Protein skimmer making too much bubbles

[20 gallon nano]

I just purchased a aquamaxx em200 for my sump and its releasing too much bubbles into the sump and aquarium, is that normal? It hasn't broken in yet.

 

[Joeganja]

Photo?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Assuming you have no bubble traps in your sump, and this is in saltwater (sorry I asked, but this happened once before), and it's an established tank?

You shouldn't be getting any significant amount of bubbles out of the skimmer.

First make sure it's in the proper depth of water.

I'm not familiar with this skimmer, but if it has them, play with the air intake valve and water exit port valve.

Breaking in does usually calm a skimmer down.

 

[Electrobes]

I just cleaned out my skimmer and it took a full two days for the bubbles to stop overflowing the skimmer cup and more. I would be patient, but redfishblue makes a good point about how well established the new tank is. Newer tanks usually take a bit longer to adjust a new skimmer.

 

[Reefing Madness]

http://www.instantocean.com/Instant-Answers/Instant-Ocean-FAQs/Foam-Fractionation.aspx

 

[20 gallon nano]

Photo?

Yes it's a salt water tank. I had this tank set up for about a year now. It's letter out alot of bubbles out of the outlet, I tried adjusting it, it was the same and the bubble trap isn't stopping them from going into the aquarium. The skimmer recomands 8 to 10 inches, mine is in 8 inches.

 

[20 gallon nano]

As you can see in the pictures, the whole sump area is filled with bubbles.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Something is wrong with the skimmer......it's missing a part; needs to be clean; who knows.......it just shouldn't be doing that.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Airline is blocked up.

 

[Live Water]

i have a similar problem with my tank, im not sure what i can do about it, im thinking about building a mesh cage around the bulkhead for the return pump and covering it with replaceable quilt batting, to filter out the bubbles.

 

[20 gallon nano]

There's no missing parts and the airline is clear, I read some people say that the skimmer needs to break in and then the bubbles will stop coming out from the outlet, but watching other people on YouTube just starting up there skimmer for the first time and seeing there skimmer chambers clear makes me think that something going wrong.

 

[20 gallon nano]

You were right "reefing madness", the silencer was clogged up, when I checked the airline, it was clear but I didn't think to look in the silencer. I unclogged it and it running like its supposed to.theres a small amount of bubbles still coming out of the outlet but my bubble trap stops them.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Now your in business. the micro bubbles your was causing wasn't from it making to many bubbles, it was from not being able to make bubbles.
It will do the same thing now when the airline at the pump gets salt creep in it.

 

[20 gallon nano]

Yeap, now I can finally get it to break in since its running good.all I'm getting now is white foam with a light tint of green , I'm guessing it will pull out more green eventually, right?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Oh yea, it'll pull out whats needed, sometimes more yuk, sometimes less yuk.

 

[20 gallon nano]

Okay here's an update, after couple days the bubbles have lowered, I'm not producing any skimate and idk what's going on. Do bubbles form no matter what or does it actually have to have green slime (fish waste) for the bubbles to rise?

 

[zwulfke]

Sometimes they adjust and need to be readjusted. Just make sure your foam is by the neck area

 

[20 gallon nano]

My feom is at the bottom close to the water line. Right below the clear plastic.

 

[zwulfke]

Should be good then probably not much to skim

 

[20 gallon nano]

So are you saying foam will only form if it collects wish waste?