What the heck just happened?

mcozad829 · 04/28/2014, 05:16 PM

So I was changing out my filter sock and about to clean the skimmer cup. I put the clean sock in and then got distracted by crying kids. When I returned to clean the skimmer cup it was overflowing, it was about 1/2 full of skim mate and the tank had a cloudy tint to it. My birds nest and RBTA were closed up. I turned the flow adjustment on the skimmer all the way down but it was still overflowing.

I quickly cleaned out the skimmer cup and it refilled in about 5 minutes, still on the lowest setting I continued to empty it 3 times until it slowed down a bit. I pulled the filter sock I put in, switched the GFO in my BRS dual reactor to carbon and ran double carbon and did a water change with the water I had on hand about 20 gallons. It has been a couple of hours and my birds nest is starting to open up again and my anenome doesn't look any worse but still not great.

I am guessing one of two things happened...

1. I accidentally turned the flow adjustment on the skimmer while I was changing the sock and dumped a half full collection cup back into the tank.

2. The sock was contaminated with something.

Is there anything else it could have been? And is there anything else I should do other than monitor the tank and do water changes if things don't perk up? What do I need to do to improve my husbandry skills so this does not happen again?

tkeracer619 · 04/28/2014, 05:20 PM

If you didn't clean the sock and it was new it likely has surfacants still in the material and will cause a skimmer to go crazy.

I always wash them with a little bleach and no soap before first use.

A husbandry tip for the future. If your skimmer is freaking out, let it, and drain it into a bucket (while you monitor it). Top off with salt water while it overflows. You will remove whatever it is that is causing the skimmer to freak out much quicker then just doing a water change.

In regards to dumping skimmate you have already taken the appropriate steps. Watch for a bacterial bloom but it is likely one won't occur.

mcozad829 · 04/28/2014, 05:23 PM

Good tip
The sock is months old and been through the same cleaning process weekly, capful of bleach in the washing machine and double rinse.

tommyboynj · 04/28/2014, 07:20 PM

Does your skimmer sit in the same area as your drain?

mcozad829 · 04/28/2014, 07:34 PM

No it is an in-sump skimmer and the nearest drain is about 20 ft away in the kitchen.

MrClam · 04/28/2014, 08:00 PM

Did you put your hands in the water at all? Could it be possible you had something unusual on your hands.

Also any chance one of the kids went near the tank? When things break in a house with kids I always first suspect kids...

mcozad829 · 04/28/2014, 08:16 PM

Well the six year old is my little reefer and knows better than to mess with the tank, heck she can name about 95% of what is in there by common name and can explain the nitrogen cycle in its simplest form. The twins were in their high chairs so I don't think it was the kids.

Now that I think about it I did get gasoline on my hands a few hours before this... I rinsed my hands before I put them in the sump but maybe that was it?

MrClam · 04/29/2014, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcozad829

Now that I think about it I did get gasoline on my hands a few hours before this... I rinsed my hands before I put them in the sump but maybe that was it?

That would be my guess.

mcozad829 · 04/29/2014, 12:55 PM

Update, Everything is back to normal today, skimmer running like it should and no casualties so whatever it was can be pulled out by carbon and excessive skimming in conjunction with a 30% water change.

04/28/2014, 05:16 PM	#1
mcozad829 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Natchitoches, LA Posts: 619 Blog Entries: 1	What the heck just happened? So I was changing out my filter sock and about to clean the skimmer cup. I put the clean sock in and then got distracted by crying kids. When I returned to clean the skimmer cup it was overflowing, it was about 1/2 full of skim mate and the tank had a cloudy tint to it. My birds nest and RBTA were closed up. I turned the flow adjustment on the skimmer all the way down but it was still overflowing. I quickly cleaned out the skimmer cup and it refilled in about 5 minutes, still on the lowest setting I continued to empty it 3 times until it slowed down a bit. I pulled the filter sock I put in, switched the GFO in my BRS dual reactor to carbon and ran double carbon and did a water change with the water I had on hand about 20 gallons. It has been a couple of hours and my birds nest is starting to open up again and my anenome doesn't look any worse but still not great. I am guessing one of two things happened... 1. I accidentally turned the flow adjustment on the skimmer while I was changing the sock and dumped a half full collection cup back into the tank. 2. The sock was contaminated with something. Is there anything else it could have been? And is there anything else I should do other than monitor the tank and do water changes if things don't perk up? What do I need to do to improve my husbandry skills so this does not happen again? __________________ "You'll have plenty of time for rolling doobies... when you're living in a van... down by the river!"

04/28/2014, 05:20 PM	#2
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	If you didn't clean the sock and it was new it likely has surfacants still in the material and will cause a skimmer to go crazy. I always wash them with a little bleach and no soap before first use. A husbandry tip for the future. If your skimmer is freaking out, let it, and drain it into a bucket (while you monitor it). Top off with salt water while it overflows. You will remove whatever it is that is causing the skimmer to freak out much quicker then just doing a water change. In regards to dumping skimmate you have already taken the appropriate steps. Watch for a bacterial bloom but it is likely one won't occur. __________________ 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.

04/28/2014, 05:23 PM	#3
mcozad829 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Natchitoches, LA Posts: 619 Blog Entries: 1	Good tip The sock is months old and been through the same cleaning process weekly, capful of bleach in the washing machine and double rinse. __________________ "You'll have plenty of time for rolling doobies... when you're living in a van... down by the river!"

04/28/2014, 07:34 PM	#5
mcozad829 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Natchitoches, LA Posts: 619 Blog Entries: 1	What the heck just happened? No it is an in-sump skimmer and the nearest drain is about 20 ft away in the kitchen. __________________ "You'll have plenty of time for rolling doobies... when you're living in a van... down by the river!" Last edited by mcozad829; 04/28/2014 at 07:51 PM.

04/28/2014, 08:16 PM	#7
mcozad829 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Natchitoches, LA Posts: 619 Blog Entries: 1	Well the six year old is my little reefer and knows better than to mess with the tank, heck she can name about 95% of what is in there by common name and can explain the nitrogen cycle in its simplest form. The twins were in their high chairs so I don't think it was the kids. Now that I think about it I did get gasoline on my hands a few hours before this... I rinsed my hands before I put them in the sump but maybe that was it? __________________ "You'll have plenty of time for rolling doobies... when you're living in a van... down by the river!"

04/28/2014, 07:20 PM	#4
tommyboynj Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 238	Does your skimmer sit in the same area as your drain?

04/28/2014, 08:00 PM	#6
MrClam Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 557	Did you put your hands in the water at all? Could it be possible you had something unusual on your hands. Also any chance one of the kids went near the tank? When things break in a house with kids I always first suspect kids...

04/29/2014, 12:55 PM	#9
mcozad829 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Natchitoches, LA Posts: 619 Blog Entries: 1	Update, Everything is back to normal today, skimmer running like it should and no casualties so whatever it was can be pulled out by carbon and excessive skimming in conjunction with a 30% water change. __________________ "You'll have plenty of time for rolling doobies... when you're living in a van... down by the river!"