Crazy amount of foam in sump

[leroy_jenkinz]

So I'll try to include all the facts but I have a new 90g tank with dry rock purchased from reef cleaners, I have a new filter sock and gave everything a good wipe down with vinegar/water wash. I just started my cycle today with dr Tim's and ammonia. There was no foam in there until about about a hour or so after I started the cycle. I'm assuming this isn't normal and something is wrong and curious as to what the solution is

 

[dantimdad]

Wow!

Did you use RO/DI? It almost looks like rapidly falling water treated with stress coat.

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

Yea I used rodi. It's weird though it was running fine through out the day just testing for leaks and running the skimmer and then i added the dr Tim's and ammonia and then the foam started happening

 

[dwest]

Yea I used rodi. It's weird though it was running fine through out the day just testing for leaks and running the skimmer and then i added the dr Tim's and ammonia and then the foam started happening

Impressive! Never seen that. If you are running a skimmer, I might back off for a while.

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

Impressive! Never seen that. If you are running a skimmer, I might back off for a while.

I would accept impressive in any other circumstances Haha. I actually have it off because I started cycling the tank today

 

[dantimdad]

how far is the water falling?

how many gph?

What size tank?

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

The tank is 90 gallons with a eshopps adv series sump. I'm pretty sure I have the sicce 3.0 return pump but it could be a 2.0 I bought the tank and equipment used

 

[dantimdad]

Try turning the flow down quite a bit and see if it stops.

I bet it helps.

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

Try turning the flow down quite a bit and see if it stops.

I bet it helps.

Ok will do thanks for the replies and hopefully that solves it

 

[Mark Gray]

Do you have leather coral? If you do run carbon and do a water change

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

Do you have leather coral? If you do run carbon and do a water change

i dont have any thing i literally just started the cycle today. I turned down the flow like dan said and it solved the issue thankfully

 

[NickC]

Take a look at the ammonia that you used, if it foams when you shake the bottle it probably has a surfactant (soap) in it.

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

Take a look at the ammonia that you used, if it foams when you shake the bottle it probably has a surfactant (soap) in it.

its the ammoniia that comes with dr tims. it foams when shaken but goes away within 10 seconds i would say. i still dont know whats causing the foam but i lowered my return flow and its stopped

 

[davocean]

If it was a brand new filter sock and you did not rinse it before placing it that will foam up just like that

 

[NickC]

its the ammoniia that comes with dr tims. it foams when shaken but goes away within 10 seconds i would say. i still dont know whats causing the foam but i lowered my return flow and its stopped

Ok you’re good then. Certain bottles of ammonia from the hardware store have soap in them, just figured it’d be something easy to check.

 

[dantimdad]

i dont have any thing i literally just started the cycle today. I turned down the flow like dan said and it solved the issue thankfully

It's actually Steven. One of my son's name is Dan.

Glad I could help!

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

If it was a brand new filter sock and you did not rinse it before placing it that will foam up just like that

yea i didnt, i didnt know you were suppose to rinse them, another forum told me to take it out and rinse it with warm water and i did that i just didnt put it back in as i let it dry over night and didnt want to wake up to a sump full of foam

 

[davocean]

yea i didnt, i didnt know you were suppose to rinse them, another forum told me to take it out and rinse it with warm water and i did that i just didnt put it back in as i let it dry over night and didnt want to wake up to a sump full of foam

Understood, I remember the first time I saw foam like that from new socks and kinda was trippin, a lot of people don't realize they foam really bad if you don'r rinse out well preferably in warm water, usually good to go after just a few rinses.

 

[leroy_jenkinz]

Understood, I remember the first time I saw foam like that from new socks and kinda was trippin, a lot of people don't realize they foam really bad if you don'r rinse out well preferably in warm water, usually good to go after just a few rinses.

yea my fault for not researching them. Im waiting for my cycle to get a bit older so i can run my skimmer because even with the filter sock out if i have my return pump on 100% theres still a lot of foam in my sump.