Colorado Reefs
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Suggested Modifications for the Seaclone Skimmer
SeaClone 100
Given my cheap budget(in relative terms), I’ve stayed with the skimmer that came with my 75G Show tank, since I got it. Main reason, it didn’t cost anything, and has worked, very well actually. I originally got my 75G Show tank from a friend who works in the aquarium business, and had a customer who wanted his out. I took it, with the low low cost of moving it out of his house. Not a bad price, given I’d have to do that w/ a used tank anyways.
I should preface this page with first, by saying that there is a little bit different setup to my skimmer: It’s not setup HOB(Hang on Back) style. I’ve taken off the necesary pieces, and connected the Maxi-Jet 1200 directly to the skimmer body. While this reduces the bubble’s contact time with the water, it hasn’t seemed to make any difference in the performance of the skimmer. The skimmer sits in the bottom of my sump, in about 4″ of water. I should also mention, this is the SeaClone 100, not the Seaclone 150. Here we go:
- Pump/Impeller: If you’re not using a Maxi-Jet 1200 with this unit, get one. Take out the impeller and drill three tiny holes(1/16″) in each blade of the impeller. Even better, make a mesh wheel for the maxi-jet 1200. I haven’t done this, but I would expect it would help even more with performance, by making the bubbles even tinier, creating more surface area.
- Inner riser tube: I cut mine down by 3 1/2″ – 4″. There have been other pages which say you can pull this out, after taking out the inner column, but I have never been able to get either of mine out(I have 2 of these skimmers). I have a dremel with the flex shaft attachment, which made cutting this pretty easy using a smaller size cutting wheel. Given my big hands, I did putz around with it a bit, but with a little patience I got this done pretty easily. Take your time here, as breaking this would render the whole skimmer pretty much useless.
- Collection cup riser tube: Reduce the height of the riser tube in the collection cup by about 1/2″. Given the total height the foam has to go to get into the collection cup, this can only help, as it allows it to flow over into the collection cup easier.
- Replace the provided “air adjustment” valve with a real air adjustment valve. The one provided with the Maxi-Jet just doesn’t have enough control over the amount of air you want going into the skimmer.
These are the four changes I have made to the two of my SeaClone skimmers, and it has made all the difference. On average I’d say both pull out about 1 Cup per week from my Show tank cluster and my frag cluster of tanks.
Tags: Aquarium, Big Hands, Blade, Bubbles, Coral Tank, Dremel, Flex Shaft, Hob, Little Bit, Patience, Preface, Reef System, Reef Tank, Relative Terms, Riser Tube, Saltwater, Saltwater Aquarium, Seaclone 100, Seaclone 150, Seaclone Skimmer, show tank, Skimmers, Surface Area, Tiny Holes, Wh, Wheel
Milwaukee SMS-122 pH controller addition
Recently I updated my 75 Gallon Show tank with a calcium reactor from craigslist. While cheap, it didn’t come with all of the necesary items, including a solenoid, and a pH controller. The calcium reactor supplies the tank with much needed calcium and alkalinity by dissolving clacium reactor media at a lower pH level(usually between 6.5 and 6.7, depending on the media).
Lowering the pH is done by injecting carbon dioxide(CO2). In order to keep the pH steady and at a low level, a bubble counter is usually used to monitor the rate at which CO2 enters the calcium reactor, and then monitored with pH test kits. Adding a pH controller and a (normally-off)CO2 solenoid to this, simplifies the prodcedure by controlling when the CO2 is allowed to enter the calcium reactor, determined by the pH of the water coming out of the calcium reactor(effluent). This is done via pH probe sitting in an effluent cup. I made mine out of a office style vertical pen holder, cutting holes with a dremel to allow for an effluent line to come in, and a drain out the bottom, allowing a pool of effluent water to be monitored by the pH probe from the Milwaukee SMS-122.
With the pH probe gathering the pH of the effluent water, the Milkwaukee SMS-122 pH controller monitors the pH, and when it rises above the set point, flips on the AC outlet pod attached to it. This is where the CO2 solenoid comes in. The operation of the solenoid is pretty simple. When power is applied to the AC plug, open the valve, when power isn’t supplied, close the valve. Easy enough. The solenoid is put in place between the needle valve connected to the CO2 pressure regulator(on the tank) and the bubble counter(which then goes to the reactor), allowing the flow to be set by the needle valve, and indicated by the bubble counter, when the solenoid is powered ON, and the solenoid valve is open. At this point, assuming the pH controller is already calibrated(mine came calibrated already, but I double checked it with the included fluids), and the set point set to what you would like, the pH will be held close to steady to wherever the set point is(in the case of a ca reactor, 6.5-6.7ish).
Having this setup, now the only thing to determine with the reactor is the flow rate of the effluent from the reactor, as well as to watch the pH of the tank, so that the lower pH water coming from the reactor doesn’t drop the pH of the tank too much, while increasing your calcium and alkalinity.
Tags: Ac Outlet, Ac Plug, alkalinity, calcium reactor, Carbon Dioxide, Co2 Pressure Regulator, Co2 Reactor, Co2 Regulator, Craigslist, Dremel, Effluent Water, Milwaukee Sms 122, Needle Valve, Pen Holder, pH controller, Ph Level, Ph Probe, Ph Test, Reef Tank, Saltater Tank, Saltwater, show tank, solenoid, Solenoid Valve, Test Kits
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