Skimming out nothing like crazy!

I've had my tank up for almost a year, had a skimmer the entire time. Today I was out for three hours this morning, I just got home and my skimmer is going nuts. It was skimming like crazy, huge bubbles and had overflowed the skimmate cup, the skimmate was clear. We have not touch the skimmer in the last day or so, so it's not like someone messed with it this morning or anything.

Any thoughts?!!?

 

I havent had anything like this but I have heard that if you dont clean it, it can start acting strangely.
Also adding certain chemicals to the tank can mess with it.
I know if you add chemi-clean(for red algae) the skimmer will go nuts, its something to do with the oxygen level when you add the chemicals.
That's all I can think of
Hope it helps

 

Yeah I haven't added anything at all, and I cleaned the skimmer last week. I just took it out and inspected it and everything seems fine. So werid. I figured I'd let it sit awhile before I turn it back on.

 

Well good luck to you. hope everything turns out well!

 

Your skimmer is breaking back in. If you cleaned it (the whole thing) it has to break back in. Give it another week and consider building an overflow for your collection cup.

 

I have seen this twice before, once when I added a bit of conditioner to the water... what a mess!!

The other time, when I came in from working out side and started the weekly maintenance with out washing my hands & arms before putting them in the tank....It seems that there was enough "sweet & oil" on my skin to change the surface tension of the water and send the skimmer into a "fit of foaming"....

 

I have an overflow for the cup luckily, I cleaned it over a week ago and it's already started building up stuff on the inside. When I first bought it I know when it was super clean it kind of acted like this until I got the air intake tuned right and it got going right. The top cylinder (before cup) is dark brown and green, not clean clean like it was. Regardless I turned it back on about 20 minutes ago and now it seems fine. All I did was pull it out and examine it and put it back, didn't clean it or anything this time.

Werid.