Skimmer Cleaning, Coralife 125 ?

[fyrfytr]

So from a local person I purchased a skimmer used at a GREAT price. I am finally ready to clean it and put it into use, but I cant seem to take it apart to clean it properly. From what I can tell, and remember, its a Coarlife 125 skimmer. I am able to get the collection cup off, but that is the extent of what will easily come apart for me. It needs cleaned BAD before it goes into service. I don't want to twist and break something, and I cant seem to find anything online either. Any and all help is appreciated.

 

[SaltyH20]

The lid of the colletion cup should pop off, then just get a baby bottle cleaner and it should come right off

 

[fyrfytr]

What about the inner chambers. That's what I need to take off to clean

 

[SaltyH20]

Maybe do a vingear bath someone will chime in who knows

 

[Eric B]

I would just put the whole thing down in a bucket or rubbermaid container or anything it will fit in and then you can use straight vinegar or I would use a 10% muratic acid (Purchased in the outdoor section at my home depot) and water solution. Just always add the acid to the water if going this route and plug skimmer in and let in run for a while. The acid/water solution will dissolve grim/deposits and clean the skimmer better and faster than straight vinegar and afterwards I usually rinse with the hose pipe and then dry as best I can and put into service.

 

[fyrfytr]

Looks like a trip to Home Depot for me tomorrow

 

[Eric B]

It's probably the best way to clean all pumps and aquarium equipment just make sure and use this outside and add acid to the water. I think it comes 2 individual gallons to a box for like $12 and it will last you a while because you are only adding an amount to get to approximately 10% of the water volume you are using. I never measure it out anymore I just pour until it looks like around 10%.

 

[fyrfytr]

I'll be measuring...lol...I'm not that good yet

 

[JOKER]

Don't they
have an oring holding
Internal In?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Just rinse the guts out using vinegar and water, or bleach, and rinse this around with your hand over the top of the opeing there, thats how I clean my 220 out once a year. Let dry, rinse really well again, then run.

 

[RacingTiger03]

I just cleaned mine out from 4 years sitting in a box after being put up from a tank that crashed without power for a week... Put it in a box never even thought or felt like cleaning it, just blah about it all after that. Dumped it in a tub of vinegar:water (1:10) and let it soak for an hour. Rinsed with COLD water (you don't want to crack the acrylic) and hooked it up. Also if the plugs have any buildup put them in a glass with a tsp of baking soda and a dash of salt. add vinegar and let soak for 15-20 minutes. It'll all be like new, and in my case the skimmer works better than EVER. I did all of my equipment in this tub though, and when the powerheads started working again I let them run for a few minutes as well.

My corallife skimmer has NEVER worked BETTER in the entire time I used it! It pulls a full cup in a few days time now with a cycling tank, vs a fully stocked tank before it barely pulled 1/10th of a cup in a full week (usual maint. time for the tank was saturday). Apparently it just needed to sit for a few years. LOL. I honestly had planned to replace it for my tank and EQ to be fully functional, but now you couldn't pay me to swap to another one haha. (ask me that after it decides to flood my room again though, that was the problem I had in the past with it)

(the gray/black cap on the collection cup can take some effort sometimes, get it a little warm with a hair dryer and twist and pull at the same time, worked wonders for me)