geez this skimmer

[ivet]

ok, i bought a huge skimmer to accomodate my 200, the aquac ev200, and I have to clean it three times a day because it fills to the max with gunk in 1 hour. It's getting really old . I even put an EXTRA collection cup on top, and now they both fill up to the max and i have even more to clean.

Ugh, if I have to buy another $400 skimmer im gonna scream. Is it possible that something in the water is causing the skimmer to produce massive amounts of foam?

I've tried all different water levels and settings for the skimmer, but its always the same.

heres a photo of the mod


ammonia 0
nitrate 0
temp 80-81.5
sg 1.27
phos - always waay too high (dam*it)
ca 400
using kent maxxima 60gpd
300lbs LR
30g water changes every 2 weeks

I can't believe how un-aquascaped my tank is. im having a bad tank week

[ 04-16-2001: Message edited by: ivet ]

[tdwyatt]

ivet,

I am sorry to say, but the only sure fix for this skimmer is to send it to me (Just kidding) Try having a barbed fitting 3/8" tapped into the bottom of the collection cup and attach a 3/8" inner diameter hose to it . put the end of the hose in a LARGE collection container and let the skimmer run till it's heart is content. (check the collection container for a while...) With a large skimmer and a large tank, expect to need a large collection container to hold the large amount of skimmate.

Larger than Life,

Tom

[Powrplay]

Is this the first skimmer for your tank? What size is your tank anyway? What is your maintenance / feeding schedule like? Do you have any idea where you're getting your high phos levels from?

[Pikaboo]

ivet...

this maybe the cause.... but I'm not sure. From the picture... it seems the foam is wet... this happened to me. And my friend told me that it was because the water was "new."

Is the gunk that comes out fairly "clean"? or is it like very dark in color?

I'm wondering maybe you can do like.. 10 gallons water chage instead of 30 on the same schedule.. and see if it helps?

[Rick O]

I've been running an EV-150 for a few months now. About a month ago I made some changes to my sump which required me to raise the skimmer a few inches higher than it had previously been. Afterwards I found the skimmer to be more difficult to adjust. I was either getting a very wet foam or none at all. I finally got the setting right by judging the wetness of the foam that comes out but the water level inside the skimmer is much lower than the manual suggests. I've also found that now any fluctuations in the water level in the sump have a negative impact on the skimmer's performance. This requires my to add topoff water at least twice a day (auto topoff on order ).

From what I see in your pics I would first try opening the gate valve until you get a dryer foam. I found that I only had to nudge the gate valve to make a significant difference in the output so make the adjustments slowly.

HTH, Rick

[ivet]

rick-o,
i had the same problem as you until i moved the skimmer out of the sump so I never had to make adjustments. This way I can have complete control over it. I've experimented with every water level, and i'm still getting massive amounts of dry thick foam with dark gunk (i want the liquid so i can just leave the thing skim for a day), but the dry foam clogs the skimmer. This is what's leading me to believe I need another skimmer

-iv

[Alice]

Have you contacted the manufacturer yet to see if they can give you any suggestions?

Is the skimmer "broke in" yet? Until you get a nice coating of organic gunk on the inside of the collection cup skimmers can draw more than they need.

[Rick O]

If you're getting dry thick dark gunk I would think that the skimmer is doing it's job. I can't see what else it could be.

Rick

[ivet]

yes, its defnitely doing its job, but fills every 2 hours or so, clogged with the thick stuff. it's well broken in, so my only guess is that I need an additional one. thought of drilling bigger holes in the collection cup, but thats a risky job. I can always stack a third cup!

thanks for all the replies!
-iv

[Pik]

Wow... I gotta ask... what are you feeding the tank? I can't imagine why it would fill up that fast. If it keeps doing that.... how about just plumb the gunk directly to some drain pipe? Then there'd be no more emtying the bucket!

[ivet]

i dont feed the tank at all, just have all the FL rock.

the tubes drain right into the sink; they clog with foam. I'll take a recent photo of whats happening. its weird.