Power head causing chaos!

PhishFriends

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2022
Messages
54
Reaction score
23
Location
Brunswick
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I added a small power head to my 2 year old 50gal yesterday to blow behind my rock work.
I always thought I had good flow in my tank and no obvious dead spots, but that proving to be wrong. Since adding the power head my skimmer is constantly overflowing. I currently have a bucket under the overflow hose and the sound of water is almost constant.
My filter socks aren't really junking up to fast and the water looks crystal clear after one day.
My question to you guys is do you think something's up with my skimmer, or does it track that I stirred up some pollution in the backside of my tank.
This was all started because I was starting to get some spot of cyano on my sand.. I will probably keep the pump there going forward seeing how much waste got stuck back there.

PXL_20240319_110402811.MP.jpg
 

Reefering1

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 20, 2022
Messages
3,222
Reaction score
5,058
Location
Usa
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Keep monitoring. It's also possible the powehead is pushing water down the overflow, raising water level in skimmer chamber of sump
 

Waters

"...in perfect isolation, here behind my wall."
View Badges
Joined
Nov 5, 2013
Messages
8,363
Reaction score
18,463
Location
Mentor, OH
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't think stirring up detritus would make your skimmer overflow......anything else been dosed to the tank? I would keep an eye on the bucket though....emptying skimmer overflow into anything outside the tank can quickly turn into an empty tank lol.
 

Mr. Mojo Rising

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2021
Messages
7,612
Reaction score
8,632
Location
Toronto
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think your skimmer is doing its job and sounds like the tank really needed flow if that much detritus was kicked up. Before doing water changes I will usually take a turkey baster and blow my rocks out, then vacuum that detritus out.
 
OP
OP
PhishFriends

PhishFriends

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2022
Messages
54
Reaction score
23
Location
Brunswick
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did a fluconazole treatment a month or so ago, but have been running my skimmer with no issues for since then and my rock is bare clean.
I did have cyano showing it's ugly head when I put the power head in, and I'm wondering if it's stirred into the water column..
Other than that I haven't added anything to the tank.
I did clean my whole skimmer out yesterday, and I thought that might be the use, but then when I poured new salt water in the sump to top it off, the skimmer stopped flooding making me think that it actually is the tank water... Stumped
 

WalkerLovesTheOcean

I love acans
View Badges
Joined
Jan 27, 2024
Messages
5,719
Reaction score
28,898
Location
New York State
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did a fluconazole treatment a month or so ago, but have been running my skimmer with no issues for since then and my rock is bare clean.
I did have cyano showing it's ugly head when I put the power head in, and I'm wondering if it's stirred into the water column..
Other than that I haven't added anything to the tank.
I did clean my whole skimmer out yesterday, and I thought that might be the use, but then when I poured new salt water in the sump to top it off, the skimmer stopped flooding making me think that it actually is the tank water... Stumped
Did you deep clean the entire thing?

Skimmers make a protein coating that helps it skim more, and helps it prevent air bubble leakage.

If you got rid of that protein coating, then you are basically breaking in your skimmer again, which will cause it to not skim and overflow for a while.
 
OP
OP
PhishFriends

PhishFriends

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2022
Messages
54
Reaction score
23
Location
Brunswick
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I did a fluconazole treatment a month or so ago, but have been running my skimmer with no issues for since then and my rock is bare clean.
I did have cyano showing it's ugly head when I put the power head in, and I'm wondering if it's stirred into the water column..
Other than that I haven't added anything to the tank.
I did clean my whole skimmer out yesterday, and I thought that might be the use, but then when I poured new salt water in the sump to top it off, the skimmer stopped flooding making me think that it actually is the tank water.
Did you deep clean the entire thing?

Skimmers make a protein coating that helps it skim more, and helps it prevent air bubble leakage.

If you got rid of that protein coating, then you are basically breaking in your skimmer again, which will cause it to not skim and overflow for a while.
I didn't clean the bottom.
I disassembled the whole rig and cleaned out some junk in the pump and my airline had a clog.
I just got home from work and turned the skimmer back on. It over flowed for 10 minutes and now has stopped. I ran a fine filter today to try and clean things out a bit.. I'm unsure what happened, but everything seems to have leveled out again.
I'll try turning that power head on for the second day and see what comes from that.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20240319_220219824.jpg
    PXL_20240319_220219824.jpg
    226.2 KB · Views: 23
  • PXL_20240319_220226725.jpg
    PXL_20240319_220226725.jpg
    136 KB · Views: 25

HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A RARE/UNCOMMON FISH, CORAL, OR INVERT? SHOW IT OFF IN THE THREAD!

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top