Help with protein skimmer please!

[jsteph24]

I bought an Aqua C Remora HOB protein skimmer last week(the one with the MJ1200 and drain fitting). It is coming via ups tomorrow. I have never used a protein skimmer before. I am completely green when it comes to them. Am I going to have problems setting it up? Is there any kind of break in period? If somebody(possibly with experience with the specific model) could help me out by telling me what I am going to have to do it would be greatly appreciated! Or are the directions it comes with going to be just fine? Also what kind of maintenence am I going to need to do on it?

 

[amadent]

just read the directions. I got one last week Remora pro w/rio1400 and drain from the cup. I followed the directions. It was a no brainer. My only point to take notice of is the height of the collection cup. All the way down it will produce too much wet foam. I decided not to use the overflow tube until I get the foam adjusted the way I want it to be. Too much foam, too wet, too much water in the cup. Let us know how you make out. My water looks crystal clear.

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by jsteph24
I bought an Aqua C Remora HOB protein skimmer last week(the one with the MJ1200 and drain fitting). It is coming via ups tomorrow. I have never used a protein skimmer before. I am completely green when it comes to them. Am I going to have problems setting it up? Is there any kind of break in period? If somebody(possibly with experience with the specific model) could help me out by telling me what I am going to have to do it would be greatly appreciated! Or are the directions it comes with going to be just fine? Also what kind of maintenence am I going to need to do on it?
You will not have problems setting it up, it's very easy. Maxijet connects to tube, tube connects to skimmer... That's it. No airlines or needle wheels, nothing complicated. Oh and of course the collection cup. It has a rubber gasket looking thing that goes around it, all it does is hold the cup higher or lower, wherever you want it to stay.
Yes there is a break in period. You may not see foam for about a week maybe 2.
The maintenance. About every 6 months, I drain the water out of mine, remove it and clean every part I can reach. I take the Pump off and clean that as well. I just use plain water and a scrubby pad.
Did you get the surface skimming box??

 

[mx mr bean]

in general protein skimmers arent to hard to set up but it is a little work to get the bubbles/ air flow right. just the air valve back and forth till u get tiny bubbles to form. tiny is good big bubbles are bad. once u get the skimmer up and running correctly u will have to empty the collection cup every so often. i do it every otherday to every three days. i remember in the beggining i would empty it atleast once a day but unless u have the time and will it should be alright if u do it every other day. make sure u put a gallon jug or bucket under the overflow tube just incase. good luck

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by mx Mr Bean
in general protein skimmers arent to hard to set up but it is a little work to get the bubbles/ air flow right. just the air valve back and forth till u get tiny bubbles to form.
No air flow on the Remoras. No air valves. It's awesome!

 

[jsteph24]

sounds great! I guess I am not sure about what the bubbles should look like so I wont know where to put the collection cup. smaller bubbles are better though? Is the surface box thing worth it? I didn't get it, but was thinking about it. Thanks for the info

 

[nixis]

I am sure you will do fine they are pretty easy to set up and minor adjustments may have to be made but its not hard. I did mine and I had never had one before, so you will do fine

 

[tizzo]

The surface skimmer IS worth it, but it's large. Bigger than I was expecting so i had to rearrange my tanks rocks to get it to fit.

 

[rbaldino]

If your Remora comes to you anything like mine did, all you'll have to do is attach the pump to the inlet pipe, hang it on, and plug it in. I also suggest that you rinse it out really well before installing it. Giving it a good cleaning will speed the break-in period. You'll have to experiment with the collection cup a bit to get a feel for where you want it. I suggest setting it all the way down at first and seeing how much foam you get. If it's more than you'd like, raise it periodically until you find a good spot. Mine just stays at the bottom, and under normal operation I usually only have to empty it once, maybe twice, a week. If you feel like spending the extra money and have the room in your tank, I suggest getting the prefilter box as well. It does a good job of hiding the pump and trapping bubbles before they get back into the tank.

 

[aztec reef]

Agree, with Rbaldino 100%. I just learned alot of things from him..

Also agree it should be simple to set up, also READ instructions..

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by rbaldino
I also suggest that you rinse it out really well before installing it. Giving it a good cleaning will speed the break-in period.
Don't forget in Hot/warm water..

 

[tahoetanks]

Make sure that you get all of the connections nice and tight. I know there are a few of us on here that have had the delightful experience of something coming loose and pumping water everywhere.

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
Don't forget in Hot/warm water..
And no soap. Just good old fashioned water.

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by tahoetanks
Make sure that you get all of the connections nice and tight. I know there are a few of us on here that have had the delightful experience of something coming loose and pumping water everywhere.
It would be hard for that to happen with the Remora, but there is a hose clamp where the pump attaches to the inlet tube that needs to be tightened down. Not overly so, though.

 

[aztec reef]

Originally Posted by rbaldino
And no soap. Just good old fashioned water.
Does it have to be ro/di?

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
Does it have to be ro/di?
Yes, by all means. In fact, every time you put your hand (or anything else) in your tank, rinse it with RO/DI water before and after. To take that a step further, you should shower with RO/DI water, do dishes with RO/DI water, do laundry with RO/DI water, etc, so as to eliminate any chance that tap water will contaminate your tank. Tap water contains copper, chlorine, radioactive waste, anthrax, human remains, nano-machines and many other toxins and organisms that will kill fish if so much as a drop of it enters the tank. You should also put your aquarium in an air-tight, pure oxygen-filled chamber to improve gas exchange. This chamber should be built without any windows, so natural light won't cause an algae bloom. It should also be built without any doors so humans don't accidently poison the aquarium through over feeding or improper maintenance. All husbandry tasks should be performed by robots, and those robots should be constructed only by other robots, to further remove humans from the equation. It's probably best to not have any fish in the aquarium, since they're nothing but ammonia factories. Better yet, just don't have an aquarium and leave the poor fish and corals where they were, happy on the reef.

 

[aztec reef]

good points you should write articles, they may just get published.
P.S. Stop ruining threads, with things that have nothing to do with the Original poster..
Let's keep it ON TOPIC..

 

[rbaldino]

Originally Posted by Aztec Reef
good points you should write articles, they may just get published.
P.S. Stop ruining threads, with things that have nothing to do with the Original poster..
Let's keep it ON TOPIC..
I do write articles, they do get published, and I get paid for them. Hell, I even ran a newspaper. So keep on trolling. I can write and type in my sleep.
As far as being on topic... I don't think it's necessary to rinse a piece of equipment in RO/DI water. And you asking that question had no purpose other than trying to illicit a response from me. I thought I'd respond with a reply that was as ridiculous as the question.

 

[aztec reef]

I do write articles, they do get published, and I get paid for them. Hell, I even ran a newspaper. So keep on trolling. I can write and type in my sleep.
But i bet this articles have nothing what so ever to do with saltwaterfish.
Now i understand why you take Grammer so personal.

 

[slowburn22]

As far as being on topic... I don't think it's necessary to rinse a piece of equipment in RO/DI water. And you asking that question had no purpose other than trying to illicit a response from me. I thought I'd respond with a reply that was as ridiculous as the question.