Reef Octopus overflowing

I have a reef octopus with the bubble blaster pump on it. It is only about 3 month old(if that) it has been working wonderful since i put it in. All of a sudden it just started bubbling and over flowing. Been doing this for the past two days. It sits in about 6 or so inches of what that never fluctuates and the gate valve is all the way open and i have cleaned the air inlet that wasnt even dirty in the least bit. The only thing that i have added was some buffer which i have added many times before with no ill effects and then i also added the calcium from the second part of the Bi-onics 2 part dosing system. I dont does anything else and have not changed anything in my tank.

 

I would guess your air line is plugged. Check it. The venturi, the hose, the silencer. All of it. If that is not it, then it could be something in the water... but you have no idea what it would be. Medicine does it... but you have not done that.

 

Mine will go off sometimes too. No rhyme of reason if I skim really wet I know it will happen eventually.

 

So then if I don't know the reason for it cause I'm guessing it is something in the water how do I get it out? Do I just keep dumping out the full skimmer cups, just turn my skimmer off?

 

Do you run carbon? If so, has it been in there for awhile? Otherwise, have you fed any new foods? Certain foods can make a skimmer go crazy!

 

My SWC did the same thing after a short period of time. I just raised the skimmer a few more inches out of the water and it fixed the issue instantly. so give that a try first.

 

Been doing this for about 2 days. As I speak I am running a water change. That's why I have the drain hooked up. Otherwise it would over flow in about a minute. I have not changed any foods. I did raise my skimmer about a half inch cause it was running really wet but then it just got worse so I dropped it back down.

 

bump

 

You want to raise it. Raising it will put more back pressure on the pump causing it's output to drop.

Bottom line it that the pump will do what it was designed for. It will draw air and water, and the outlet of the skimmer will be plenty to handle that flow. Period.

If it is not, then the air is being restricted causing the pump to put out more water, overflowing the skimmer. I'm sure you have already checked it, but that is what is going on. Take everything apart so you can bet your life on nothing restricting air flow causing more water output.

If it isn't air flow... then it is something causing the water to foam more. Melafix is like starting a volcano for days. Obviously there is nothing you yourself has put in or you would know it. Are all your fish accounted for... nothings dead... no new chemicals of any kind???

If the answer is no then all you can do is let the skimmer do it's job. Let it run wet and clear it out, or do a lot of water changes and get out what ever it is. It can only be those two things. The skimmer is putting out more water, or the water chemistry has changed.

For the time being, raise the skimmer back to 6"... or even 5". Let it run and let it do it's job. Raise it to a point that you have control over it again and let it start cleaning the water. Help it with a water change. At some point you will be back to clean water and you can start lowering it again.