Soapy Foam in Skimmer

[gkMiami]

My tank is about 2 months old and currently going through the ugly phase. During the last 2 days I noticed a soapy looking foam in my skimmer. The only events I can correlate this too are an increase in diatoms/alage on the glass as part of the ugly phase and I also added Purple Helyx for coraline algae.

Should I just keep cleaning out the skimmer until the soapy foam is gone, or is this part of the process and just let it go?

Thanks!

 

[Soren]

I am not the most experienced, but I am pretty sure that is the basic function of a skimmer: using foam to remove organic compounds from the water. It looks like normal "dry" operation (as opposed to "wet" with a lot more liquid carried into the collection cup).

 

[schuby]

Looks like normal skimmate to me. Foam usually starts to form in a skimmer after a break-in period of 1-2 weeks. If it's been creating foam but not overflowing into the cup, then you've had it adjusted too low. No overflow = no removal of organics. Too much overflow (usually very wet) and the cup will overflow back into the sump, negating the purpose of a skimmer. I periodically have to adjust my skimmer. it is definitely not "set and forget".

Skimmers also provide oxygenation of the water so, even if not creating much foam/skimmate, they provide a valuable function necessary to keep fish alive and keep PH up (and more stable throughout the day).

 

[Jtk920]

Normal skimmate, if it's really dry adjust it higher, really wet adjust lower

 

[gkMiami]

Thanks. It used to be a lot thicker, so just wondering what changed. Ok if its normal then we good. Thanks.

 

[gkMiami]

Normal skimmate, if it's really dry adjust it higher, really wet adjust lower

By higher and lower, do you mean actually putting the skimmer on a stand to move it a bit out of the water?

 

[Rubberfrog]

Leave it alone. It's working.

 

[schuby]

There are four ways that I can adjust my skimmer. This is the order in which i use them (most frequent to least frequent/never):

1. Adjust water-level inside skimmer
   1. This us a vertical pipe on the side of my skimmer. Turn it one way and water level in skimmer goes down. Turn it the other way and water level goes up. Water level directly affects foam level.
2. Adjust DC pump: affects water level inside skimmer and amount of bubbles
   1. This is a number from 1-9. This is a gross adjustment but effective.
      1. If I notice my skimmer is too wet/overflowing, I'll first lower the pump setting instead of just turning it off.
3. Adjust the input air-line
   1. This is a screw on the "muffler" of the air-line. The screw acts like a choke. Closing it down chokes the air-supply and lowers the amount of bubbles. Opening it does the opposite.
   2. I try to leave this unchanged as it is super sensitive.
4. Adjust the water level in sump (skimmer section in my case)
   1. The skimmer-section of my sump has an adjustable wall that I set to 9" (within manufacturer's recommended range) and have never changed.
   2. Without adjustable wall, I could also add or remove water from my entire system. This would raise or lower the level in my sump.
   3. Another option is to raise the skimmer itself by putting a platform/stand under it.

Use whatever methods you want. Just want you to be aware of the options.

 

[Jtk920]

By higher and lower, do you mean actually putting the skimmer on a stand to move it a bit out of the water?

Increase the hight of the foam, or decrease the foam hight. It looks like it's operating properly. Set the skimmer body hight per skimmer recommendation, then adjust the foam level from there to the base of the neck.