New bh-100 HOB Reef Octopus, and it foams well, but if I let it go to the top of the cup part it starts to fill up quickly and overflow. So now it only gunks up the tube leading to the cup part and the cup stays completely clear. Isn't it supposed to all go into the cup and not the tube? It's very irritating to clean. I had the same issue with my old one too. What do I do??
Skimmate not going into collection cup?
- Thread starter mattymang
- Start date
lmforbis
Well-Known Member
If it is the skimmer I think it, is you have to adjust the height of the cup to adjust the skimmer. There should be a gasket around the cup to hold it in place then you need to tighten the screw so it stays there. If your skimmate is too wet, raise the cup and if it is too dry, lower the cup. The cups aren't very big and if it is going on a tank where there wasn't a skimmer or a less efficient skimmer it will foam a lot and make a ton of wet skimmate until the water is cleaner. All skimmers will foam like crazy if you add anything organic to the water like epoxy to hold rocks together, meds, etc. This is short term but can make a real mess.
Yeah lol I learned that last part the hard way! Yesterday I put some stress coat stuff in and within seconds it was overflowing- it's still not totally calmed down yet.
So.. I should just let the collection side keep filling up with water and emptying it and it'll fix itself? I just don't get it because the foam goes up to the cup but it only gets grimey inside the tube, you know? The cup itself is clear even though the foam is in it. And if it's lowered anymore I have to start emptying it every few hours.
So.. I should just let the collection side keep filling up with water and emptying it and it'll fix itself? I just don't get it because the foam goes up to the cup but it only gets grimey inside the tube, you know? The cup itself is clear even though the foam is in it. And if it's lowered anymore I have to start emptying it every few hours.
lmforbis
Well-Known Member
The tube will get really really nasty, much worse than the cup. All that slimey crud was in your water so it is working. I have never had a HOB skimmer that I could get the skimmate as dry as with my in sump skimmer. I use hot water and paper towels to clean it. The cup will stay clearer. My cap gets kind of dirty. If the foam is reaching the cover then the skimmer it is doing its job. You could try lowering it a very small amount.