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View Full Version : Hang-on skimmer is overflowing question.

ReefOcean
12-22-2011, 01:27 AM
I woke up to discover my skimmer spewing waste from the collection cup back into the chamber (essentially into my tank). My skimmer will randomly create very wet skimmate, and cause the collection cup to fill up. Before, I thought it was a water level issue (water level changing from evaporation) but now that I am using a sump, the water level int he diplay is always at the same level. The skimmer will work good for sometimes months, and then all of a sudden it will overflow the cup...

What could be causing this?
marie
12-22-2011, 01:33 AM
Anything spawning (snails, bristle worms, algae....) will make the skimmer go crazy
ReefOcean
12-22-2011, 01:36 AM
they are placing extra load in the water column?
cuz
12-22-2011, 01:51 AM
what brand of skimmer?
ReefOcean
12-22-2011, 02:07 AM
Older redsea prism backpack
Nano
12-22-2011, 02:11 AM
I have heard of people drilling a small hole in the bottom of the collection cup to run some airline tubing to a can or bucket, for just such emergencies, so if the waste gets to high it trickles into the can. just a thought.
ReefOcean
12-22-2011, 03:11 AM
I have heard of people drilling a small hole in the bottom of the collection cup to run some airline tubing to a can or bucket, for just such emergencies, so if the waste gets to high it trickles into the can. just a thought.


it comes with an airline. The problem being, it goes back into the intake chamber. i imagine about 1 percent of the sludge is re-skimmed before being tossed backinto the tank. maybe that is what i need to do though, get a longer tube and have it go into a buck for emergencies. Thanks
Nano
12-22-2011, 03:14 AM
dont take my word for it! its just an Idea maybe get some confirmation from some one with some experience i.e. not me lol
ReefOcean
12-22-2011, 03:26 AM
dont take my word for it! its just an Idea maybe get some confirmation from some one with some experience i.e. not me lol


well it is definately better than having the sludge go back into the tank. I doubt it could fill up a bucket if it happens while I am at work. it is easily changable so if I leave for an extended period of time, I can just place the hose to return any overflow back into the skimmer and take the hit on the off chance it does overflow that one time.