What makes epoxy cause a skimmer to overflow?

[Miami Reef]

In addition, since the overflowing skimmer isn’t removing anything (usually the collection cup is removed), what causes the skimmer to stop overflowing?

Is the overflowing-causing compound degrading in the water? Is bacteria consuming it? Where does it go?

Same goes for fabric softener that gets in the tank: where does it go that makes the skimmer stop going crazy?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Fabric softener in the tank??

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

I'd add some carbon to remove whatever epoxy residue is causing the issue...idk exactly what im the epoxy causes it.

 

[Miami Reef]

Fabric softener in the tank??

Not recently, but a while ago I had a problem where newly washed filter socks caused my skimmer to overflow.

I later found that liquid fabric softener was caked inside the fabric softener compartment which was leeching into the socks.

I deep cleaned the compartment, and now we only use drier sheets if we want our clothes to smell nicer.

This was a while ago. It was just another example.

I did some forum reading, and it looks like activated carbon and skimming both remove the compounds that cause the overflowing. Thanks, ErinTexas.

 

[Gomez Adams]

In addition, since the overflowing skimmer isn’t removing anything (usually the collection cup is removed), what causes the skimmer to stop overflowing?

Is the overflowing-causing compound degrading in the water? Is bacteria consuming it? Where does it go?

Same goes for fabric softener that gets in the tank: where does it go that makes the skimmer stop going crazy?

Adding nearly anything to your tank can make a skimmer go nuts because of chemicals and/or viscosity changes that can hit the skimmer all at once.

Any time I'm ever going to do anything on a tank (water change, add something, etc.) I simply turn the skimmer off until the next day to let the water settle back down and equalize.

Pull the plug on it, do what you have to do, then plug it in the next morning. It saves a ton of aggravation.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Molecules that have surfactant properties (namely, a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic portion), typically adsorb at the air water interface, lowering the air water surface tension, and make it easier to create and maintain bubbles and foam. Adding more of those causes skimmers to overflow.

i describe in detail the skimming process here:

What is Skimming? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Adding nearly anything to your tank can make a skimmer go nuts because of chemicals and/or viscosity changes that can hit the skimmer all at once.

FWIW, I do not believe that viscosity plays a role here.

 

[Gomez Adams]

FWIW, I do not believe that viscosity plays a role here.

You get a small piece of that gel that floats off, hits that skimmer and gets pulverized, yeah. It can.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You get a small piece of that gel that floats off, hits that skimmer and gets pulverized, yeah. It can.

I think you may misunderstand the chemistry of viscosity and skimming. If you want to expand on why you beleive viscosity is important I'm happen to discuss it in detail.

I do not know what gel you are talking about, but nothing that is a discrete piece of anything will impact the viscosity of the water around it, unless it dissolves, and small changes in the viscosity of the tank water by anything you add to a reef tank is not going to impact the skimming process.

That said, solids that enter a skimmer certainly can impact the skimming process for other reasons, such as bubble popping or by themselves being skimmed out, or by dissolving and releasing discrete molecules that act as surfactants.