Skimmer Going Crazy

I recently did a water change on my tank and once completed, I powered up my system and my skimmer is overflowing. I cleaned it and placed it back into my system and it continued to overflow. So I decided to make fresh salt water and placed it inside and it works perfect. An hour later I put it back on my system and it begins to overflow rapidly. I have an i-TECH 200 with a tunze pump on it.

Any ideas or thoughts?

 

Certain substances can cause a protein skimmers to go crazy. Common substances include gel-binders in frozen food. Also, some epoxies are known to do this. Likely there was some contaminant in your mixing bucket, but I couldn't say what.

 

So just keep running it until it stops?

 

Yeah, not much more you can do. If your not running GAC, you could or if you are, could add more. Most often, whatever it is, isn't toxic, but to be safe, you could make up some water and replace the collected skimate with fresh saltwater. Basically, as a mini-water change, however, you may want to use a different mixing bucket and scoop, stirring rod etc...

 

Also, have you done a water change with this salt, without this happening. Should rule out a contaminant in the salt itself....

 

Yes I am running GAC. The canister is almost full of it. I will follow your advice and see what happens. Thanks M.

 

Also, may want to rule out the water. That is another likely cause. If you RO membrane is going or something. Or if you buy water from an LFS maybe theirs is etc...


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Check the airline. If it's clogged (even partially) the water level will run higher inside the body and it could overflow. The airline will get salt creep right where it meets the pump inlet.

 

Good point, you never know, the timing, with the water change could be complete coincidental.


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Did you add anything to the water as far as dosing anything?
When I added "Purple Up" long time ago, my skimmer went crazy too... just a thought, Bruh.