remora skimmer help

[mckostya]

My dilemma.
-I have Aqua C Remora Pro with mag 3 pump and It wont produce any skimmate for me at all. Something I noticed: when the skimmer is on, if you place your finger by mag 3 inlet, It seems like its barely taking in any water. Feels like its maxi jet 400 or something like it..Does the skimmer restrict the flow somehow? When I unplug the pump from skimmer, it suddenly takes off and you can feel it pumping so much more right away(like its supposed to 350gph). Could that be the problem? Any remora users can check if their pump flow is restricted the same way?
I took the skimmer off and cleaned it, all seemed ok. I also tried rio 1400 and maxi jet 1200 ? no different.
Can someone please chip in? Any help would be nice. I haven?t skimmed in 3 weeks now ;-(

 

[jackson6745]

Either the mag 3 has some sort of blockage or the injector of the remora skimmer has a blockage. There should be a plastic screw for cleaning on the top of the injector elbow. Check both. No flow with a remora or urchin = no skim.

 

[mckostya]

i replaced the pump with rio 1400 and maxi jet and it didnt make any difference. they both seem to not pull as much water as they should..
i also unscrewed little plastic screw and cleaned the injector and it seems fine...
the pump flow should not be restricted as i described correct?
can the plastic inlet on the skimmer be taken apart? it seems glued

thanks for help.

Either the mag 3 has some sort of blockage or the injector of the remora skimmer has a blockage. There should be a plastic screw for cleaning on the top of the injector elbow. Check both. No flow with a remora or urchin = no skim.

 

[jackson6745]

I don't believe the injector can be taken apart. If the pump works fine when not attached to the skimmer then something inside the skimmer is obviously blocking flow. Go through the skimmer carefully. Stick a coat hanger in the pipes to clear blockages.

 

[mckostya]

yep the pumps are fine. i put zip tie through to check for blockages, it went in just fine. ill use something bigger tonight. how do you use coat hanger? it wouldnt really bend lol

 

[jackson6745]

LOL...find something you can bend. Bailing wire would work.

 

[beerfish]

yep the pumps are fine. i put zip tie through to check for blockages, it went in just fine. ill use something bigger tonight. how do you use coat hanger? it wouldnt really bend lol

+1 on a blockage

Ummm... are you using a wire hanger? They bend pretty easily. A wooden or plastic hanger won't work so well.

 

[CHEMCHEF]

+2 on Blockage

 

[mckostya]

well i cleaned and cleaned. wires, screwdrivers , coat hangers went through. all i can say there is no blockage.
desperate to fix it, as ive been running tank with no skimmer. here it the picture.

1. the chamber on the right - should the water be in there like that?
2. chamber in the middle - the water always stays on the same lever as pictured. i moved the cup all the way down it didnt help.


any suggestions? any remora users can check theirs and see if its running the same way?

thank you !!

 

[ecvernon]

that is how mines look after i do a water change or feed my tank. it starts out like that then foam builds up

 

[ecvernon]

and also your collection cup neck could use a cleaning that would help also. its harder for foam to build up with that gunk in the riser tube

 

[mckostya]

thanks for reply. can you check if your pump is somehow restricted, as i described above(not pushing as much as it should)?

i cleaned it all last night. its been running for 24hrs now. how long does it take to foam?

thanks!

that is how mines look after i do a water change or feed my tank. it starts out like that then foam builds up

 

[ecvernon]

i can check tomorrow, ill post my finding then

 

[ecvernon]

these skimmers can be very finicky at times. depending what you feed, dose or how often you put your hands in the tank. it could take a couple of days to start foaming

best step you could do right now is clean it thoroughly and wait

 

[grknyer]

My dilemma.
-I have Aqua C Remora Pro with mag 3 pump and It wont produce any skimmate for me at all.
Can someone please chip in? Any help would be nice. I haven’t skimmed in 3 weeks now ;-(

Sorry to inform you but your Aqua C is doing what it was designed to do which is NOTHING AT ALL!!!!
I too had the same problem when I used it in the past.
I changed out pumps for stronger models.
I removed the screw and cleaned out the spray nozel with the pipe cleaner supplied.
I wiped down and cleaned it completely.
I cleaned out the pumps.
I also ran it with vinegar
I adjusted the o-ring up and down.
You name I tried it. The only skimmate this so called skimmer made looked nothing more than Green Tea.The green tea that Snapple sells looks darker in color.
Customer service was of no help at all so don't even bother. They told me to follow the instructions that came with it.
I had a friend that had a sea clone at one time and that thing pulled more than the Aqua C Remora.
I finally got fed up and bought the Reef Octopus recirculating skimmer and was happy and still am. It's a beast for the price.
Do a search in the f/s section and see how many members have sold theirs. If there is any member that still uses this skimmer please post pics of your skimmate. No Photoshop allowed and NO dumping someone elses skimmate in the collection cup.:lol2:
Here is an old pic of the skimmate it produced.

 

[mckostya]

thanks for reply Harry. i do understand that these skimmers arent the best. However this skimmer used to pull nasty skimmate for me, its been the past month or so that i havent seem any skimmate at all. At that point i changed pumps, cleaned did lots things and now just have no idea wtf happened...there is got to be a way!!

Eric - if you could check on the pump issue, and let me know, so i can finaly stop thinking its some sort of blockage!
uhhh ill sleep on it and maybe by miracle ill have full cup of nasty junk in the morning :scratch: but somehow i really doubt...:irked:

 

[grknyer]

thanks for reply Harry. i do understand that these skimmers arent the best. However this skimmer used to pull nasty skimmate for me.

ill sleep on it and maybe by miracle ill have full cup of nasty junk in the morning :scratch: but somehow i really doubt...:irked:

Hey man no problem.I'm just trying to help you and others based on my experience with this skimmer.I've read similar complaints on other reef sites so it's not only us.I'm trying to save some people their money and the headache that comes along with owning this product.
In any event what does the skimmate look like today? I hope for your sanity it is better but I highly doubt it.
Calling on all Aqua C remora owners who can PROVE me wrong with some nasty skimmate.
For official rules see post #15.

 

[jackson6745]

Perhaps you could upgrade pumps. I used to run an Aqua C Urchin pro with a mag 7 pump. It performed MUCH better than the Mag 3.