Skimmer SKimming

[Ef3s]

My tank has been cycling about 3 weeks now. Still hasn't finished. I have a Seaclone skimmer. It appears to bubble nicely inside and on one occasion was producing clear bubbbles that overflowed to the cup. That stopped. Now it appears to bubble but never more than 1cm of foam.

Does this skimmer suck or is there just nothing to skim?

Seems like there should be something...I have had 6 hermit crabs and 7 snails in the tank for a week now, 1 hermit dead rest all alive....

 

[mr_X]

i don't think they are among the best skimmers, but it should work. what size tank is it on, and what model is it?
do you have live rock cycling in the tank as well?

btw...6 hermits and 7 snails won't produce alot of skimmate :wink:

 

[Ef3s]

http://www.aquariumsystems.com/skimmers.htm#SeaClone

It is the 100 rated to 100 gallons on my 36 gal bowfront.
http://www.aquariumwaterfilters.com...8&category_id=15&option=com_phpshop&Itemid=26

I just bought this RO/DI unit today...I dun wanna buy a new skimmer lol...

 

[mr_X]

i really don't think you're going to get alot of skimmate from that bio load. if you have live rock cycling in the tank, try to shake it around a bit in the water and see if you can't get some junk floating in the water column. if you can get some floating, and the skimmer doesn't skim anything, it's either not adjusted properly, or it's junk.
have you tried-----

Problem: No foam production into the collection cup

Possible causes:

Skimmer is still in its break-in period(could last 3 days to 1 week)
Aquarium is not long established and does not have enough dissolved organic compounds in water. May take 1 to 3 months or more depending on bio-load, feeding/maintenance habits, other types of filtration used, etc.
Air intake is clogged with salt deposits- run hot water through air line and venturi intake to clean; air line may be changed periodically if desired
Pump and venturi intake may not be submerged to the proper level. The venturi intake should be submerged by 2 to 3 inches. Evaporation and fresh water top-off can alter the water level enough to affect skimmer production. :?

 

[mr_X]

btw.. holy crap that R.O. is expensive! return that thing and get one on ebay for 100.00 shipped.

 

[Ef3s]

Yes I do have live rock in the tank only about 20 lbs. I will be adding a ocelleris in about a week and a half here perhaps a tang.... Should I wait til I get these fish see if it produces foam then?

Yes I tried the trouble shooting still not working. Skimmer has been running over 2 weeks, I now have brown algae in the tank, and there is crud looking stuff I can stir up from the live sand. I am starting to think and have been reading that this skimmer isn't the greatest. Perhaps can I just add an airstone to the skimmer and turn off the venturi feature?


THE RO/DI UNIT:
....EBAY isn't allowed by my work fire wall lol, figured I would buy it direct from the company site. Have talked to my fish store they recommend this brand over the Maxxima... also heard only great things about customer support....

 

[Anonymous]

I'm afraid a tang will be unhappy in your tank. They require large tanks. Ocellaris will be fine.

 

[Ef3s]

I still have done 0 research on fish. You can harass me about my poor choices later!! This thread is about my pooooor choice of skimmer....!

Hopefully I will be upgrading with tax refund(yes thinking already) to a 90 or similar tank. SO I may end up purchasing a small Regal tang to keep around til feb....

 

[Anonymous]

I still have done 0 research on fish. You can harass me about my poor choices later!! This thread is about my pooooor choice of skimmer....!

Hopefully I will be upgrading with tax refund(yes thinking already) to a 90 or similar tank. SO I may end up purchasing a small Regal tang to keep around til feb....

I lost a tang and a couple of clowns from making poor decisions. I did not mean to harass, but merely wanted to inform.

 

[Ef3s]

IC thank very much...

If you wouldn't of said that I probably wouldn't have looked it up and would have purchased a Regal or yellow tang like an idiot.

Very surprising to see average minimum tank size for yellow/blue tang is 90 - 100 gallons.... I don't beleive I've ever seen a tang in a tank OVER 50 gallons....

