Skimmer randomly overflows every few weeks!

[Kial]

i have the aquaone g220 skimmer and ever few weeks I find myself mopping the floor after it overflows.
It runs fine normally, the foam sits just about quarter the way up the skimmer cup neck, don’t mess around with the settings to much when it runs like this.
Can anyone tell me why it would randomly overflow then go back to normal again?

 

[Sfplaya1]

What are you feeding?

 

[TheEngineer]

Any chance you are using filter floss and changing it around the same time?

 

[Pntbll687]

Usually it's from water chemistry or viscosity changes.

Large water changes, over feeding, not topping off consistently can attribute to the problem.

It can also be from not cleaning the skimmer body. I was having the same issue, took the skimmer out and cleaned thoroughly and haven't had the issue since.

 

[Kial]

I feed brine shrimp, flakes and reef roids few times a week. Also have an auto top off.
Not using filter floss.

Possibly could be because I only clean the cup and not whole skimmer itself then.

 

[Pntbll687]

Give the air inlet a check first. If salt creep restricts or clogs the air intake it will do the same thing.

 

[Kial]

OK I'll check that later on. Thanks

 

[Jeepguy242]

Mine does that when I feed formula one. I think it’s the he’ll binder they use


Can you put the skimmer in the sump so if it does overflow it just goes back into the sump.

Or get one of the collection containers that have a shutoff in case they get full

 

[Kial]

My skimmer is in the sump with the drain line pit into a bottle outside of sump.

 

[Jeepguy242]

My skimmer is in the sump with the drain line pit into a bottle outside of sump.

Seal the bottle and it won’t overflow into the floor

 

[Cory]

Make sure you rinse the airline out with water. Salt creep building up cloggs it.

 

[miyags]

Collection cups for hang on skimmers should have the drain at the top, side of skimmer cup with a hose to aquarium.Not at the bottom. Any overflow goes back in your tank instead of on the floor.

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

I wrestled with my Vertex 250 for quite a while and then finally installed a shut off float switch. Run the drain from the skimmer into another container with the switch built in. If the output from the skimmer goes crazy, the switch shuts the skimmer off. You can usually find the required 110 volt relay switch at any good electrical store.
By the way, even after I moved the skimmer to a completely different system, it still occasionally overflows.