Really frustrated with my Octopus 110

[dainironfoot]

OK, I've tried almost everything to keep my Skimmer from overflowing but it just keeps foaming over like a bartender overfilling a beer. I tried adjusting the standpipe height both up and down(to the shortest setting), I tried the air tube open full and half closed, I tried altering the water level in the sump. But nothing works. I'm getting ready to install a gate valve between the pump and the skimmer body so I can reduce the water flow. If that doesn't work then I'lll hacksaw the stand pipe so I can get a lower water level in the Skimmer. Never had a problem with skimmers before but this PIECE OF CRAP is awful!!!!! I always heard good things about Octopus but this is rediculous.


-Tony

 

[PSam]

Gate valve should solve your problem. I think it's a 100% necessary mod, otherwise you just waste time under / overcompensating. I ran 110 in 7.5" water, no restriction on air, and with gate valve and it worked just fine.

 

[Elan L.]

OCtopus one of the best skimmers out there IMO. You just gotta play with the water adjustment. It happened to me when i first got mine too. give it some time

 

[Stuart60611]

Strange, just got my 150 yesterday and not really having the same problem. Perhaps, lower the water level in your sump? It is very tricky to dial in. What I have done thus far is turn off the skimmer for 1 hour to let the water settle. If you do not do this and then try to calibrate the height of the water line inside the skimmer body with the pipe it is difficult to do it accurately. Also, make sure the pipe you use for the calibration is pushed all the way in, or it will not work right when you try to adjust the water height. I then pluged the skimmer back in and immediately so as not to yet let the bubbles build up rotated the pipe in small increments to set the water height in the skimmer body so the water line where the bubbles start to form is just a bit over where the collection cup attaches. Still do not have it dialed in to my satisfaction, but I am getting some skimate and cup is not overflowing.

 

[chem-e]

I have the recirc version, so I don't have this problem, but I think once you dial it in, it'll perform nicely. The only problem I have is cleaning it weekly because if it isn't clean, it doesn't create good foaming.

 

[SWSaltwater]

The sump water level on any in sump skimmer is key, Keep them half way out of the water or there is not enough back pressure on the pump and it moves too much water.

 

[RiOnRoxXx]

Putting in a air line valve in between the pump air line and the resonator helped my buddy with his Octo 110.

 

[THE ROOK]

Have you removed the airline & cleaned the air intake on the pump? This can get clogged with salt. I actually had clean my previous skimmer every few weeks or that line would get blocked.

Slowing the flow into the skimmer is a band-aid. There are tons of those skimmers in use so I'm sure you'll get it squared away.