Skimmer Q&A Thread

mojo~ said:
WEll Grim has done such a good job on the T5 forum and I see so many skimmer questions. Why not start this forum. I get pms and emails quite often so why not put it all in one place for everyone. We will see how it works. There are a lot of people here that have had a good amount of knowledge on skimmers. So if I dont know the answer, someone else might know. So post you questions here and we will see how it goes.
Mojo~
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This is your thread, you started it & I might add - a good idea. I was simply trying to get some help on a question that related to the topic of the thread.

mojo~ said:
sorry, i just thought that your questions was already answered. And its a RC thread. I just answer most of the questions is all. I answer them on here, and a couple other sites. Plus I give my Cell # to people and talk to them on the phone too. I am here to help. Sorry you didnt feel I was doing a good job. I will try to step up my game a little bit. Sorry Family issues and trying to get custody of my kids has taken my attention from this. Again sorry frank but they come before your skimmer question. Again I ll try to do better than I already do.

Oy
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I'm sorry to hear about your family problems. I've been thru that in the past & I'm going thru a divorce in the present. I don't wish that upon anyone in the world & I hope everyone involved can think about the kids & work it out. I'll be thinking about you.

PowermanKW said:
Perhaps you could go over to the T5 Q&A thread Mojo and see what they are doing right. Perhaps you could get some sort of idea of where you went wrong.:thumbsup:
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No need to pile on & make things worse. Let's move on & keep the thread on topic. Many more will need help & answers.
 
I have a skimmer maintenance question. I have a BubbleKing with the Red Dragon 2000 lph pump. It used to be silent but now the pump is making a noise and the noise is emanating from the silicone venturi tube (between venturi and air silencer). It looks like the hose is sucking some water into it along with the air and its making a crunchy, rhythmic sound. I've taken the hose off and put it back on, no difference. I also ran the pump in a vinegar water solution for a while last weekend. I'm not sure if I started hearing the noise before or after this mini-maintenance. But now the skimmer is rocking a bit on its little rubber feet so I know something is not quite right.

What should I do?
 
rroselavy said:
Please let us know how it performs for you. I do not see very much feedblack on this skimmer so I'd love to know.
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I will. From what I understand they are brand new for MRC. I spoke to them yesterday. The only thing I do not like is the no-name Chinese pump. Otherwise the build looks good. NW pump, gate valve for adjustment. Small footprint which I need in my refugium.
 
Canarygirl said:
I have a skimmer maintenance question. I have a BubbleKing with the Red Dragon 2000 lph pump. It used to be silent but now the pump is making a noise and the noise is emanating from the silicone venturi tube (between venturi and air silencer). It looks like the hose is sucking some water into it along with the air and its making a crunchy, rhythmic sound. I've taken the hose off and put it back on, no difference. I also ran the pump in a vinegar water solution for a while last weekend. I'm not sure if I started hearing the noise before or after this mini-maintenance. But now the skimmer is rocking a bit on its little rubber feet so I know something is not quite right.

What should I do?
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there may still be some calcium in the bearing assembly. great pumps but they do need to be cleaned out every so often. You are on the right track. If you dont get it Send Jeremy from premium aquatics a pm. He may know. He is a little more familiar with the askol pumps maintenance. Souns lik a shaft or bearing.
 
;) mojo it's all your fault for starting the thread to try and help people, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for going to work, dealing with family and not being able to answer everyone's question's, lol you must have forgot people dont want to read all 50 pages to find an answer, they just want an answer. btw have you ever ran a dax ex 1 ?
 
noobie ?

noobie ?

Mojo,
Wanted to get your opinion.
I have a D&D Typhoon which I am looking to replace.
I do not have much room in my sump so an external skimmer owuld be best.
I was looking at the Octopus recirc units.
Any thoughts on their performance/reliability for a 90 gallon tank?

My Typhoon over flowed my skimmate bucket when the power was off while doing a water change, do other external skimmers run this possibilty?

Thanks for the help!
 
myreefnoob, I have had the das ex1. I thought it skimmed ok. But the build was really cheap. I could squeeze the cylinder body of the skimmer and it would flex easily. Just not what I would expect from DAS. but the aquabee pump seemed to work ok. pulled about 400 lph of air.
 
gravity316 said:
Mojo,
Wanted to get your opinion.
I have a D&D Typhoon which I am looking to replace.
I do not have much room in my sump so an external skimmer owuld be best.
I was looking at the Octopus recirc units.
Any thoughts on their performance/reliability for a 90 gallon tank?

My Typhoon over flowed my skimmate bucket when the power was off while doing a water change, do other external skimmers run this possibilty?

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...

For external on your 90 check out the Warner marine rx 150, the octo cone external or even just the octo nwb 150 if you are trying to save some $$

you should just shut your skimmer off when doing a water change. depending on how its plumbed in and if you are using a feed pump ect. its hard tosay if it will do it with another skimmer
 
Vertex IN 180

Vertex IN 180

Thanks to the unbelievably useful thread, and especially Mojo's never ending wealth of information I have decided to try the Vertex IN-180 skimmer for a new 90 gal reef that I am setting up.
One quick question, I see some dealers listing this as the Vertex IN-180 and a couple list it as the Vertex IN-180 generation II.

Is it safe to assume that everyone is selling the gen 2. I would hate to get some leftover stock of a previous model.

Thanks,
Mark

More questions to come... as I upgrade from my 55 to a 90
 
Thanks for the info Mojo.
I had the skimmer pump off.
Before I turned it off the water level was actually kind of low.
When I notice it overflowing it was sucking in through the air venturi.
The return line in submerged, do no tknow if this was a problem?
 
Markbb said:
Thanks to the unbelievably useful thread, and especially Mojo's never ending wealth of information I have decided to try the Vertex IN-180 skimmer for a new 90 gal reef that I am setting up.
One quick question, I see some dealers listing this as the Vertex IN-180 and a couple list it as the Vertex IN-180 generation II.

Is it safe to assume that everyone is selling the gen 2. I would hate to get some leftover stock of a previous model.

Thanks,
Mark

More questions to come... as I upgrade from my 55 to a 90
Click to expand...
they should all be gen 2 by now Premium Aquatics has gen 2's for sure.
 
gravity316 said:
Thanks for the info Mojo.
I had the skimmer pump off.
Before I turned it off the water level was actually kind of low.
When I notice it overflowing it was sucking in through the air venturi.
The return line in submerged, do no tknow if this was a problem?
Click to expand...

sounds like you had a back siphon.
 
lots of snow here today eeks. Need to get a skimmer that can suck it all up and turn it into saltwater.
 
Question on the Vertex IN-180. It shows a height of 24", my internal stand height is 26". Is this going to be enough room for routine maintenance and cleaning to get it in and out.

Thanks,
Mark
 
what is the best skimmer with an internal pump? I have a very limited area to put one in my 45gal sump for my 125gal DT. I saw the Marineland 300 and posted about it, but haven't got a response yet.
 
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