OH ME!!! My skimmer died

Striike · May 26, 2010

So, my skimmer died yesterday. It was a Seaclone 150, not the best skimmer out there, but served its purpose considering it was free. I was planning on upgrading my skimmer down the road, this just sped things up, but need some advice. I checked with Fish Mania and Petcare, and neither can order it for me, so I ordered it from Marine Depot. But shipping will take ~7 days because I won't pay $110 to ship a 10lb box. In the mean time, I've got a tank with no skimmer. Any recommendations on how to keep the tank healthy while waiting on the new skimmer? I'm assuming check the levels and water change as necessary, but wanted to make sure I didn't need to do anything else.

In case anyone was interested, I got the AquaC EV-180 w/mag 7 pump.

MikeB · May 26, 2010

What do you mean your skimmer died. The pump is the only Mechanical part on the skimmer. Just replace the pump.

litenyaup · May 26, 2010

+1 for that!

whip1 · May 26, 2010

thats what I was gonna say! I have an extra pump can I have your old seaclone?

Triggerman77 · May 26, 2010

OK I will answer your Q. as everyone else is worried about your old point of sale skimmer..

you will be fine for a week with no skimmer. Although if it was me i would do a small water change on day 4 or 5. just to ensure a healthy happy tank. hope this helps

whip1 · May 26, 2010

hoy vey

MikeB · May 26, 2010

Triggerman77 said:
OK I will answer your Q. as everyone else is worried about your old point of sale skimmer..

you will be fine for a week with no skimmer. Although if it was me i would do a small water change on day 4 or 5. just to ensure a healthy happy tank. hope this helps

I have went months without skimming with no ill effect.

Triggerman77 · May 26, 2010

I don't even bother running a skimmer on my small tanks. just rely on WC's every two weeks. And even the SPS's in my small tanks are doing great.

Troylee · May 26, 2010

a couple mods and a seaclone can rock!!!!
here is my old one...lol

Striike · May 26, 2010

Heh, lots of great responses.

@ MikeB, litenyaup, whip1 - Kind of hard to explain, but flow through the skimmer is coming and going, I thought it was just clogged, but took it apart and its clean as a whistle. So either the pump is dying, or there's a short in the wiring somewhere. Either explanation convinced me to take it out of commission.

@ whip1 - If you really want it, you can have it. It was free to me, so I see no reason to charge anything. The "J" tube has a leak in it, so you'll either have to acquire a new one, or use it 'in sump.' I can bring it to the next meeting this weekend if you'll be there.

@ All - you guys don't understand. My skimmer acting up is just an excuse to buy a bigger, better skimmer. I was intending on doing that anyway, just a month earlier than planned. I've read plenty of DIY ideas to modify the Seaclone to get it to perform well, but results are variable at best, and buying a good one is a sure thing. I'm a strong believer in "you get what you pay for."

Triggerman77 · May 26, 2010

Quote" I'm a strong believer in "you get what you pay for."

Me too Thats why i run a LIFE REEF Skimmer. IMO Its best on the market And Totally silent

ironman · May 26, 2010

You will be fine to not have one running for a week! As long as it wasnt your only source of filtration and water movement. Glad to see you upgraded! I used a AquaC90 on my first 75 gallon and I liked the skimmer. Im sure you will like it. Seems like a small pump for that skimmer? My AquaC90 used either the mag 7 or mag 9

blake · May 26, 2010

I just got a seaclone 100 a few weeks ago and i cant get it to do much. (it skimmed great for a couple of days, but then it quit)
TroyLee- What kind of modifications did you do to it? I saw some on the internet but not sure if they are worth doing.

Striike · May 27, 2010

@Ironman - I've read of some people going with a mag 9.5 for this model. I checked out the owners manual, and they advised you can go with a bigger pump if you have more head pressure to deal with than their recommendations, but to be sure and put a valve inline to tune it down. The next size AquaC comes with a Mag 12, so who knows.

@blake - I found with my skimmer (Seaclone 150) I had to pull off the collection cup and clean it at least every 3 days, if not sooner, because the inner tube gets coated, and foam stops coming all the way up in the collection cup. I just used a toothbrush and hot water to clean it out, then an hour later it would produce foam again. Hope this helps.

blake · May 28, 2010

@Strike- I cleaned out the cup with a tooth brush last night and the skimmer is performing very well today! Thanks

Striike · Jun 30, 2010

Just a quick follow up, in case anyone is interested in the AquaC EV-180. I love this skimmer. It has performed beyond my expectations. My tank is now looking very good, algae growth is all but gone, and nitrates have stayed at 0 when I test each week prior to a water change. If you do opt for this skimmer, DO NOT GO WITH A MAG 7. This pump proved too weak for this skimmer. I switched it out for a Mag 9.5, which was a little too strong. So I simply used a barbed ball valve to tune it down. I spoke with AquaC on this. My bio-load is on the weak side, so he felt I simply wasn't getting enough gunk in my system for this skimmer to react appropriately with the Mag 7. But as I add more too it, the skimmer will perform better. Play it safe, though, and just get a Mag 9.5, since I know it works. I wish I would have known that prior, since now I'm out $60 for a Mag 7 I didn't need. I'll post some before and after pictures as soon as I get a chance, in case anyone wants a visual proof.

ironman · Jul 1, 2010

Glad it is working good for you. I knew it would be to small of a pump! But some people learn the hard way! LOL

Striike · Jul 6, 2010

ironman said:
Glad it is working good for you. I knew it would be to small of a pump! But some people learn the hard way! LOL

The reviews I read went both ways. Some said the Mag 7 worked fine, some said it wouldn't work unless you did a Mag 9.5. I should have just played it safe, but a lot of time reef keepers overstate their expectations of equipment, at least that is the impression I get. This is one of those times I should have listened.