Foam coming out of skimmer cup

sage_commander · 03/27/2008, 01:01 PM

My skimmer cup lately has been slowly pushing this nasty crusty foam through the small hole in the lid and building up on top of it. I was wondering if there was something I could put in the skimmer cup to cut the foam down so it doesn't do that, like lemon juice or baking soda. I don't think any of it would make it into the tank. Has anyone tried this? Thanks!

A.VOID · 03/27/2008, 01:13 PM

So it's not overflowing, but the foam is creeping out through the hole in the lid?

SteveNMegz · 03/27/2008, 01:14 PM

we have the 125 model and ours does that sometimes to, we just lay a towel overtop of the lid. its in a sump in our closet though, I guess if you had it on the display tank you wouldn't want that but.....

sage_commander · 03/27/2008, 01:15 PM

Yeah, and then I need to take the lid and wash it off so the stuff won't run down the side of the skimmer. Plus it starts to block that little hole in the lid which causes the water level in the skimmer to drop.

sage_commander · 03/27/2008, 01:30 PM

Mine's under the tank and out of sight too, but the stuff sometime appears just hours after I clean the lid. It's kind of a pain.

I know that if you squirt lemon juice into a foaming cup of soda that the foam will disappear. I wondered if I could try that too without risking any of the critters' well being.

seapug · 03/27/2008, 01:34 PM

They are usually sized so you can take a piece of vinyl airline tubing and stick it in the hole then put the other end of the tube in a cup or bucket.

sage_commander · 03/27/2008, 01:37 PM

Hmm, the hole on this has a coarse "screen" on it; I thought about drilling that out anyway. Maybe the tubing trick would be a safer bet.

otrlynn · 03/27/2008, 04:35 PM

I wonder if you skim a little wetter if the foam will come up through the center cone, then slide down the outside of the cone and collect in the cup more easily. I am thinking that the dryer and "stiffer" the foam, the more likely it is to rise through the little hole in the lid rather than sliding down the outside of the cone and collecting in the cup. I would try this ONLY when I was home to make sure that it's not skimming so fast that the cup overflows. I have this skimmer too, and I find that I have to keep fiddling with the adjustment...

sage_commander · 03/27/2008, 05:03 PM

Good idea, otrlynn. This skimmer is a picky on anyway on the adjustments. If I pull it out of the tank to inspect the pump or something like that and then put it back in, it skims way wetter for an hour or so then settles out.

jallen100 · 03/27/2008, 06:07 PM

I have an Octopus 200 and mine does it also. I try to keep the holes in the lid clean but they get clogged and eventually moves the lid to the side.

03/27/2008, 01:01 PM	#1
sage_commander Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Poulsbo WA Posts: 646	Foam coming out of skimmer cup My skimmer cup lately has been slowly pushing this nasty crusty foam through the small hole in the lid and building up on top of it. I was wondering if there was something I could put in the skimmer cup to cut the foam down so it doesn't do that, like lemon juice or baking soda. I don't think any of it would make it into the tank. Has anyone tried this? Thanks!

03/27/2008, 01:14 PM	#3
SteveNMegz Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Port Colborne Posts: 1,140	we have the 125 model and ours does that sometimes to, we just lay a towel overtop of the lid. its in a sump in our closet though, I guess if you had it on the display tank you wouldn't want that but..... __________________ Steve and Megz Current Tank Info: 55G Shallow Reef (30x30x14) - Equip: Ecotech Radion XR30 G3 Pro, 2 Tunze 6055, Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer, Ecotech Vectra M1 return, Vertex Rx1.5 Zeovit Reactor

03/27/2008, 01:34 PM	#6
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	They are usually sized so you can take a piece of vinyl airline tubing and stick it in the hole then put the other end of the tube in a cup or bucket. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

03/27/2008, 04:35 PM	#8
otrlynn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chester County PA Posts: 1,508	I wonder if you skim a little wetter if the foam will come up through the center cone, then slide down the outside of the cone and collect in the cup more easily. I am thinking that the dryer and "stiffer" the foam, the more likely it is to rise through the little hole in the lid rather than sliding down the outside of the cone and collecting in the cup. I would try this ONLY when I was home to make sure that it's not skimming so fast that the cup overflows. I have this skimmer too, and I find that I have to keep fiddling with the adjustment... __________________ Lynn 1 horse, 1 dog, 2 cats, small pond with a few koi. The fish tank is gone.

03/27/2008, 01:13 PM	#2
A.VOID Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Columbus Posts: 985	So it's not overflowing, but the foam is creeping out through the hole in the lid?

03/27/2008, 01:15 PM	#4
sage_commander Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Poulsbo WA Posts: 646	Yeah, and then I need to take the lid and wash it off so the stuff won't run down the side of the skimmer. Plus it starts to block that little hole in the lid which causes the water level in the skimmer to drop.

03/27/2008, 01:30 PM	#5
sage_commander Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Poulsbo WA Posts: 646	Mine's under the tank and out of sight too, but the stuff sometime appears just hours after I clean the lid. It's kind of a pain. I know that if you squirt lemon juice into a foaming cup of soda that the foam will disappear. I wondered if I could try that too without risking any of the critters' well being.

03/27/2008, 01:37 PM	#7
sage_commander Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Poulsbo WA Posts: 646	Hmm, the hole on this has a coarse "screen" on it; I thought about drilling that out anyway. Maybe the tubing trick would be a safer bet.

03/27/2008, 05:03 PM	#9
sage_commander Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Poulsbo WA Posts: 646	Good idea, otrlynn. This skimmer is a picky on anyway on the adjustments. If I pull it out of the tank to inspect the pump or something like that and then put it back in, it skims way wetter for an hour or so then settles out.

03/27/2008, 06:07 PM	#10
jallen100 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Blacklick, Ohio Posts: 220	I have an Octopus 200 and mine does it also. I try to keep the holes in the lid clean but they get clogged and eventually moves the lid to the side.