Water level problems with Bk skimmer. Help.

wickedfish

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For the past 3 weeks I've been getting a flooded cup in the matter of 24 hours. Aside from my tank most likely being full of pooh, it's super annoying finding foam coming from the top of the lid.

I've never had any issues I couldn't resolve with this skimmer in more than 40 minutes. I cleaned it thoroughly 2 weeks ago with a vinegar bath. I even pipe cleaned every fitting and hose. Don't understand why it's all of a sudden going bonkers.

I haven't lowered the water level in the sump which is an option. I have played with the "snorkel" and set it up high, low, to the left to the right. **** man I'm stumped. It's been in my sump for 3 years and has been my best price of eq by far. I didn't want to build a stand but I'm leaning towards it. But why now? Why is this thing tripping on me? The motor is complete and working clean like always.

Anyone wanna take a stab?
 
turbonut

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wickedfish said:
For the past 3 weeks I've been getting a flooded cup in the matter of 24 hours. Aside from my tank most likely being full of pooh, it's super annoying finding foam coming from the top of the lid.

I've never had any issues I couldn't resolve with this skimmer in more than 40 minutes. I cleaned it thoroughly 2 weeks ago with a vinegar bath. I even pipe cleaned every fitting and hose. Don't understand why it's all of a sudden going bonkers.

I haven't lowered the water level in the sump which is an option. I have played with the "snorkel" and set it up high, low, to the left to the right. **** man I'm stumped. It's been in my sump for 3 years and has been my best price of eq by far. I didn't want to build a stand but I'm leaning towards it. But why now? Why is this thing tripping on me? The motor is complete and working clean like always.

Anyone wanna take a stab?
Click to expand...
Has anything spawned in your tank?

sent from my s4
 
wickedfish

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BeanMachine said:
My skimmer went bonkers for about 2 weeks after a vinegar bath... Maybe that's ur problem?
Click to expand...
I'm sure it's not helping but I wanted to scratch out the possibility it had anything stuck that was causing it to pull more air. I think if it was 2" higher it would be fine. I'm probably just gonna lower the sumps water level. I have the snorkel set up high to the right and that seems to be fine ATM.
 
wickedfish

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turbonut said:
Has anything spawned in your tank?

sent from my s4
Click to expand...
Besides like 15 aiptasia, I don't think so. Would that cause it to be off for such a large amount of time? Maybe it's time to setup a ill carbon action in case any remnants of chemiclean from 3 months ago is lingering. Which is super far fetched but wtf, I got nothing.
 
wickedfish

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OCReefMadness said:
I have a spare Red Dragon pump. Bring your skimmer down here I test for your with my red dragon pump.
Click to expand...
You ever have the skimmer make too much air? It's like the skimmer is making extra bubbles. Don't think it's motor related. It sounds the same.

But if all else fails I may be in the market for a new pump. But I heard the Laguna matches up.
 
mark.a.smith405

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On the vertex alphas you can adjust the amount of water/air going into the cone by turning the inlet piece to the pump. It's probably the same on the BK.
 
OCReefMadness

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The Laguna is only for motor block, if you have problem with the impeller you need to get from BK.

wickedfish said:
You ever have the skimmer make too much air? It's like the skimmer is making extra bubbles. Don't think it's motor related. It sounds the same.

But if all else fails I may be in the market for a new pump. But I heard the Laguna matches up.
Click to expand...
 
lurking

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Sounds like the skimmer may be breaking in again after the deep cleaning. Or you can try putting a flow restrictor on the air intake
 
Emac909

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Mine itech has been doing the same thing to. 2 weekends ago I vinegar bathed my skimmer and cleaned every little peace too. Then rinsed it down in ro/di. Whipped it all down and let it dry for a few hours. Now the water level has been doing crazy things daily. The first coupe days I kept over filling the cup. Then I dropped the water level down and one hour the bubbles will be popping in the neck and next hour they'll be like 3" below the neck. I've said screw it the last few day let it figure its self out then ill adjust it.
 
J

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like lurking stated the skimmer is breaking in again after the deep clean.. just put it to the lowest on the on the level pipe what ever its called for the output of the skimmer and let it break in for a few days.. thats what hapens when you wait 5 year before you deep clean... perezoso
 
turbonut

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I could be wrong but breaking in has to do with the oils in the new acrylic effecting the foam head. Since that's not the case here then I doubt it's that. Now it's possible for the pinwheel could have been cruded up and now that it's not it's pulling more air.

sent from my s4
 
lurking

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turbonut said:
I could be wrong but breaking in has to do with the oils in the new acrylic effecting the foam head. Since that's not the case here then I doubt it's that. Now it's possible for the pinwheel could have been cruded up and now that it's not it's pulling more air.

sent from my s4
Click to expand...
not so much the oils but more so needing organic material to coat the body
 
pgr11

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He said the skimmer has been doing this for 3 weeks but its only been 2 weeks since the vinegar bath so breaking in again doesn't sou d like the issue
 
wickedfish

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pgr11 said:
He said the skimmer has been doing this for 3 weeks but its only been 2 weeks since the vinegar bath so breaking in again doesn't sou d like the issue
Click to expand...
My Brutha! It's perplexing dude, I need a freaking Bk guru, or bring the water level down. There was shells in the wheel but nothing I haven't seen in the past.
 
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