Sudden Severe Protein Skimmer Load

[EventHorizon2K2]

We relocated our aquarium last Saturday. Tonight, while peering in the darkened tank to watch my bubble-tipped brittle star roam around where I can actually see him, I looked up and noticed that the protein skimmer cup was almost full, so I emptied it, noting that there was still plenty of foam spewing up. Sure enough, the cup was full again within 15 minutes. Besides wondering at how I happened to catch the phenomenon just as it was happening, I can't figure out why the protein skimmer was suddenly so active. I don't think my current houseguests would add anything to the tank, and although I did add a new urchin (w/ a snail and hermit crab hitching) and and arrowhead crab on Tuesday, I don't think they'd add that much to the protein load and not suddenly all at once, now. Nothing in the tank looks out of kilter, other than that the pH has increased by about 0.2. I don't know if extra OH- has anything to do with the cause. I reckon that whatever reaction that is occuring will reach some equilibrium soon and that the foaming will decrease, and as I just checked, it does appear to be slowing down a little. Do you have any ideas?

 

[Atomahawk]

If you had kids the first thing I would ask is "who overfed ? or who dropped something in the tank?)

You sure everything is alive and well? There are a few things that when they die can really spew their guts out, (anemones being the worse, to me at least) What color is the the stuff comeing out, clear or dark? If it's dark that's cool, clear could be anything or almost.

Maybe your skimmer wasn't running well before and when you moved the tank and reset everything things just started playing catch up.

Just guessing

 

[Gudwyn]

Probably something died due to the move. Maybe as simple as crushing a snail between two rocks.

 

[EventHorizon2K2]

It's probable that there were be some small casualties, since I completely rearranged how the live rock is piled up in the tank, and everyone is happier with it this way, except anything that used to be exposed and is now buried. Didn't think dying cyanobacteria would cause that big of a foam-up, though. May have trapped some polychaetes, of which I have more than enough bristleworms (what the arrowhead crab was for).

I woke up to a full cup with a foam peak coming out of the air hole. The foam is clear, no funny or fishy smell to the liquid whatsoever. The rotating drum on the feeder seems to be working properly. No kids, but expecting one in July (which reminds me; we need to come up with a good way to keep the kid away from all the exposed wiring behind the tank).

I'm not very worried, just thought it was an odd, sudden phenomenon.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Casualties, or maybe something spawned. I expect it will go away in a day or two.

 

[ONEMANBAND]

what kind of skimmer, maybe your venturi has a clog or salt creep?

 

[EventHorizon2K2]

It's a brand new SeaClone. My silly husband decided to up and buy a new one on Saturday after we moved everything and the seal started to leak on the old one, although I told him we only needed to replace the rubber washer on the pipe to stop the leaking. His money. Saved the old one for parts, of course.