I won't be purchasing one unless I am FOR SURE getting a bigger tank....

 

[Anonymous]

you wouldn't be the first one. I've made my share of mistakes like that. Even when people here warned me not to I went ahead and did it. oops.

I've seen tangs in smaller tanks. They are fine as juveniles, but once they get bigger problems can arise. The information on min tank size for certain species seem to be guidelines. Once you get your skimmer issues resolved check back here about the fishes you are thinking of adding. I wouldn't be of help here, but a lot of knowledgable people are here to help.

 

[mr_X]

back to the skimmer and R.O.

i was thinking about a tank with no livestock in it. i had a rock curing tank(40 gallon) and i had an asm g1x skimmer running in it, with just 25 pounds of rock. i got quite a bit of skimmate. so, my opinion of your lack of skimmate issue is that something is wrong with the skimmer, or it's just not efficient.
if you ever plan to get a better skimmer, i'd suggest a needle wheel type. please ask, or better yet, read the "definitive list of skimmers" thread on this forum. i did the same thing you did- thought i got a good deal on a red sea prism pro skimmer, and as soon as i got home with my purchase, i came here to ask about it. i got the same response- "ya bought junk"..lol

right now i do have a 2 inch tang in a 30 gallon cube. while he doesn't seem to be stressed or cramped, he'll be transferred to my 200 gallon as soon as it's cycled. they are just not built for tight quarters.


IMO, you are not going to need customer support for an R.O. unit. it's basically just a series of filters that water runs through. what question/issue would come up? whatever the question, i'm sure someone here could answer it and you'd have an extra hundred or so dollars you could put towards a better skimmer :wink:

 

[Ef3s]

True that...the only customer service I'm worried about is if I decide to hardline it to the cold water in the house....or any problems replacing/seating the membrane...!

I'll give the skimmer til thursday and I'll clean it tonight just to be sure. My suspended license is over on thursday so I'll pick up a new one....

Now to look into the needle wheel type....


Thanks for your help today!!

 

[mr_X]

my opinion on skimmers- ASM if you are trying to save money, and still want a good skimmer
euro-reef if money is not an issue.
i had 2 asm skimmers which both worked quite well, and i'm sure that you'll find more than a handful who will agree.
don't forget to buy a skimmer rated for a much bigger tank when you go looking. happy hunting :wink:

as for "hard-lining" your skimmer, or replacing membranes...i bet 80% of the members here have already done it atleast once.

 

[cindre2000]

Its a seaclone skimmer. They suck, to be honest. I have heard about there being some mods you can do to improve their output; however, they are inconstant and very very finicky.

Ef3s do you want a hang on or in sump? ASM is an affordable workhorse; however, it is not hang on like the Seaclone 100.

As for live stock: Tangs are one of the most misunderstood fish in the business. A huge number get sold at most pet stores, and yet, a lot of those go in less than 75 gallon tanks with no plans for upgrades. Customers see a cute small fish and ignore the fact that some species exceeds a foot long (not to mention they need swimming space). It is similar to FW Oscars in that people buy them when they are cute and small and keep them in tiny tanks even though they get big.

One very important thing you can do when you think about purchasing a fish is do a tiny bit of preliminary research. Maximum size, what they eat, aggressiveness, reef safe, etc. A quick google search and you should find out enough- in addition to anything the LFS says. Usually this means you should wait at least 24 hrs before purchasing a fish you see at your LFS and most will put that fish on hold.

 

[Ef3s]

I am looking for a HOT skimmer... THE ASM and euro reef seem good but neither have a HOT version... I really dun wanna look through the skimmer post just to see the names of skimmers that are just as bad as seaclone.....

 

[SnowManSnow]

for a good HOT skimmer for that size tank buy the AquaC Remora hands down.

b

 

[Ef3s]

AWESOME I need the name had a letter C in it but couldnt think of it lol...

THANKS very much!!

 

[mr_X]

i'll sell you mine

 

[Ef3s]

How much you want...? Appears their website doesn't sell direct....