Skimmer just Foaming?

[Beausoleiljacob]

Just recently I have noticed that my skimmer, rather than having a really dark skimmate in the cup just has tons of brown bubbles. The same think in the neck of my skimmer it is just a bunch of brown bubbly froth. Any idea what's wrong? Is there just not enough nutrients to pull really anything out. I did do a water change the other day.

 

[GrandLotus]

Sounds like your skimmer is working well. The skim fluctuates from time to time...just how it is.

What brand/model skimmer are you running?
Sump?
HoB?

You could always do a coral feeding with something like Coral Frenzy/ect and confirm that your skimmer is up and operational.

 

[Ocean reefer]

Maybe a picture?

 

[Beausoleiljacob]

Sounds like your skimmer is working well. The skim fluctuates from time to time...just how it is.

What brand/model skimmer are you running?
Sump?
HoB?

You could always do a coral feeding with something like Coral Frenzy/ect and confirm that your skimmer is up and operational.

It's the aquaMAX CO-1 in sump. Gotcha I will give it a try. I will also attach a picture when I get home.

 

[Beausoleiljacob]

 

[Beausoleiljacob]

??

 

[jdpeters]

I feel skimmers cause more trouble than do good

 

[GrandLotus]

I feel skimmers cause more trouble than do good

Then don't use one and do a 20% water change every week.

My skimmer pulls out the darkest, smelliest and disgusting water from my tank and would never run a tank without one.

YMMV.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OP, does your water level stay stable in your sump with an ATO?
That could be the problem if you have fluctuating water levels down there.

Looks like the skimmer if running correctly to me.

 

[Ocean reefer]

Looking good to me as well[emoji3].. I agree with GrandLotus I would never have a reef tank without a skimmer

 

[Beausoleiljacob]

Looking good to me as well[emoji3].. I agree with GrandLotus I would never have a reef tank without a skimmer

Why isn't there any liquid in my cup and just bubbles?

 

[Busa1340]

I was concerned about my new bubble magus curve 7. I also was wondering why I wasent getting more liquid. Mine produces big foam blatches and I can't seem to get it black. But it is very dark brown.. Than again I have nothing in my tank but rock.. Going threw the cycle so I'm hoping it gets a little darker once live stock is added. The pic you posted looks to be like its going good!

 

[Oceansize]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, things like this happen all the time. It simply suggests that the amount & composition of proteins fluctuates, or it could be that the water level in your skimmer has declined a little bit. When that happens, the water in the skimmer needs to get scummier before it can rise all the way to the top (because the scummier the water, the longer it takes for the bubble to pop, thus scummier bubbles can rise farther before popping). A skimmate that is more bubbles than liquid is what is known as running dry. Personally I prefer a dry running skimmer to a wet one, as the skimmate produced is a higher ratio of proteins to water. (We bought these things to remove proteins, not water, lol)

Conversely, if your skimmer starts running wet and it looks like you may be in danger of overflowing, check to see if the filter over your output isn't gunked up. That can reduce flow of the output relative to flow of the input, thereby raising the water level in the skimmer and causing overly-wet skimmate.

 

[GrandLotus]

Why isn't there any liquid in my cup and just bubbles?

The bubbles will eventually de-oxygenate and turn into a more liquid form.

How long has the skim stayed as a bubble?

My skim will stay as a bubble form for as long as 12-24 hours in the collection cup.

 

[Ocean reefer]

Can u take the lid off and shoot a pic strait down? Guys maybe the water in the skimmer isn't high enough

 

[Ocean reefer]

this is my skimmer

 

[luke33]

If you use to get skimmate in the cup and nothing has changed I bet you need to clean out your pump venturi as it is probably getting clogged from calc and salt creep, which in return would cause the internal water level to lower and bubbles gunking up the neck instead of getting into the collection cup.

 

[pingzing47]

As mentioned be sure its clean. If water column is not full of nutrients to pull out you won't see much activity. Check your phos and nitrate levels.

 

[pingzing47]

this is my skimmer

 

[pingzing47]

this is my skimmer

 

[pingzing47]

Now that's a skimmer!