Aqua C skimmer problems

[dixiedog]

Three days ago, I left for work in the mornig with everything fine.

I came home at lunch and my skimmer (Aqua C EV-120 w/mag5) was angrily belching watery foam out of the overflow fitting. I unplugged it for a few minutes. When I plugged it back in, it was behaving differently than it ever had; I had to choke WAY back on the air to keep watery foam from simply overflowing.

After a day, it had returned to it's normal self and I was able to leave the air wide open the way I always do.

Now here's the real problem: No foam will rise into the collection cup. At all. It won't even THINK about skimming. The skimmer has netted me zero skimmate in over three days, and cyano is roaring to life in the display.

The skimmer is clean, no obstructions. It was bought new, and has been in use for only two months.

I have used no wierd additives of any kind.

Any ideas?

 

[Hal]

Where is the water level? Did it skim during the previous two months?

Often just putting your hand in the water will be enough to prevent skimming for a couple of hours. That's normal for most skimmers.

 

[P_Productions]

I've had this happen to me also when my air intake clogged with dust/salt mist. I now run my ev-240 without the air intake. Draws more air. My skimmer also stops skimmer for around 30 minutes when I put my hand in the tank. I wish you the best of luck getting the skimmer going.

 

[Hal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15060759#post15060759 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by P_Productions
I've had this happen to me also when my air intake clogged with dust/salt mist.

+1

Once a week when I clean the skimmer (collection cup and reaction chamber) I also remove my air valve and injection nozzle, and check/clean both.

 

[Typlus5]

I have an EV-120 and incurred a similar situation...I had added a long tentacle plate coral and the skimmer absolutely stopped for over 48 hours. The plate was pretty slimy so I chalked it up to a change in surface tension. I'm finding out the EVs can be a little tempermental w/ hands in tank, air intake and water outflow.
One question, do you use the cup drain into a jug or device? I experimented with mine but sealed it too well and the skimmer stopped. The drain must have a good vent to work to max capacity. I'm sure it will start up again, mine always does just about the time I'm thinking of getting rid of it.

 

[dixiedog]

Thanks all. Let me answer the questions:

Hal: Water level is right below the outlet valve (external) and of course internally it's at the top of the box. Yes, it was skimming until the day it went berserk.

P_Productions: Air intake is clean as a whistle. It doesn't seem to act any differently with or without the air valve.

Typlus5: No, no drain cup. I always dumped it before it got anywhere near full, which takes over a week, normally. The overflow fitting is clean.


Well I just woke up and checked it, and there's still no foam anywhere near the cup after FOUR DAYS.

That cyano is gonna absolutely go off the chain. :mad2:

 

[jtma508]

I've had an EV-180 since I setup my 90gal over a year ago. It has worked flawlessly. I have had incidents like yours and have quickly resolved them by doing the following:

-- clean out air valve; make sure it is teflon-taped
-- clean out injector fitting; make sure it is teflon-taped (I had a wayward neon goby get stuck in here)
-- clean pump and feed hose
-- rinse and cleanout skimmer body/tower; wipe inside to get crp off walls ( i treated the tank with ProdiBio ReefBoost once and it put an oily film on the skimmer that rasiued havoc with it)

But in my experience when it is running fine and suddenly crashes, something got sucked into something. It doesn't take much. The injector port is my first suspect when this happens.

 

[dixiedog]

WOOHOO!!!!

I'm skimming again! Just started an hour ago. Over four days with nothing, but I'm happy to say my NO3/PO4 levels remained at or very near zero, with the help of some vigorous water changing.

Looks like I'm out of the woods! Thanks all!

 

[torr55555]

 

[jjw2121]

Glad to hear