- Why is my protein skimmer overflowing?
This is one of
the most common questions asked in reef keeping
and today we're gonna look at the reasons why.
(upbeat music)
Hello everyone,
this is Wayland from Marine Depot and thanks for tuning in.
The good news is that an overflowing skimmer is not
a broken or defective skimmer.
Let's talk a bit more about proteins skimmers
that help us understand how they work
and what causes them to overflow.
When food, livestock waste
or any decomposing organic manner breaks down your aquarium,
it forms organic compounds in the water column.
Each molecule of these compounds has
one side which is positively charged
and one side which is negatively charged.
These charges are the reason you may see an oily film on
the surface of tanks that don't use a protein skimmer.
One side of the molecule is attracted to the water
while the other side of the molecule is repelled by it,
drawing them to the surface.
Just as the charge molecules are attracted to
the surface of the water,
they are also attracted to the surface of
the tiny bubbles created by a skimmer.
As the bubbles rise to the skimmer body,
they collect these waste molecules.
Once they reach the top,
they form a foam that will overflow into the skimmer cup
and can be easily removed.
Occasionally, the skimmer can overproduce foam,
quickly filling the cup and resulting in an overflow.
Within the first two to four weeks,
it's pretty standard for your skimmer to overflow,
until the body builds up the appropriate biofilm,
the skimmer tends to act pretty erratically.
Adding activated carbon to your filtration
and doing additional water changes,
will reduce the viscosity of your water,
causing less foam and fewer overflows.
It's also pretty standard for skimmers to
overflow during tank cycles.
Since there typically isn't much waste in
the tank during this period,
it's okay to just leave your skimmer off until
the tank is fully cycled.
Outside of removing waste from your water,
another benefit of skimmers is
that they heavily oxygenate your water.
If you still want this oxygenation during your tank cycle,
feel free to leave your skimmer on
and just remove the collection cup.
Whenever you add new chemicals to your tank,
you're gonna change the water chemistry.
As skimmers are finely tuned,
even the smallest changes can affect your performance.
And will often result in an overflow.
Some of these overflow perpetrators include
water conditioners, bacteria mixes,
oily foods, medications and frag epoxies.
But the list goes on.
Another culprit that tends to
fly under the radar is fresh filter socks.
Oftentimes, when filter socks are produced,
they will have some sort of
residue left over from the manufacturing process.
When introduced into your tank,
this can unfortunately get into your water
and cause your skimmer to go crazy.
A quick rinse of the socks before
installation will fix this problem
and make your life much easier.
Even household cleaning solutions such as
soaps and air freshener sprayed over the tank,
can cause your water chemistry to
change just enough to trigger an overflow.
Again, carbon is your best friend here and is great for
pulling out these undesirable chemicals out of your tank.
If you're introducing medication directly to your main tank,
expect your skimmer to go haywire.
Unfortunately, the skimmer is gonna overflow until
you're done medicating and all of
the excess chemicals have been pulled out
via carbon or water change.
Remember to always check your skimmer's user manual
for its recommended water level.
Although every skimmer allows you to
adjust this internal water level,
this can only go so far.
If the water level in your sub is too high,
it will elevate the form to
a point where there's just too much running into the cup,
once again, resulting in an overflow.
If you find your water level too high,
a number of companies sell skimmer stands
just for this reason.
Make sure to keep your regular maintenance schedule as well.
Just soaking the pump parts in
a vinegar and water solution,
giving them a quick scrubbing with a toothbrush
will greatly increase your skimmer's performance.
And don't forget to
clear your venturi's airline of any blockages.
If you find yourself with an overflowing skimmer,
just remember to ask, what's changed.
Have you recently done a major water change
or started dosing medication?
Did you just switch out your filter socks
or changed to a new frozen food?
The simplest way to solving an overflowing skimmer is,
just figure out what is different from before.
Let us know your experiences with overflowing skimmers
and how you've handled them in the comments below.
If you found this video helpful,
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As always, take care and enjoy the reef keeping journey.
(upbeat music)