aquamaxx ConeS CO 1 skimmer review

[reeftivo]

Impeller shot. Sorry I dunno why these pics are coming out sideways lol

Very nice!!!
Shorter tynes than a red devil but bigger diameter.

Is the magnet sealed with a plastic coating? Kind of looks like its is. The hydrofoamers are sealed on the tunze.

Thanks for the pic and nice buy!!!!!!!!

Happy reefing

Tivo

 

[reeftivo]

I was wondering about this also. Is it your understanding that Aquamaxx uses a different NW than JNS? I hope my JNS performs as well as your Aquamaxx.

Based on some info that Larry at aquamaxx gave me, he indicated they were customizing some things on the pump but from what I see it is the tried and true psk600 impeller. The magnet looks a little different in color so I was wondering if it was coated. May just be the pic though.

It should perform just as good if not better than the aquamaxx.

I'm wondering if the tube connection between the pump and body is rigid vinyl or soft silicone. Hmm??????

 

[drew2007]

I think the magnet is sealed. It felt like plastic when I took it out. It's strong too. My finger got stuck putting it back in lol

Thanks can't wait to fire it up on my new setup.

Soft silicone tubing between the pump and body

 

[EllisJuan]

Based on some info that Larry at aquamaxx gave me, he indicated they were customizing some things on the pump but from what I see it is the tried and true psk600 impeller. The magnet looks a little different in color so I was wondering if it was coated. May just be the pic though.

It should perform just as good if not better than the aquamaxx.

I'm wondering if the tube connection between the pump and body is rigid vinyl or soft silicone. Hmm??????

You are talking about the CO-2 right? Is the impeller the same for the CO-1 between the JNS and Aquamaxx also?

 

[reeftivo]

Good question. I would guess they are but I have a psk 600 in my cabinet and it doesn't have a poly coated magnet so the JNS CO 1 may be slightly different. Maybe that's one of the things Larry was referring to when he said they had to put their touches on the skimmers. JNS may have been shipping them w/o jns impellers. That's just a speculation though. The poly coated magnets resist scoring and swelling over prolonged use.

 

[EllisJuan]

Horray!

Tivo, is this the same needle wheel as the one in your CO-1? Also, where did you start your bubble/air line when you were breaking yours in?

 

[reeftivo]

same identical skimmer! Just different branding. Packaging is even the same.

you have yours set too high right now. Open the pipe all the way for a couple days and let it settle in. There will be no way to see the air/water line right now until the slime coat develops. If you leave it where it is then you will run into the same issue as Andy01748.

 

[reeftivo]

hey! Forgot to mention!!!

that's one sexy skimmer!!!!!!

 

[EllisJuan]

same identical skimmer! Just different branding. Packaging is even the same.

you have yours set too high right now. Open the pipe all the way for a couple days and let it settle in. There will be no way to see the air/water line right now until the slime coat develops. If you leave it where it is then you will run into the same issue as Andy01748.

Cool. I was a little concerned that there would be some improvements that Aquamaxx had made that I would be missing out on. I just opened it up all the way so the bottom of the white pipe is even with the bracket that holds the silencer. I guess I will let it run like that for a couple days and then start trying to dial it in. I will probably be bugging you with more questions until I get it where I want it. I have not broken in a skimmer in a LONG time. Thanks for all your help.

hey! Forgot to mention!!!

that's one sexy skimmer!!!!!!

Haha...Thanks!

 

[reeftivo]

My pleasure.

You'll get it dialed in!


Have a great weekend! !!!!!

 

[EllisJuan]

Well, the honeymoon period may be over...haha. I just had a couple fail to starts. I took the pump back apart a couple time and it is starting ok now. I hope that is the last of that!

 

[reeftivo]

Hmm?

don't freak yet! Bushings may be tight and need to loosen up a bit. Mine did that only one time when I first got it. I have never had a problem since.

Question! When you experienced that, was it when it was unplugged, then plugged back in quickly?

Edit; I think I recall reading somewhere that the Sicces have an internal 4 second safety feature on the pumps so if you unplugged/plugged it quick then maybe that was it. Sicce USAs site may have the info.

 

[EllisJuan]

Hmm?

don't freak yet! Bushings may be tight and need to loosen up a bit. Mine did that only one time when I first got it. I have never had a problem since.

Question! When you experienced that was it when it was unplugged, then plugged back in quickly?

No. It is when it came off my Apex's 5 minute feed timer. I have ran it through the feed cycle a couple times since and it started OK. I am not freaking yet...lol. I know these pumps have proven reliable and if there is an issue with mine I am sure they will replace it and the next one will be fine. I am hoping it was just tight and un-slimed bushings.

 

[reeftivo]

my BK mini 160 did the same thing and it's got the acclaimed RED DRAGON pump.

It happens!

