Why does my skimmer overflow?

[Planeden]

That might actually work, but I would rather fix the problem at the source so I don't have an overflow to begin with.

i agree, it was more like insurance in case it does happen again and since you can't move your skimmer.

[Sherita]

Clean cups and skimmer necks work much more efficiently. Since I can't afford Swabbies for all of my skimmers (and I dont' think they make them for mine), I clean the cups and skimmer necks daily. And the skimmers come out of the sump once a month for pump cleaning and maintenance. My skimmers always make nasty, stinky green skimmate, and my tanks are always happy......so I must be doing something right.

[Sherita]

I agree that it could be a water level issue or a clogging issue. I notice that the neck of my skimmer builds up gunk like artery walls collecting cholesterol you see in commercials.I take a toothbruth to some of it, while the skimmer is running, everytime I clean the cup. It just attaches to bubbles and goes into the cup.

I clean my collection cup about once every 14 days and clean the skimmer every 6 months. Sherita, if you want to clean the cup less, then you can drill a drain line in the cup and attach it to a milk jug or 5g bucket.

It's not an issue of the cup filling up. It's an issue of efficiency. Clean skimmer cups, and clean skimmer necks function at a higher level of efficiency than ones that are allowed to crust over with a film of slime and grot. I make it part of my morning routine while feeding. Some of my skimmers don't need the necks cleaned (coralife, eshopps, nautilus) because the neck is built into the cup, so when I clean the cup, the neck is cleaned as well.