Jan 06, 2021
Kylee Stephenson
wrote
We have have had the classic 2000 HOB skimmer for almost a year, still under warranty. We have never had any problems with it. Recently it was cleaned, like we have always done, and now it will not stop over flowing. It pumps a mass amount of water, and there’s a ton of micro bubbles. There are not contaminates in our water, and nothing has changed since we got the skimmer. Not sure how to address the problem, it’s going to ruin everything if it keeps overflowing and it is an essential part of our aquarium. We have followed many trouble shooting tips throughout this forum and nothing has worked or even slowed it down. I have attached photos of what is happening. Any ideas? Or how do I start a warranty request?
Reply
3 Answers
Jan 06, 2021
Angie Brumfield
agent
wrote
Your skimmer is overflowing because you cleaned it. Cleaning a skimmer body removes the biofilm which is what keeps the skimmer running smoothly. Your skimmer will need to go through another break in period, during this time you will want to leave the cup at its highest point to avoid overfilling the cup and overflowing. The micro bubbles, although annoying, will not hurt anything in your tank.
Jan 06, 2021
Kylee Stephenson
wrote
Hi there! We’ve cleaned it before and never had this happen so bad, it’s to the point that it over flows no matter how high the cup is, and even if we take the cup out completely it over flows in large amounts.
Jan 07, 2021
Angie Brumfield
agent
wrote
Some chemicals react with the air that the skimmer produces and causes the skimmer to overproduce foam-mate like yours is doing. The following is a list of items known to cause skimmers to overflow:
New rock
New sand
chemi-clean
Chemi-pure
purigen
red slime (cyano) remover
reef/frag putties (epoxy putty)
frag glues
water conditioners
fish medications
de-chlorinators
stress coat
new filter socks
newly mixed salt
bacteria (seeding) additives
high salinity
This is not a complete list of products that will cause a skimmer to overflow. What did you use to clean the skimmer with?
New rock
New sand
chemi-clean
Chemi-pure
purigen
red slime (cyano) remover
reef/frag putties (epoxy putty)
frag glues
water conditioners
fish medications
de-chlorinators
stress coat
new filter socks
newly mixed salt
bacteria (seeding) additives
high salinity
This is not a complete list of products that will cause a skimmer to overflow. What did you use to clean the skimmer with?