Back to skimmers- My seaclone is broken

[jasno999]

I had a crappy seaclone skimmer on my 10 gallon tank. Probably never even realyl needed the skimmer but I liked it cause I beleive in over filtration. However seaclone is junk. Had issues from day one. But I left it on the tank cause it arated the water and it also moved the water.

However yesterday I got home and noticed my tank was abotu 2 inches short of water. I thought that it was way too much for jsut evaporation so I checked the seaclone and noticed a joint was leaky.

I took it off cleaned it and made sure the rubebr o-ring was ok. Then I re-installed. I wake up this morning and 3 inchs of water are gone. SO I had to remove the thing cause otherwie I will end up with a wet flor and a dry tank.

I don't think it is really worth it to fix this thing. I could get silicone and jsut fill of the space and make the tube a permanant connection to the chlinder houseing. Or I could throw it in the trash or sell the pump on e-bay. Probabyl do not need a skimemr on a small tank with only one fish in it (damsel) but I think I will start lookign again.

Has anyhting new come out that is low in cost, size and high in preformance in the last year. Last time I looked the best out was the AquaC Remora.

 

[abnmojo]

I have a seaclone gathering dust in the closet. Mine didn't leak, I just upgraded when I went to a tank bigger than a 55.

I had a hell of a time taking the thing apart to clean it out - it was a pain in the butt to loosen it up and pop that part out to get to the inside.

For small tanks, I guess it is ok.... I got a aquamedic turbofloater (the old one with two pumps) and I love it - It works great and once you figure it out is very stable. Found it used on Ebay and got it for $50.

Check out the bak-pack and prizm skimmers, I have heard good things about them for small tanks, not that I think you NEED a skimmer for what you have.

I would NOT recomend the visi-jet (makes seaclone look like a corvette) or the skilters, I have tried them both and cannot recommend. PM me for specifics as to why I think they suck.

 

[jasno999]

Yeah problem is I do nto want to purchase another skimmer cause I don't think the tank needs it and the one I had never worked anyway.

However now I have two things lackign in the system since the skimmer has been removed.

1) I have lost all of that flow the skimmer was creatign in my tank which was a good amount since it is a small tank. I have antoehr small pump I could add but I have to find a good location. Or I could put my older and larger pump back into the tank but it was causing some flow issues for the xenia when it was installed before.

2) I no longer have oxygen rich water in the tank and I am nto sure how thatt will affect all of the inhabitants. I have already noticed the damsel at the top of the tank tryign to suck air. I do have the filter runnign and it does crete flow on the surface of the water but I guess it is still nto creatign enough in termos of oxygen exchange. I don't want to add a airline to the tank, maybe I could get one itno the filter housing but it is all goign to be a pain in the butt- jsut wnat to make sire the damsel and all the corals nd inverst are ok.

 

[Marc118]

1. A small power head will creat enough flow for a 10g.
2. Water changes are an effective way to get oxygenated water into the tank.

How much LR do you have in the tank?

 

[jasno999]

1) ALready have a HOB filter and a smal micro-zoo pump will hook up another micro-zoo pump but it is not goign to help in surface agitation.

2) Not sure how many lbs of LR there are since I have removed a bunch since the tank was first set up.

 

[Marc118]

I have a PH pointing up for surface current. Works great, but I still dont think thats enough to oxygenate. The good thing about skimmers is the air they bring into the water is dissolved so there is no need for it to break surface.