Letting skimmer go nuts...

[sporeefer]

Hey all, I’m new to the hobby and very excited. I have a 60g cube and I’m just trying to settle into the first cycle. I fired up my Curve 5 a day or two ago and it’s going absolutely nuts- I know that’s not unheard of..

My question is, can I just let it overflow and be crazy until it settles down eventually? That chamber of the sump is like an angry bottle of champagne right now, and I’ve got bubbles out the top, bubbles underneath, bubbles up through the little adjustment pipe... its not making much of a mess though, and the bubbles aren’t making it to the main tank. Do I have to raise the skimmer and take steps to make it stop or can I just leave it alone until it settles down on its own?

 

[Brad Miller]

Adjust your air intake as low as it can go, then do whatever it takes to block it off more....like I put a piece of masking tape over mine and used a sewing needle to poke tiny holes in it as needed and over time a bit more, then finally after it’s broken in, remove the tape and adjust as needed.

 

[sporeefer]

Adjust your air intake as low as it can go, then do whatever it takes to block it off more....like I put a piece of masking tape over mine and used a sewing needle to poke tiny holes in it as needed and over time a bit more, then finally after it’s broken in, remove the tape and adjust as needed.

Great idea! I just did it and now the bubbles come up the main column but stop right about at the bottom of the overflow cup. Is that a good position? Also I’m still getting a lot of bubbles from underneath the skimmer into the sump compartment. Is that supposed to happen?

 

[Brad Miller]

Perfect !

 

[sporeefer]

Perfect !

Much appreciated! And the bubbles from underneath- is that normal? Will that stop or is that just part of how they work?

 

[Brad Miller]

Things will settle down eventually, it’s normal

 

[sporeefer]

Just an update for anyone else who might be searching re: this topic... i went several weeks letting barely a pinhole of air into the skimmer’s inlet tube, and I was still producing a LOT of bubbles in the column and even spilling out from underneath the skimmer, making bubbles in the sump (as you can see above).

Today I did two things that seem to have helped. First of all I don’t know the terminology but there’s a disc inside the skimmer with lots of holes in it all the way around except for one ~1in section. I hadn’t positioned that solid section in any particular place, but the disc should really be rotated and secured in place so that the solid bit is directly over where the skimmer pump is shooting upward into the column. Don’t let it shoot straight up through the holes in the disc.

This single tweak made the bubbles in the sump stop completely.

I also raised the sump water level to 8in and it seems to have helped a bit but I’m still restricting the amount air I let into the inlet line... but at least now I feel like I’m on the right track.

Hope that helps someone!