MSX skimmer club
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
holdyourlight
New member
I am recieving my MSX160 tommorrow. After going through about half of this thread this is what i surmise needs to be done to the new skimmer. Please correct anything i have wrong.
1. Replace stock PW with ATB Purple PW that i purchased
2. Place skimmer in tub with rodi and vinegar for a couple days
3. Wash skimmer and put in a tub with tank water for a few days
4. Place in final resting spot in sump
Please let me know what i am missing!I seem to remember i need to buy new airline tubing for a portion of it?
thanks
1. Replace stock PW with ATB Purple PW that i purchased
2. Place skimmer in tub with rodi and vinegar for a couple days
3. Wash skimmer and put in a tub with tank water for a few days
4. Place in final resting spot in sump
Please let me know what i am missing!I seem to remember i need to buy new airline tubing for a portion of it?
thanks
Stuart60611
New member
I recently purchased the msx160. You have it right. Exactly what I did.
MVlk
New member
I have heard conflicting reports on whether soaking in Vinegar helps the break in process or extends it over running in regular salt water? I have my MSX250 out of my sump currently while I re-plumb my returns and was wondering if I should soak the body in Vinegar to give it a good clean?
holdyourlight
New member
What happens if i skip step 2 and 3 and just throw it in my sump straight out of the box?
holdyourlight
New member
dp
Garage1217
GET OFF MY LAWN
IMO a waste of time. I wiped mine out and stuck it into the fuge, started skimming right away and has not stopped!
Garage1217
GET OFF MY LAWN
I have cleaned the pump twice / owned it for 10 months now. Other than that, My sump is totally dark so I do not have a lot of growth in it.
BigJay
New member
I clean the collection cup and wipe out the neck of the skimmer body every other day. I could go longer, but the skimmate odor offends the wife.
Every two months I'll take the sicce pump off, and run it in a bucket of vinegar and RO/DI for a full day. That removes calcium deposits and other unwanted calcifying critters from the pump. I like to keep the skimmer pump running in top shape.
Every 6 months or so I'll drag the whole thing out, hose it off, and dry it. The skimmer body gets nasty after awhile.
boret
Premium Member
In my MSX300, every other month I stop de return from the sump, stop the skimmer, take the collection cup off and run a powerhead (modded MJ1200) inside the skimmer body to lift all the detritus in the water column inside of the skimmer. I then run the skimmer wet for a minute. Then turn on the return and back to default setting.
I also run that power head inside of the sump (24/7) and I don't have any "dirt" collecting in the sump or the skimmer.
I also run that power head inside of the sump (24/7) and I don't have any "dirt" collecting in the sump or the skimmer.
MVlk
New member
OK, Three great responses, thank you. None said they do vinegar on the body. Mine has some pretty nasty build up of hard deposites. Still wondering if a soak in vinegar would not set me back too much.
My pumps have all been cleaned as above. One still has start up issues unless I turn the pump a bit on the volute. I am running the pinwheel on both now.
My pumps have all been cleaned as above. One still has start up issues unless I turn the pump a bit on the volute. I am running the pinwheel on both now.
boret
Premium Member
I cleaned mine with water and vinegar for about 4 hours. I then run it with regular tap water for another hour and finally dry it with a clean cloth and place it in the sump.
About the start up issue...
How do you have the intake positioned?
You can try to have the pump input facing down. The pumps work better that way and pull a bit more air. The other thing is to check the airline. If it is too soft it might kink on start up. Try getting tubing a bit more rigid.
I have always cleaned all my pumps with a mix of water and vinegar (50/50) and it works great. It takes a couple of hours to pick up the foam for skimmers. But I have the same happen when I do a water change. Skimmers are very sensitive with water chemistry changes.
I don't have a lot of experience though so maybe other more experienced reefers can chime in.
About the start up issue...
How do you have the intake positioned?
You can try to have the pump input facing down. The pumps work better that way and pull a bit more air. The other thing is to check the airline. If it is too soft it might kink on start up. Try getting tubing a bit more rigid.
I have always cleaned all my pumps with a mix of water and vinegar (50/50) and it works great. It takes a couple of hours to pick up the foam for skimmers. But I have the same happen when I do a water change. Skimmers are very sensitive with water chemistry changes.
I don't have a lot of experience though so maybe other more experienced reefers can chime in.
1-2 times a week I wipe the neck down with a couple paper towels and dump the cup. I used to thoroughly clean the cup 2-3 times a week, but found better performance with a simple wipe down.
1-2 times a week I also run warm/hot RO water through the air intake hoses in order to get any build up out of the lines and the volute.
Every 1-2 months I take the pumps off and run them in a bucket of water and vinegar for a couple hours.
About every 6-8 months I take the whole thing out and thoroughly clean it out, to include a vinegar bath on the body and dismantling and thoroughly cleaning the pumps.
HTH
Check this out!! What a beast.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1646143
MSX300A
Footprint: 13 X 19
Height: 23 1/2
12 inch body
6 inch neck
Powered by an Askoll 1500
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1646143
MSX300A
Footprint: 13 X 19
Height: 23 1/2
12 inch body
6 inch neck
Powered by an Askoll 1500
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15090259#post15090259 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hop
Every 1-2 months I take the pumps off and run them in a bucket of water and vinegar for a couple hours.
About every 6-8 months I take the whole thing out and thoroughly clean it out, to include a vinegar bath on the body and dismantling and thoroughly cleaning the pumps.
HTH
Might wanna be careful about using vinegar.... I know its a great compound for using w/ skimmers, especially for removing prod oils, but I read a response on here from someone who said it's actually very bad to use with the pumps. No idea if that has merit, thought I'd throw it out there.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15102774#post15102774 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 32flavors
Might wanna be careful about using vinegar.... I know its a great compound for using w/ skimmers, especially for removing prod oils, but I read a response on here from someone who said it's actually very bad to use with the pumps. No idea if that has merit, thought I'd throw it out there.
It's pretty safe
I wouldn't let a pump sit in it for days, but for a few hours is fine. Been using it on pumps for nearly 10 years. Still have some of those original pumps still runningProlonged exposure could potentially cause problems with seals and o-rings, but short exposures are fine.
