Need help on SeaClone Skimmer Modifications.

[jasno999]

I too have a SeaClone Skimmer and I am currently trying to do some modifications on it. I think I have a newer model because the small innermost tube is about 4" in length. I hear you can cut this to 3" inches but that will be my last step because it is so difficult to get that tube out for cutting.

Actually what I need to know is how to properly do the modifications. Last night I drilled a small hole in the top cover of the collection cup. Thru this I sent air tube line. I put an air stone on the one end and sent it all the way to the very bottom of the skimmer thru the small innermost tube. Is this the proper way to do this? Why do people say to use only a wood air diffuser and not the stone ones- will it make a difference?

As for the other mods of removing the innermost tube- exactly how does one do that? Can you remove the intermediate tube from the skimmer? To me it appears that the intermediate tube is not removable because it would require you to crack/break the black rim at the top of the large tube. And I don’t have pliers or anything that can reach all the way to where the innermost tube is located. Even if I were to get it out how would you get it back in? I need some details on how to do all of this. I am just trying to get everything to work properly.

[MT79]

Originally Posted by jasno999

Why do people say to use only a wood air diffuser and not the stone ones- will it make a difference?

Wooden air diffusers are of better quality. They generally produce more, smaller bubbles and last longer.

I put an air stone on the one end and sent it all the way to the very bottom of the skimmer thru the small innermost tube. Is this the proper way to do this?

Yes. One other thing I did was cut the riser going into the collection cup. That made a small improvement in the amount of skimmate collected.

[MT79]

Can you remove the intermediate tube from the skimmer?

I just took a look at my old sea-clone. You can remove that tube after you remove the rubber O-ring that seals the collection cup. That gives you more room to get to the smallest, innermost tube. [acronym:4ed315f190="In my opinion"]IMO[/acronym:4ed315f190]/[acronym:4ed315f190="In My Experience"]IME[/acronym:4ed315f190] the sea-clone "is what it is", thats why mines in the closet lol. Best of luck.

[jasno999]

I am confused. how would you go about removing that o-ring. It is not rubber it is a hard plastic.

[philthefish]

I am confused. how would you go about removing that o-ring. It is not rubber it is a hard plastic.

The O ring is actually a big rubber washer that sits inside a recess in the top black plastic ring of the skimmer.

I've attempted to do the mods on my skimmer, but couldn't manage to get the innermost tube out for cutting. I've just sold it on Ebay after getting a bargain on a CPR Bakpak2R. I've actually made £10 profit on the two deals!!!! (Sorry, that doesn't help you though.......). The bakpak has pulled more out in a day than the Seaclone did in a week.

Phil

[jasno999]

So how much did you pay for the BakPak?

How much did you get for the SeaClone?

I guess I made a bad decisions and if I could do it over I would. I jsut wanted to get a skimmer and I saw a locak store using them with success so I got it. Now I can't get it to do much of anyhting. I did add the air stone and I will give it a few days to see what it does. But I would rather one that jsut works out of the box and does a solid job.

I guess if I could make some money on my current model and not haveto pay an arm and leg for a new one I would do it. But what shoudl I get BakPak or AquaRemoraC type?? Cost on these things is steep and I can't do it unless I find a good deal and sell my seaClone.

[philthefish]

As I said, I got lucky....it was a couple of days before Christmas and the bloke had put a starting bid of £35 (70ish dollars) and no one had bid. I bidded about 10 seconds before the end and got it for £35! Sold my Seaclone for £46 (90ish dollars).

To be honest, mine was skimming ok but not as good as the Bakpak is now.

How long have you been running the skimmer? Is it a new tank setup? My original 20g tank didn't start generating much to be skimmed for a month or so. I left the air intake on full (not enough bubbles even if it was closed a tiny bit).

My advice would be to keep using the seaclone and keep your eyes peeled for a bargain on a better model.

Hope this helps

[jasno999]

Yeah I guess. But i nthe mean time I am goign to do all the mods that I can without breaking the thing to try and get better production out of it.

I have had the tank set up and running for almost a full year. However I was never able to get it to a point where I felt good enough to add coral. Then as tiem went on I lost some interest and kind of let it get out of control. The skimmer clogged and stopped working for a few months.

Well not I am back into it and want to get this thign up and running. I jsut purchased a R/O water purifier for my sink and I am goign to do major water changed and cleaning. But I am goign to need to get the skimmer working well.

Funny thing is even with the neglect and the fact that the rock has a ton of green nasty alge on it I am readign o levels of nitrits and nitrates and everyhting looks good I jsut think there is too much phosphate and stuff that alge likes to eat due to the fact that I have used tap water for watehr additions and changes.

Will do the mods and see what I can get out of this skimmer. I hate the bubbles in the tank but I am hopign that will die down some after it rund for a full week. I might look to see what I could get to seel this otherwise I will mod the crap out of this including maybe trying to do somehting not yet done before to fix the problems.

I really need to figure out how to make it so all the bubbles are forced up thru the collection cup and make it so none can escape out into the tank. Got any ideas?

[jasno999]

Ok I took the thing apart last night. I realized that in order to get the middle tube out you had to remove a rubber o-ring that was around the inside of the large tube at the top. After I got the middle tube out I was actually able to squeeze my hand into the large tube and grab hold of the small 1" tube near the bottom. However I tried to rock it back and forth and wiggle it and pull it all to no avail. The thing would nto move and would nto come out. If I applied any more force I think it would have broke.

I did nto want to break it and when I gave it too much force I head soem noises that were indicative of it reachin the limit so I backed off. I gave up on it after a while. SO I still have a small 1" riser tube that is 4" long. I would liek to cut it down to 2" to 2.5" but until I figure out a way to remove it or cut it while in place it will stay as is.

However I was able to do one mod. I had some extra teflon tape- the wite stuff plumbers use on threaded connections. So I wrapped it around the bottom of the collection tube a few time so that there was an interference fit between the collection cup and the middle tube. After only 5mins of operation I noticed bubbles flowing over into the collection cup and I felt good. So I tried to dial the air into the pump in and I went to bed thinking I would have a lot of crap in the cut in the morning. However to my suprise there is still little to nothing in there. So I have re-opened the air line to the pump to almost max. I will see what this does when I get home from work today. The majority of air is definitly being forced up thru the collection cup now and that is much better but I need the bonds of the water moleculed to becoem stronger so bubbles form and streach and get into the collection cup.

Still looking for suggestions on removal of the inner 1" tube.

[philthefish]

Still looking for suggestions on removal of the inner 1" tube.

I've read on the internet that a few people have managed it. I certainly wasn't able to do it and neither was the bloke in my [acronym:d720b7368e="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:d720b7368e] who'd tried it on both the seaclones he has in his [acronym:d720b7368e="Live rock"]LR[/acronym:d720b7368e] curing tanks.

If the bubbles are reaching up into the collection cup, then you've achieved what you're trying to do anyway......what bio load have you got in the tank (i.e. number of fish).

How long has the skimmer been running? They take a while to 'break-in' before producing much skimmate.