Chemiclean and the skimmer

[FishGuyBri]

So... I had a long bout of cyano. Used chemiclean, it has gone, yay! But my skimmer has now been on for two weeks and it still overflows at the lowest setting within a minute. Will this go back to normal operation? I've already done three 20% water changes over two weeks. Fish and coral are doing well. Skimmer was dialed in perfectly, but it's starting to worry me.

 

[CoralNerd]

So... I had a long bout of cyano. Used chemiclean, it has gone, yay! But my skimmer has now been on for two weeks and it still overflows at the lowest setting within a minute. Will this go back to normal operation? I've already done three 20% water changes over two weeks. Fish and coral are doing well. Skimmer was dialed in perfectly, but it's starting to worry me.

Here's the steps you need to take.
1) Make 10g to 30g of saltwater and have it on hand.
2) Hook a tune up to the drain on the skimmer cup.
3) Drain all the skimming via the tube into a bucket. (Exporting ChemiClean)
4) Eventually the skimmer will calm down after 10g to 30g....then add your new saltwater and your all done.

Be sure to turn off your ATO.

You may want to also setup a tube syphon from the tank to the sump so you have plenty of the water from the tank in the sump so the skimmer can export. [emoji106]

 

[skim]

Add GAC.

 

[nervousmonkey]

+1 to the advice above. Until you get the chemicals that are in ChemiClean out of your system, either by skimming them out, literally as CoralNerd said, or through the use of a lot of GAC, preferably ROX 0.8 to remove as much as possible, or both, which is what I do, your skimmer will keep overflowing. Just get it out of the system. 3 water changes of 20% still leave over 50% of the ChemiClean in the tank, specifically 51.2%. First WC is 1.00 X 0.80 = 80% left, times 0.80 = 64% left times 0.80 =51.2% left.

Follow the advice of both CoralNerd and Skim. You need to use your skimmer, set to the wettest setting possible, and drain out your water, combined with GAC, in a reactor, not just in a bag sitting in your sump, which won't do much. You need the GAC to be actively utilized. If you don't have a reactor, you can make one with a Gatorade bottle and a pump. PM me and I'll tell you how to do it. Good luck man, it's no fun having an overflowing skimmer from CC... ;Blackeye;Blackeye;Blackeye;Blackeye

 

[FishGuyBri]

Thanks!! I'm going to do another WC today. I unfortunately can't hook a tube to drain the skimmer because the plug broke. So WC and I will also try ROX.

 

[FishGuyBri]

Here's the steps you need to take.
1) Make 10g to 30g of saltwater and have it on hand.
2) Hook a tune up to the drain on the skimmer cup.
3) Drain all the skimming via the tube into a bucket. (Exporting ChemiClean)
4) Eventually the skimmer will calm down after 10g to 30g....then add your new saltwater and your all done.

Be sure to turn off your ATO.

You may want to also setup a tube syphon from the tank to the sump so you have plenty of the water from the tank in the sump so the skimmer can export. [emoji106]

Unfortunately the drain on my skimmer broke and I cannot connect a drain tube :-( but I may be able to figure something out...

 

[malira]

Thanks!! I'm going to do another WC today. I unfortunately can't hook a tube to drain the skimmer because the plug broke. So WC and I will also try ROX.

I physically raise my skimmer higher in my sump until the bubbles are lower than the lip of the cup. I have a platform made of egg crate. I slide in more 10 x 10 pieces underneath the skimmer.

 

[skim]

You may want to just try the Carbon, when I used the Chemiclean I ran the Carbon first for about a hour or two before turning the Skimmer back on and worked as normal. It also depends on the original dose, I went a little on the low side of what I figured was my total water volume.

 

[wkscott]

I have used chemiclean many times over the past 20 years, (including in freshwater.)
I have never had to do multiple water changes to remove the treatment. 20% change as recommended and then fresh carbon or Chemipure. Within 24 hours of adding carbon, skimmer was back to normal.

 

[FishGuyBri]

I physically raise my skimmer higher in my sump until the bubbles are lower than the lip of the cup. I have a platform made of egg crate. I slide in more 10 x 10 pieces underneath the skimmer.

I tried raising it almost 8 inches-no good. Still overflows

 

[wkscott]

I tried raising it almost 8 inches-no good. Still overflows

If it's overflowing right away then you hsve too much air going into it. Can you reduce the air flow?

 

[FishGuyBri]

If it's overflowing right away then you hsve too much air going into it. Can you reduce the air flow?

I tried that. I've reduced it as far as I can: I ran gac br going to make a makeshift gac reactor and run that for a few hours tomorrow prior to turning skimmer back on and see if that helps.

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

It just takes a while to get the chemiclean fully out the system. I went almost 2 weeks, 2 30% water changes, a crazy skimmer, and a bunch of carbon before I cleared it out.

 

[wkscott]

I tried that. I've reduced it as far as I can: I ran gac br going to make a makeshift gac reactor and run that for a few hours tomorrow prior to turning skimmer back on and see if that helps.

What type of skimmer do you have? Id it a Reef Octopus? There is an easy trick to reducing the airflow even lower.

 

[Dennis2213]

What type of skimmer do you have? Id it a Reef Octopus? There is an easy trick to reducing the airflow even lower.

How

 

[DB402020]

I just treated with Chemiclean 48h ago and did the 20% water change as well with no effect on overflow. Im hooking my skimmer up to a drain so we will see how fast the overflow clears out!