aqua c ev150 skimmer isn't foaming right?

[SalteeDogg]

Well started about 2 weeks ago when magnesium got low. I added kent magnesium and ever since then the bubble inside my skimmer got large and wont produce foam. I have tried waiting it out and its been over a week and my tank needs to be skimmed asap. Sometimes I can mess with the settings for about 30 minutes and can get it to semi foam but nothing like it suppose to. The bubbles that did come up into the collection cup almost looked like they had a rainbow hue to them. I never stick my hands in the tank, im using the same food, and im using carbon. Leaves me to think that its the magnesium. Whats the fastest way to get the skimmer back up and running again? Water change maybe? I am stumped on this one :frustrat:

 

[Rcchanlder]

the magnesium may be bonding with the oxygen in the skimmer and making your bubbles not form properly. maybe just change the water and see if that helps. or just keep messin with the skimmer settings and see if it wont change at all. maybe the skimmer just messed up on its own and it didnt have anything to do with anything else. How old is the skimmer? when is the last time the pump in it was cleaned. im sure someone will know more than me about this though

 

[SalteeDogg]

I would of thought it was the skimmer but since I got rainbow looking bubbles in my collection cup it tells me I have a trace of oils somewhere. Maybe the magnesium I added has an oily substance to it I dont know. I cleaned the skimmer multiple time this week, and the mag pump is still pumping the adequate amount of water as it always does. The skimmer isn't even a year old.

 

[Rcchanlder]

magnesium is a metal that rainbow could be just proteins in the water messing with the color spectrum. i dont have a clue. my skimmer took days to get settled. it is very sensitive to bubble control. it likes to be making a concentrated skimmate or overflow the cup.

 

[ccCapt]

Mag dosing shoud not have any affect on skimming. Dosing mag is part of my routine maintanence. I would take the whole thing apart and soak the venturi in full strength vinegar overnight. That will clear out anything that may be blocking the air intake, which is more than likely your problem.

 

[SalteeDogg]

I have already torn the skimmer down and cleaned everything spotless. Since this skimmer doesn't have venturi, it works off forcing air in with the water through an air valve, it is VERY sensitive to hand oils, chemicals, etc., but nothing this bad. Last time the skimmer started to foam a tad bit, I got a syringe filled with magnesium and I dripped it into the chamber the skimmer is located and I could literally see my bubbles get bigger in the skimmer and the foam started to diminish. I contacted aqua c and the guy said even though its rare, but dosing magnesium can effect the skimmer but it should only be for a short period of time. Over a week is a long period of time so im thinking I may have got a bad bottle of magnesium. The guy told me to just to a water change and add new carbon and should clear it up. Been so busy lately with work I haven't had time to keep up with maintenance