 

[GQuinn]

I love getting new stuff lol shipped from big als in 2 days! Packed well. Not a single issue :thumbsup:

Is the footprint of that skimmer really 7 1/2 X 15 inches. I see you are using a ruby sump, aren't they only 14 inches wide?

 

[drew2007]

Is the footprint of that skimmer really 7 1/2 X 15 inches. I see you are using a ruby sump, aren't they only 14 inches wide?

I haven't fully assembled it yet but it looks pretty close with the pump attached. This skimmer is going in a 40 breeder sump for my 120g build.

 

[GQuinn]

Thanks for the info.

 

[andy01748]

same identical skimmer! Just different branding. Packaging is even the same.

you have yours set too high right now. Open the pipe all the way for a couple days and let it settle in. There will be no way to see the air/water line right now until the slime coat develops. If you leave it where it is then you will run into the same issue as Andy01748.

Going down in infamy as how to do it wrong! Just kidding, I appreciate your help and hopefully this thread will help other newbies like me get the setup right.

Just to give you an update of where I am.

The attached pictures are from last night. You wouldn't think I had cleaned the cup, but I did and it was pristine as the picture of EllisJuan's new one when I started the slow tune procedure on Sunday! It has developed more of a scum coating, than a slime, but I have resisted the urge to make major adjustments. Has made it hard to see where the top of foam is, or the foam/water line inside the skimmer.

Since last Sunday, I've been making slight adjustments once every 24 hours. When I've come home from work, I have turned the adjustment about a 1/8 turn max, and left it. It didn't seem to have an instant effect (but I left it alone!), and sometimes it seemed to actually knock the top of foam level down (again resisted the urge to tweak). It must be having 'burping events' because the inside of the cup has lots of scum, even though when I looked at it, the foam level looked low, about even with the bottom of the collection plate.

Thursday night when I checked I actually had about a 1/4" light tea colored liquid in the cup, even though the top of foam was about 2" below the collection plate hole. Assume this was a skimmer 'burp' at sometime.

This morning I adjusted another 1/8 turn. I had some foam come through the collection plate hole (maybe a cubic inch or so) within a couple of minutes, and that was about it (about an hour ago). Again, resisting the urge to adjust it some more!

I assume I should continue to make slight adjustments until it gets to where I am actually collecting liquid skimate in the cup?

 

[reeftivo]

The build up in the neck and cup is an indicator you're on the right track. Don't panic but I would take the cup off right now and give it a warm rinse under a faucet to loosen the build up. Since you started with the effluent pipe wide open, it's normal to get that gradual, dark build up above the flange as it finishes breaking back in. Don't give the cup a scrubbing or use paper towels on it right now. Just see if you can run it under warm water to get the build up to flake/fall off. If it does then give it a good shake and put it back on the body. If it doesn't come off easily then go ahead and use your dedicated brush. Cleaning the cup will slow things only for a little while but the skimmer should bounce back fine.

Keep that ATO on your priority wish list so you don't have to use that box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your skimmer will thank you (-;

 

[andy01748]

The build up in the neck and cup is an indicator you're on the right track. Don't panic but I would take the cup off right now and give it a warm rinse under a faucet to loosen the build up. Since you started with the effluent pipe wide open, it's normal to get that gradual, dark build up above the flange as it finishes breaking back in. Don't give the cup a scrubbing or use paper towels on it right now. Just see if you can run it under warm water to get the build up to flake/fall off. If it does then give it a good shake and put it back on the body. If it doesn't come off easily then go ahead and use your dedicated brush. Cleaning the cup will slow things only for a little while but the skimmer should bounce back fine.

Keep that ATO on your priority wish list so you don't have to use that box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your skimmer will thank you (-;

I would say 90-95% came off with a rinse, so I figured it doesn't need to be scrupulously cleaned? Put back on and powered skimmer back on. After 10 minutes, it settled with top of foam between the two flanges. Assume I should let it sit without further adjustment for at least a day and let the foam head build up?

An ATO is in my plans. Even if I keep the skimmer in the box, I still want to install an ATO on my system. I am using the box as the equivalent of a baffle system (i.e. either a poor man's or lazy man's baffle!), as I thought these were recommended in sumps. After researching, it seems installing baffles in a working sump is not really that easy.

I have two major issues getting rid of the box. The first is that without a baffle system, I couldn't run the skimmer at 9", as I would be on the edge of the sump's capacity if the return pump shuts off (either intentionally or during a power failure) as the sump fills. The second is that I like to shut-off the return pump during feeding (I know there are pros and cons to this) which increases the level in the sump, as I have some slow feeders that I target feed. My understanding is that I don't want to shut-off the skimmer (it should run 24/7), but I would have to as it would overflow if it wasn't in a baffled system with a constant water level regardless of whether the return pump was on or off.