Change in skimmer production?

[nordy]

I have a 55 gal FOWLR tank and when doing a partial water change tonight (hey, it's Saturday night, what else do I have to do?) I noticed the tank water was kinda yellow. I put canisters of fresh charcoal in my 2 magnum 250 hang on filters (usually have the paper cartridge filters in them) to clear up the water. Now my protein skimmer basically isn't producing any of that gunk (or foam) that it usually does. It is still getting good air into the column and I have made no changes to the setting on the air mix valve. I cleaned the foam filter on the skimmer powerhead yesterday. It seems as if the charcoal has removed the bad stuff that the skimmer had been foaming up into the collection cup.
Does this make sense? Also, any advice on how long charcoal will stay effective in these filters?
I have 1 dog face puffer, 4 small damsels, 4 assorted clowns, a shrimp, crab, and assorted hermit crabs and snails in this tank.
Thanks for your replies!

 

[apos]

Skimmers will pull all sorts of things out of the water at different rates, depending on what's in the tank. It's no unusal for them to cut back for a time here and there. Though the better skimmers tend to pull more out period, and so its rarer and rarer with them that production will drop off here and there. I generally see less skimming after a water change.
As far as the charcoal though... I don't know. I wouldn't think so, because I figured the charcoal absorbs different things than the skimmer. I don't think charcoal absorbs much of the dissolved protein compounds that are the skimmer's main reason for being.

 

[sharkbait9]

charcoal absorbs chemicals