ASM G3 with gate valve mod very inconsistent

raynist · 03/03/2006, 11:03 AM

Have a G3 on my 75g SPS tank. Last week it made a full cup of wet skimmate. I emptied the collection cup last night and did nothing else (did not clean it) and this morning the collection cup was overflowing with water. The water level did not change at all. What would cause this??

--ray

Reefmaniac1 · 03/03/2006, 11:20 AM

Add any chemicals to the tank?

Spray anthing in the air near the tank?

Lots of things can cause the skimmer to go haywire. It isn't the skimmer itself; something has gotten into the water.

REEFUR · 03/03/2006, 11:25 AM

adjust the out pipe

raynist · 03/03/2006, 11:27 AM

I had my hands in the tank a couple of times last night and fed a drop or two of DTs, but that was it.

Reefmaniac1 · 03/03/2006, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by raynist
I had my hands in the tank a couple of times last night and fed a drop or two of DTs, but that was it.

Hands in the tank can easily do it, especially if you have some residual hand soap or something like that on them.

raynist · 03/03/2006, 11:33 AM

I thought that would stop it from skimming? It is almost like what would happen if the sump water level increased.

NoSchwag · 03/03/2006, 12:11 PM

I hate to say it but that might happen all of the time, this is the main reason I sold mine. My sh!t would dump tons of nasty skimmate back into my tank quite often. Sometimes nothing at all would change and the skimmer would freak out.

I don't know what it is but in my experience when you stick your hands in a tank with a becket type skimmer, the skimmer stops.. when you stick your hand in the tank with a needlewheel type skimmer, it overflows. I think it has to do with how the bubbles are made and the oils on your hand. I'm pretty sure the water being chopped by a needlewheel vs. the reaction the becket head creates under pressure are 2 totally different things.

I say lower your water and skim dry from now on.

Just my opinion. I'm probably way off with this, it's just what I observed.

TwistedTiger · 03/03/2006, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NoSchwag
I don't know what it is but in my experience when you stick your hands in a tank with a becket type skimmer, the skimmer stops.. when you stick your hand in the tank with a needlewheel type skimmer, it overflows.

I have a G3 and always have my hand in the tank messing with this or moving that and my skimmer never overflows. It does stop making foam for a while but the level never changes. I always rinse my hands and arms before so I don't bring anything unwanted into the tank. I would tend to believe that it is caused by chemicals entering the tank either through less than clean hands, additions by the tank owner or by airborn chemicals. JMO

dascharisma · 03/03/2006, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NoSchwag

I don't know what it is but in my experience when you stick your hands in a tank with a becket type skimmer, the skimmer stops.. when you stick your hand in the tank with a needlewheel type skimmer, it overflows.

I have found that my needlewheel skimmer reacts much less to having my hands in the tank than the beckett skimmer does, but neither skimmer overflows in response to me putting my hands in the tank. I have also had far more problems with my beckett overflowing than my needlewheel.

Brad

raynist · 03/03/2006, 12:48 PM

I do keep the bubble up high on the collection cup which probably doesn't leave me with much margin for error. I will just adjust it to 1/2 way up and see how it works.

--Ray

Ramble On Rose · 03/03/2006, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by raynist
I do keep the bubble up high on the collection cup which probably doesn't leave me with much margin for error. I will just adjust it to 1/2 way up and see how it works.

--Ray

I struggled with my ASM for a month and thanks to the advice of someone in the ASM club thread, I lowered the bubbles to be even with the black band that connects the collection cup. It improved my skimmers performance 1000 times. Just set it low and let it sit for 2 days without changing anything. That and make sure the pump and venturi is clean.

RichConley · 03/03/2006, 01:04 PM

Make sure the venturi and airline is clean.

fishaholic911 · 03/03/2006, 10:34 PM

ditto

jc5205 · 03/03/2006, 10:46 PM

I have my dirty hands in my tank all the time, never affected my
ASM G3. Has to be something else, food additives etc

AlienSpawn · 03/04/2006, 12:44 AM

My G4 did this a few times, usually after addatives or messing with the tank. Doesnt seem to do it any more.

03/03/2006, 11:03 AM	#1
raynist Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,921	ASM G3 with gate valve mod very inconsistent Have a G3 on my 75g SPS tank. Last week it made a full cup of wet skimmate. I emptied the collection cup last night and did nothing else (did not clean it) and this morning the collection cup was overflowing with water. The water level did not change at all. What would cause this?? --ray

03/03/2006, 11:20 AM	#2
Reefmaniac1 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 2,580	Add any chemicals to the tank? Spray anthing in the air near the tank? Lots of things can cause the skimmer to go haywire. It isn't the skimmer itself; something has gotten into the water. __________________ "Stupidity is not necessarily punishable by violence. Although, there are days when I wish it were." - Solomon Short Current Tank Info: None due to disaster...and moving.

03/03/2006, 12:11 PM	#7
NoSchwag Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterbury, Ct. Posts: 2,530	I hate to say it but that might happen all of the time, this is the main reason I sold mine. My sh!t would dump tons of nasty skimmate back into my tank quite often. Sometimes nothing at all would change and the skimmer would freak out. I don't know what it is but in my experience when you stick your hands in a tank with a becket type skimmer, the skimmer stops.. when you stick your hand in the tank with a needlewheel type skimmer, it overflows. I think it has to do with how the bubbles are made and the oils on your hand. I'm pretty sure the water being chopped by a needlewheel vs. the reaction the becket head creates under pressure are 2 totally different things. I say lower your water and skim dry from now on. Just my opinion. I'm probably way off with this, it's just what I observed. __________________ Keeping low levels of po4 without chemicals since 2005. Current Tank Info: Beckett skimmed, penductor flowed, luminarc lighted, UV sterilized, litermeter dosed, Aquacontroller controlled, SPS dominated, 120 BB tank.

03/03/2006, 01:04 PM	#12
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	Make sure the venturi and airline is clean. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

03/03/2006, 10:34 PM	#13
fishaholic911 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 2,822	ditto __________________ happiness is like peeing in your pants everyone can see it, but no one feels the warmth as you do. Current Tank Info: 80 gallon, vertex 150 skimmer, 2 mars aqua 165 watt leds and 2MP40WQD

03/03/2006, 11:25 AM	#3
REEFUR Moved On Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: shelby twp. MI 48317 Posts: 54	adjust the out pipe

03/03/2006, 11:27 AM	#4
raynist Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,921	I had my hands in the tank a couple of times last night and fed a drop or two of DTs, but that was it.

03/03/2006, 11:33 AM	#6
raynist Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,921	I thought that would stop it from skimming? It is almost like what would happen if the sump water level increased.

03/03/2006, 12:48 PM	#10
raynist Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,921	I do keep the bubble up high on the collection cup which probably doesn't leave me with much margin for error. I will just adjust it to 1/2 way up and see how it works. --Ray

03/03/2006, 10:46 PM	#14
jc5205 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 122	I have my dirty hands in my tank all the time, never affected my ASM G3. Has to be something else, food additives etc

03/04/2006, 12:44 AM	#15
AlienSpawn Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Broken Arrow Posts: 341	My G4 did this a few times, usually after addatives or messing with the tank. Doesnt seem to do it any more.