Skimmer going crazy

Coral C's · 04/16/2011, 04:09 PM

What would cause my skimmer to start skimming like crazy? The only thing I did was feed some formula one cubes of which I have not used that food for quite a long time. Soon after my simmer was skimming very wet to the point that it over flowed, I couldn't even adjust the air intake to slow it down.
Would it have been the food?

israel.kendall · 04/16/2011, 04:15 PM

If it's a coralife superskimmer then that's just what they do, for various reasons. If it's not a SS then i have no idea.

CMcNeil · 04/16/2011, 04:35 PM

its the food,those formula 1 type foods have gel binders in them that make your skimmer go nuts.

Coral C's · 04/16/2011, 07:22 PM

I have an i-Tech 200
Hmmm, guess next time I use the food I will turn the skimmer off for a while. It finally has calmed down, thank heavens
Thanks

israel.kendall · 04/16/2011, 07:52 PM

I have a coralife SS and it sounded like one of the finicky things it does lol. How long would you need to turn the Skimmer off to prevent this?

tcwayne · 04/16/2011, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coral C's

I have an i-Tech 200
Hmmm, guess next time I use the food I will turn the skimmer off for a while. It finally has calmed down, thank heavens
Thanks

Interesting. When I had one, it would do the same thing. But, the problem isn't always the skimmer......
If I had my hands in the tank it would increase the water volume in the sump by displacement and therefore creating the skimmer to go nutz, so to speak. I have also experienced a simple "changing of the sock" nutz, simply due to some left over something or other from the washer.

Eventually this turned into me having to be aware of what I'm doing with the tank will affect the skimmer. This would be true for any in sump skimmer. I opted for the external recirculating skimmer instead. While it has it's issues as well, I would rather have a recirced skimmer at least than a skimmer entirely reliant on water levels in the sump. JMO

Coral C's · 04/16/2011, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by israel.kendall

I have a coralife SS and it sounded like one of the finicky things it does lol. How long would you need to turn the Skimmer off to prevent this?

It was about 2 hours or so after I turned off the skimmer, once I turned it back on it wasn't as bad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcwayne

Interesting. When I had one, it would do the same thing. But, the problem isn't always the skimmer......
If I had my hands in the tank it would increase the water volume in the sump by displacement and therefore creating the skimmer to go nutz, so to speak. I have also experienced a simple "changing of the sock" nutz, simply due to some left over something or other from the washer.

Eventually this turned into me having to be aware of what I'm doing with the tank will affect the skimmer. This would be true for any in sump skimmer. I opted for the external recirculating skimmer instead. While it has it's issues as well, I would rather have a recirced skimmer at least than a skimmer entirely reliant on water levels in the sump. JMO

I try my best to be very careful before I put my hands in the tank to assure that no soap or chemicals are on them, this time I know the only thing I did was feed them the formula one. I used to feed that quite awhile ago and don't remember my skimmer going nuts but I didn't have the i-Tech back then either.

CMcNeil · 04/16/2011, 10:40 PM

everytime i fed any of the formula type products my skimmer would go nuts.it didnt matter what kind of skimmer i had either,but i had the same issue going on and asked John one day and he told me it was the gel binder in the food.once i stopped using that food my skimmer never went nuts.

Coral C's · 04/17/2011, 12:29 PM

guess I won't buy anymore of that food. Atleast it wasn't me doing something wrong!
Thanks

jbax · 04/17/2011, 01:54 PM

chuck your arm ain't that big to really have the skimmer go nuts. the oils on your skin can cause it to go nutz though. unless you have a really small sump.

riverviewmike · 04/17/2011, 02:25 PM

I use formula one a couple times a week and have never had my skimmer go nuts. I have a SWC cone skimmer. Also its my understanding that any oils on your skin will cause the skimmer to lose the bubbles usually takes about 30 minutes or so to build them back up.

tcwayne · 04/17/2011, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbax

chuck your arm ain't that big to really have the skimmer go nuts. the oils on your skin can cause it to go nutz though. unless you have a really small sump.

Well I run a herbie and if I'm movin/fixing coral, the water level changes.

dustinb2331 · 04/18/2011, 02:28 PM

Ya I'm deffinately not fond of they're gel foods but I do use formula 2 w/out gel binder w/out any issues.

04/16/2011, 04:09 PM	#1
Coral C's Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Wesley Chapel, FL Posts: 981	Skimmer going crazy What would cause my skimmer to start skimming like crazy? The only thing I did was feed some formula one cubes of which I have not used that food for quite a long time. Soon after my simmer was skimming very wet to the point that it over flowed, I couldn't even adjust the air intake to slow it down. Would it have been the food? __________________ Coral C's ;) Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Reef Tank & 34 Gallon Solana

04/16/2011, 04:35 PM	#3
CMcNeil Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: St.Petersburg,Florida Posts: 7,133	its the food,those formula 1 type foods have gel binders in them that make your skimmer go nuts. __________________ Chris Reef Savvy 50g build slowly getting going again :)

04/16/2011, 07:22 PM	#4
Coral C's Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Wesley Chapel, FL Posts: 981	I have an i-Tech 200 Hmmm, guess next time I use the food I will turn the skimmer off for a while. It finally has calmed down, thank heavens Thanks __________________ Coral C's ;) Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Reef Tank & 34 Gallon Solana

04/16/2011, 10:40 PM	#8
CMcNeil Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: St.Petersburg,Florida Posts: 7,133	everytime i fed any of the formula type products my skimmer would go nuts.it didnt matter what kind of skimmer i had either,but i had the same issue going on and asked John one day and he told me it was the gel binder in the food.once i stopped using that food my skimmer never went nuts. __________________ Chris Reef Savvy 50g build slowly getting going again :)

04/17/2011, 12:29 PM	#9
Coral C's Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Wesley Chapel, FL Posts: 981	guess I won't buy anymore of that food. Atleast it wasn't me doing something wrong! Thanks __________________ Coral C's ;) Current Tank Info: 120 Gallon Reef Tank & 34 Gallon Solana

04/16/2011, 04:15 PM	#2
israel.kendall Padawan Reefer Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Land O Lakes Posts: 922	If it's a coralife superskimmer then that's just what they do, for various reasons. If it's not a SS then i have no idea.

04/16/2011, 07:52 PM	#5
israel.kendall Padawan Reefer Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Land O Lakes Posts: 922	I have a coralife SS and it sounded like one of the finicky things it does lol. How long would you need to turn the Skimmer off to prevent this?

04/17/2011, 01:54 PM	#10
jbax Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: palm harbor Posts: 1,421	chuck your arm ain't that big to really have the skimmer go nuts. the oils on your skin can cause it to go nutz though. unless you have a really small sump. __________________ 75%er 120g 4x2, dart pump, i-tech 100, tunze ato, apex controller & lunar simulator and 54g corner. clown collection: ocellaris,B&W's,picasso,domino,solomon island perc and s'more(black ice) Current Tank Info: 120g, 54 corner

04/17/2011, 02:25 PM	#11
riverviewmike Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Riverview, FL Posts: 97	I use formula one a couple times a week and have never had my skimmer go nuts. I have a SWC cone skimmer. Also its my understanding that any oils on your skin will cause the skimmer to lose the bubbles usually takes about 30 minutes or so to build them back up.

04/18/2011, 02:28 PM	#13
dustinb2331 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: largo FL Posts: 44	Ya I'm deffinately not fond of they're gel foods but I do use formula 2 w/out gel binder w/out any issues.

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