questions about remora c hob skimmer

[nico.3]

hello.

Does anyone know anything about these skimmers i have had it up for 7 weeks now and have collected little to no waste in the collection cup i have checked the screw inside to make sure it's not blocked everything seems to be running fine i have a cobalt 1200 power head on it aqua clear 110 hob filter i have 3 damsels a blue leg hermit a red leg hermit and an arrow crab in the tank for about 2 weeks now started the tank with live sand and about 25lbs of live rock i have started getting some brown alga on the sand and on the rock i understand this is normal with new tanks but shouldn't the skimmer be broken in and doing its thing by now water parameters are 82.3f ph. 8.2 ammonia 0.25 ppm nitrite 2.0 ppm nitrate 80 ppm gh 120 kh 180 (I know I used tap water getting an RO system this weekend )oh and it is 55 gal would appreciate any info to help a rookie out

 

[RunBikeSwim]

Are you using the skimmer with or without the AquaC preskimmer box?

How much bubbles are you seeing in the middle chamber?

At what level is your collection cup?

 

[TokiHacker]

hello.

Does anyone know anything about these skimmers i have had it up for 7 weeks now and have collected little to no waste in the collection cup i have checked the screw inside to make sure it's not blocked everything seems to be running fine i have a cobalt 1200 power head on it aqua clear 110 hob filter i have 3 damsels a blue leg hermit a red leg hermit and an arrow crab in the tank for about 2 weeks now started the tank with live sand and about 25lbs of live rock i have started getting some brown alga on the sand and on the rock i understand this is normal with new tanks but shouldn't the skimmer be broken in and doing its thing by now water parameters are 82.3f ph. 8.2 ammonia 0.25 ppm nitrite 2.0 ppm nitrate 80 ppm gh 120 kh 180 (I know I used tap water getting an RO system this weekend )oh and it is 55 gal would appreciate any info to help a rookie out

regardless if the skimmer is working properly or not (which it seems that it is not intune) you need to WC!

 

[Sk8r]

A remora is pretty small for a 55. It's a decent skimmer for a nano tank. I'd recommend the eshopps hangon. if you have to have a hob skimmer (no sump). I use an eshopps in my own tank and am quite happy with it. A skimmer is not cheap, but it makes a big differencej: by 7 weeks you should be getting something.

 

[TokiHacker]

I have one of those coralifes and its ok. does the job well.

 

[jgln]

Mine took a while to start doing something.

 

[TokiHacker]

Also depends on how new the tank is... I know when my was super new it didn't really do much.

 

[nico.3]

I am using it without the pre skimmer box I don’t have one I purchased this second hand and it did not have a pre skimmer box the collection cup is about half way and I cant really see back there to tell if bubbles are forming in the center or not I did a 20% water change using RO water PH 8.2 ammonia 0 nitrite 5.0 nitrate 160 gh 180 kh 120 calcium 400

 

[Sk8r]

Never mind ph: not usually a problem. Give the dkh alkalinity: I don't have my conversion tables handy. Should be about 8.3. Your calcium is 20 points low; your nitrate is way high. 5 is a good reading.

 

[RunBikeSwim]

I am using it without the pre skimmer box I don't have one I purchased this second hand and it did not have a pre skimmer box the collection cup is about half way and I cant really see back there to tell if bubbles are forming in the center or not I did a 20% water change using RO water PH 8.2 ammonia 0 nitrite 5.0 nitrate 160 gh 180 kh 120 calcium 400

My remora produces minimal skimmate during cycling but really kicked in after installation of pre-skimmer box and additions of CUC and fishes.

When you remove the collection cup you should be able to see if bubbles are forming in middle chamber.

Are you getting any skimmate at the lowest collection cup setting? It should be very wet skimmate. If not, I would check for obstruction at pump or chamber.

 

[The Kahnasaur]

I have this skimmer. Put the rubber band on the collection cup as high as you can so the cup will sit as low as possible in the skimmer. If you then collect nothing something is wrong. You should be fine getting skimmate without the preskimmer box. That just helps to pull the water from the surface which is often oily. Your tank hasn't finished cycling if you're getting any ammonia readings but you should be pulling something out of the water.

 

[Agostinone]

I installed a Remora HOB skimmer on my 30G nano and have had it running for 3 or 4 years now. I run mine with the cup at the lowest setting and I get about 1 inch of coffee looking soup each week. The tank is stable and all the coral (soft and LPS) have been growing well and have excellent color--I share that as a data point that I feel the skimmer is doing it's job.

I chose the Remora due to it's form-factor because at the time the tank was located close to a wall and not many skimmers would fit.

I suggest just being patient as the skimmer seasons. With the critters you have in your tank now you may just not have enough biology in there producing byproducts for the skimmer to remove.

 

[nico.3]

Thanks for the info everyone I feel a little more at ease now i will lower the collection cup and let it do its thing

thanks again all your advice is much appreciated