Skimmer overflowing issues

Mrs. Music · 02/04/2015, 04:42 PM

I replaced my skimmer with a Reef Octopus classic 200INT. It has been running since November, in 6" of water (was in 8" for a month), a kalk ATO. Previously ran a ASM G3. Oddly, the G3 had darker skimmate, but it was not smelly. Never over flowed. The RO Classic skimmate is thin, water, but SMELLY! Has over flowed a few times! The tank is a 187 gallon, with about 230 total water volume.

Mrs. Music · 02/04/2015, 07:55 PM

So what usually causes overflows?

droog · 02/04/2015, 08:50 PM

A few things can cause overflows. The most common causes I think are a variation in sump water level or blockage in the air flow to the skimmer. You need the water level to be constant in the chamber housing the skimmer. Perhaps the RO is more sensitive to that than your old skimmer. Or there could be a blockage.

There are other causes: coral glue / epoxy can cause many skimmers to go crazy for an hour or so. Some foods or organics in new ASW from a PWC can have the same effect too.

-droog

Savant · 02/05/2015, 11:51 AM

IME I had issues with undissolved baking soda or kalk gets picked up by the ato and BOOM skimmer explosion. Oddly enough a simple restart of the skimmer would cure the problem.

JoelA7 · 02/06/2015, 12:01 AM

+1 to elevated water level.

Mrs. Music · 02/06/2015, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savant

IME I had issues with undissolved baking soda or kalk gets picked up by the ato and BOOM skimmer explosion. Oddly enough a simple restart of the skimmer would cure the problem.

Thanks, I am going to experiment this weekend. I did not know that about kalk. Perhaps my pump is not high enough, or maybe sometimes the sludge builds up in the bottom of my kalk reservoir and gets picked by the ATO pump. Thank you so much!

Sk8r · 02/06/2015, 12:13 PM

New skimmers are also a problem: takes a while (or strong wash with vinegar) to get some of the manufacturing oiliness off the surface. If you have trouble with overflow, use a hose on the drain plug to route the effluent either back into the tank or into a very large barrel.

Watch your salinity: the combo of a topoff unit with a over-flowing skimmer can lower your salinity.

Mrs. Music · 02/06/2015, 02:52 PM

Thanks sk8r!

02/04/2015, 04:42 PM	#1
Mrs. Music Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sylvania, OH Posts: 636	Skimmer overflowing issues I replaced my skimmer with a Reef Octopus classic 200INT. It has been running since November, in 6" of water (was in 8" for a month), a kalk ATO. Previously ran a ASM G3. Oddly, the G3 had darker skimmate, but it was not smelly. Never over flowed. The RO Classic skimmate is thin, water, but SMELLY! Has over flowed a few times! The tank is a 187 gallon, with about 230 total water volume.

02/05/2015, 11:51 AM	#4
Savant Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: N.E. Pa Posts: 402	IME I had issues with undissolved baking soda or kalk gets picked up by the ato and BOOM skimmer explosion. Oddly enough a simple restart of the skimmer would cure the problem. __________________ ____________ Will Tank Info: 105g DT l 100g sump l remote fuge 40g l Photon 48V2 LED l Diablo XS200 l APEX to run the show

02/06/2015, 12:01 AM	#5
JoelA7 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,056	+1 to elevated water level. __________________ New 48x24x26.25 w Precision Marine R30 sump, Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, 2@Vertex 1.5L reactors for carbon & phosban, GEO Ca reactor w Aquarium Plants regulator. 2 MP40's 2@Radions. #120 live rock & #12

02/06/2015, 12:13 PM	#7
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	New skimmers are also a problem: takes a while (or strong wash with vinegar) to get some of the manufacturing oiliness off the surface. If you have trouble with overflow, use a hose on the drain plug to route the effluent either back into the tank or into a very large barrel. Watch your salinity: the combo of a topoff unit with a over-flowing skimmer can lower your salinity. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

02/04/2015, 07:55 PM	#2
Mrs. Music Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sylvania, OH Posts: 636	So what usually causes overflows?

02/04/2015, 08:50 PM	#3
droog Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 736	A few things can cause overflows. The most common causes I think are a variation in sump water level or blockage in the air flow to the skimmer. You need the water level to be constant in the chamber housing the skimmer. Perhaps the RO is more sensitive to that than your old skimmer. Or there could be a blockage. There are other causes: coral glue / epoxy can cause many skimmers to go crazy for an hour or so. Some foods or organics in new ASW from a PWC can have the same effect too. -droog

02/06/2015, 02:52 PM	#8
Mrs. Music Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sylvania, OH Posts: 636	Thanks sk8r!