding, new equipment in tank, hand oils from fiddling etc, etc.

Could also be the air intake is clogged so try running some hot RO water through the airline and let the skimmer suck it through. Mine gets salt and calcium carbonate build up from time to time and I run RO through mine weekly when I do my water change. Back when I had my Deltec I had to actually ream out the venturi with the blunt end of a drill bit every other week becuase I ran my Ca and Alk very high. Back then it would build quick.
The skimmer has been running about 3 weeks. I always wear either an Aqua Glove, or powder free nitrile food/medical grade gloves when I put my hands in the tank.

All I've been dosing is MB7, and I just cycled with a piece of shrimp. I've also added some omnivorous pellets for the only occupants (12 hermits).


iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 05:08 PM   #9
reeftivo
Skim junkie
 
reeftivo's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: chino, CA
Posts: 3,417
How close is the pump intake from the bottom of the sump? Do you have it sideways or straight down?

If it's pointing down you may want to position the pump sideways as to relieve back pressure on the pump or raise it by setting it on an inch or two of eggcrate.


__________________
I told you not to be stupid you moron!(Stern)

Current Tank Info: 60 gal cube/20g tideline sump-mixed reef, Aquamaxx c-tech Ca Rx, Akula 160 skimmer, paxbellum N18, mitras LX7 lighting with T-5s, apex controller
reeftivo is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 07:12 PM   #10
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by reeftivo View Post
How close is the pump intake from the bottom of the sump? Do you have it sideways or straight down?

If it's pointing down you may want to position the pump sideways as to relieve back pressure on the pump or raise it by setting it on an inch or two of eggcrate.
It is oriented like this:



I think the intake is on the bottom of the pump.


iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 07:57 PM   #11
tkeracer619
Registered Member
 
tkeracer619's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 17,289
It might not have anything to skim but I think you should raise it an inch or two.

Did you use a bag? Is there a lot of bubbles coming from the overflow?

Can you turn the skimmer around 180deg?


__________________
Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers.
Current Tank:
Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.
tkeracer619 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2011, 08:18 PM   #12
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkeracer619 View Post
It might not have anything to skim but I think you should raise it an inch or two.

Did you use a bag? Is there a lot of bubbles coming from the overflow?

Can you turn the skimmer around 180deg?
The bubbles from the drain pipe really aren't that bad, although the drain does empty right near the skimmer pump (I figured that was good). No bag, and it would be difficult, yet possible, to turn the skimmer around.

Here's a current picture (poor) of the drain pipe, etc.




iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/12/2012, 01:28 PM   #13
MHG
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,919
I have the same issue with my NWB-110 skimmer from day 1... 13 months....I intermittantlu get big bubbles and good lift. I am thinking it is just nothing to skimm as all my levels are good and my tank is clear... I will try some of those drops....


__________________
MHG (LIRA Member)
60G Cube, Kessil 360's
MHG is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/12/2012, 01:46 PM   #14
Sacohen
Registered Member
 
Sacohen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Davie, FL
Posts: 1,778
I do too, but I just thought it was a crappy skimmer.
I'm just using the skimmer that came with my Pro Clear Pro 75 Wet/Dry filter.
I figure if it came with the filter it can't be that great, besides there is no way to adjust the water or air input.
Water is taken from the first chamber of the sump and pumped into the skimmer the pump has a venturi for an airline that I put a small air valve on to try and get more or less air and get the foam set right, but I still really have nothing.
The neck is getting dirty though, but not much if any in the cup or overflow bottle.


Sacohen is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/12/2012, 02:22 PM   #15
leveldrummer
Reefer
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 1,831
it looks like the water level is WAY too deep, what does the company suggest to run that skimmer? there should be a suggested depth for the skimmer, and a suggested water height inside the body.


leveldrummer is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 12/12/2012, 04:07 PM   #16
iwishtofish
Registered Member
 
iwishtofish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Southern Maryland
Posts: 4,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by MHG View Post
I have the same issue with my NWB-110 skimmer from day 1... 13 months....I intermittantlu get big bubbles and good lift. I am thinking it is just nothing to skimm as all my levels are good and my tank is clear... I will try some of those drops....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sacohen View Post
I do too, but I just thought it was a crappy skimmer.
I'm just using the skimmer that came with my Pro Clear Pro 75 Wet/Dry filter.
I figure if it came with the filter it can't be that great, besides there is no way to adjust the water or air input.
Water is taken from the first chamber of the sump and pumped into the skimmer the pump has a venturi for an airline that I put a small air valve on to try and get more or less air and get the foam set right, but I still really have nothing.
The neck is getting dirty though, but not much if any in the cup or overflow bottle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by leveldrummer View Post
it looks like the water level is WAY too deep, what does the company suggest to run that skimmer? there should be a suggested depth for the skimmer, and a suggested water height inside the body.
Tank and skimmer have been shut down since early summer. The skimmer did start foaming once the water got dirtier.


iwishtofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2018, 08:03 PM   #17
incloud
Registered Member
 
incloud's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 125
Quote:
Originally Posted by MHG View Post
I have the same issue with my NWB-110 skimmer from day 1... 13 months....I intermittantlu get big bubbles and good lift. I am thinking it is just nothing to skimm as all my levels are good and my tank is clear... I will try some of those drops....
Sorry to jump in but I am having intermittent issues with my 110 and wondered if you found any resolve?


incloud is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2018, 08:31 PM   #18
fijisrfr
Registered Member
 
fijisrfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 594
Six years later.....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


fijisrfr is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/16/2018, 06:08 AM   #19
MHG
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 2,919
I think I eventually stopped chasing bubbles. Set it and forget it. It will have days of lw production.


__________________
MHG (LIRA Member)
60G Cube, Kessil 360's
MHG is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/17/2018, 12:36 AM   #20
Crowed
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 244
Quote:
Originally Posted by fijisrfr View Post
Six years later.....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Still waiting for foam....


Crowed is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
29g build with foam/rock wall OodleyBoodely Do It Yourself 20 02/14/2011 10:03 PM
Why doesn't my skimmer produce foam? aztbs Arizona - Fish & Reef Aquarium Group (FRAG) 7 04/26/2007 10:19 PM
Skimmer dry foam all-apologies Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment 6 09/15/2006 03:36 AM
PS75 Skimmer - No Foam? Mercer Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment 4 02/15/2006 05:56 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:59 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.