Skimmer question

[San Diego Husky]

So I've had this reef octopus skimmer broken in and running for 3.5 months and it's been great. I just scrubbed it down inside and out and now it's not producing much skimmate and the bubble level is a lot lower, is it normal after cleaning and skimmer to do this? Does it have to break in again? Thanks!

 

[Crabs McJones]

After a deep cleaning it will need a mini break in As long as you didn't adjust the intake valve and left it where it was prior to cleaning, it just needs to settle down again

 

[WVNed]

It has to collect enough stuff inside to foam again. It takes a few hours. Pumping air into water just makes bubbles. It is the stuff that mixes with the bubble walls that makes a foam that clumps together.

Foam fractionation is a chemical process in which hydrophobic molecules are preferentially separated from a liquid solution using rising columns of foam. It is commonly used, albeit on a small scale, for the removal of organic waste from aquariums; these units are known as "protein skimmers"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foam_fractionation

 

[gtrider]

Thanks for this post. I have the same skimmer and i need to clean the inside.

 

[San Diego Husky]

Right on, thanks guys! Ya my refugium light is also promoting some algae within the skimmer along the side of the light, idk if anyone else has this problem but am gonna have to clean it out more often.