Skimmer overflowing with dry foam

[BrettDS]

This is a new tank and skimmer (they're about 3 weeks old) and I'm still having some trouble trying to get my skimmer adjusted. Twice in the past few days I've woken up to find this... Dry foam coming out of the vent holes in the collection cup. The last time was even and it was starting to flow down over the edge of the skimmer.

Should I try to make the foam a bit wetter or what can I do to make sure the foam stays inside the collection cup?

 

[downbeach]

Have you tried placing the external overflow tube into a separate container?

 

[BrettDS]

I haven't... And that's a bit easier said than done because unfortunately my sump walls are pretty high compared to the skimmer and it would need to go up and over the wall of the sump, which obviously wouldn't work.

At some point I'll probably drill a hole through the sump wall... And maybe try to install some sort of small bulkhead if it's too low and potentially could wind up underwater, but I'm still playing around a bit with the depth of the skimmer and that would make a difference in where the hole needs to be.

In any case, you think that might help to reduce or eliminate this problem?

 

[desjardinii]

I had the same problem when I first started carbon dosing, the foam was too sticky for the bubbles to pop and would actually start lifting the lid off! I increased the wetness a bit and smeared a thin ring of cooking oil on the underside of the lid where the breather holes are, this seemed to help break the foam down and allow it to drain. Is there room for the collection bottle to sit in the sump?

 

[downbeach]

Is this located in your stand? Can you safely raise the water level, and skimmer in your sump? Still have enough head room? If so, you might be able to use the external drain without having to drill any holes. Have you tried to adjust the water discharge? I had a Sea Side Aquatics(BM) skimmer that sat in ~ 8 1/2"-9" of water for best operation. So, get your operating depth right first, then try adjusting your dischage.

 

[zachts]

I've had that issue all the time with my aqua medic skimmer. It tends to pop the lid off. the cooking oil idea sounds good, I think I'll try that (same idea worked with keg beer back in college).

What I've been doing that seems to help is just loosely wrap a paper towel around the inside of the cup and that seems to pop the bubbles before they build up too much.

On my skimmer wet vs. dry didn't make a difference since getting it wet enough to not foam so much meant the cup filled up over night and would overflow in my case. Not good when it's a HOB skimmer......

 

[BrettDS]

Is this located in your stand? Can you safely raise the water level, and skimmer in your sump? Still have enough head room? If so, you might be able to use the external drain without having to drill any holes. Have you tried to adjust the water discharge? I had a Sea Side Aquatics(BM) skimmer that sat in ~ 8 1/2"-9" of water for best operation. So, get your operating depth right first, then try adjusting your dischage.

There is some room to raise the water level and skimmer in the sump, but honestly, making a hole would probably be a bit easier. Raising the water level would involve redoing the partitions as well as moving several float switches and a float valve.

I'm definitely still trying to get the skimmer adjusted properly and that includes the proper water depth. The manual recommends about 10" of water, but there's no way that would work for me. Right now I have it in 6 inches and any more than that and it immediately overflows. Once I'm happy with the water depth and adjustment of the skimmer I'll look into drilling a hole or something for the discharge line.

 

[downbeach]

Right now I have it in 6 inches and any more than that and it immediately overflows.

Do you have the discharge wide open, at that depth?

 

[BrettDS]

Right now, at 6" it's not wide open, but it's probably at about 80%. I may be able to lower it a little and open it up all the way, but honestly, I kind of like running it at 80% simply because that gives me a little room to open or close it a bit for fine adjustments. If I move it down and open it up all the way and then discover that I need a little more flow I have no option but to try to raise it up a bit again.

If I discover that I can get it dialed in here and not need to change it at all, then I might consider lowering it and opening it up all the way, but when I was first setting it up I kept moving it up and down and got a bit sick of doing that I'd get it moved up and it would be great for a day or two with a slightly restricted flow, so I'd move it down and open it up and it would stay good for a day or two, then start over flowing and need to be moved up again.

It definitely does seem to be settling down a lot, though, now that it's been in operation for 3 weeks.