Skimmer went crazy!!

phil_pl · Mar 14, 2013

I came home today to a slightly cloudy tank. Looking closer; I notice that they are actually micro bubbles. I then checked my skimmer......wow

For starters the ENTIRE skimmer is full of micro bubbles, the collection cup drains into a 20oz plastic bottle, (the bottle was about 1/3 full of skimmate this morning) by the time I got home, the 20 oz bottle was overflowing with tank water that was being pushed through the skimmer. All the skimmate is now back in the tank

I have begun changing water to help get all the skimmate out of the tank and no one seems to be suffering but I can't help but wonder why did this happen in the first place??

renoeb · Mar 14, 2013

This won't devastate your tank, but you should definitely do a sizable water change. This has happened to me once or twice before.

phil_pl · Mar 14, 2013

Any ideas as to what causes it?

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SAWDUSTINTANK · Mar 14, 2013

I have experienced this issue before with my Vertex IN100 in my 20 gallon sump. IME/IMO the only thing I can attribute this happening in my tank is
A) Some kind of momentary power outage.
B) A momentary surge of water from my drain pipe.
C) Some kind of chemical in the water caused by the corals themselves. IME, when I trim back xenia in my tank, they release a white mucus into the water column that does make my skimmer act weird. The head of foam in the skimmer neck fizzles out for a few hours. Although you were not home, I mention this because maybe the corals could have released something into the water column too.

And it always does this when I am being lazy and don't empty the filled collection cup and I get a good bit of nog that goes back into the tank. :cry:

ReeferBob · Mar 15, 2013

I changed my filter sock for a new one once and caused this exact thing to happen.

johnstonstms3 · Mar 15, 2013

I see this every now and again. It usualy happens when I loose a fish and the skimmer is working overtime. Take a stock check and see if you lost anything.

mike007 · Mar 15, 2013

I had a algae bloom from carbon dosing and my skimmer was doing the same thing.

MitchReef · Mar 15, 2013

I painted my bathroom and my skimmer puked.....

phil_pl · Mar 15, 2013

Thank you everyone for the replies. I think I may have figured out the cause. Two days ago I had a rock fall onto my Rose Brain

I am guessing that action started the set of events that led to the skimmer going crazy.

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mike007 · Mar 15, 2013

Did it kill the brain? If so you are probaly right. That could be the problem.

phil_pl · Mar 17, 2013

The brain is not dead, as of now... Right after the rock fell the brain pulled in and returned to a normal appearance in a day, but after that day it has gone back to the same state.