Opinions on Sea Clone 100 for 55 gallon?
- Thread starter shnabbles
- Start date
benj2112
Member
I had a seaclone 100 for my 40 gallon and I had no luck with it. I have read posts on here that some people do have some luck, but not me. It didn't pull much gunk out of my water and after a few months it started dumping tons of bubbles into my tank no matter what I modifications I made for the thing. I wasted my money on that thing. I would say buy a skimmer online like a Euro Reef. A lot more expensive, but mine pulled as much gunk out my water in a week as my Sea Clone did in six months!!!
Also, some people try to modify their seaclone to try and make the thing work better. Here are some mods that a member on this page has tried to do (sorry...I didn't copy the name down and can't remember.
From an earlier post:
I've been "experimenting" with my Sea Clown for a while now, trying to improve it's performance, which has been minimal to say the least...
And yes I've noticed that it does perfom better if there/after there is a slight build up of film on the inside of the tube in the collection cup. And a decrease if the "film" builds up into too heavy a scum layer...
Yes, the "air adjustment valve " is too finicky...
Yes, Changing water levels changes the pressure of water entering the pump necessatating constant readjustment...
There are a couple of modifications from another DIY board that have "helped" a little...
1.Changing the air adjustment valve to one with a "finer" thread on the screw to allow a more "precise" adjustment...
2.Cutting down (shortning) the riser tube in the collection cup to allow the foam to "roll over" into the cup without having to rise so far...(seems to get stuck and block the tube)
3.Cutting down (shortning) the innermost tube where the cyclone effect starts...Allows more contact time between water and air...
4.Sealing the collection cup to the inner chamber forcing all the air that does enter the chamber to push the foam out the tube in the collection cup...
These mods have helped the performance, but only slightly...
Some may think the increase on such a minimal skimmer is not worth the time and effort...and I would agree, but, I've taken it as a personal challange to "tweak" out every bit of performance it's capable of...
My inital question was "Is there a basic design flaw in unit itself that prevents normal protien fractionalzation?" (Is it a peice of junk?)
The weak spot seems to be the air/water mix ratio ie:constant adjustment needed. Too weak to push foam through tube.
While running the skimmer in its "normal" mode with the best mix I could get, I added an air stone through the top of the collection cup down through the inner tube and into the innermost tube placing the stone at the bottom where the water enters the skimmer...
The increased air VOLUME immediatly produced a much larger quantity of sticky /dry foam rising through the upper tube and into the collection cup!!
I ran the skimmer for a week this way and it produced cup after cup of thick brown skimmate (the kind a skimmer should)...
So my initial conclusion is that the unit itself IS CAPABLE of good to excellent production of skimmate on a consistant basis...
However I don't like the "Rube Goldberg" approach or the noise of running an additional air pump...
So I am now working on "modifying" the pump/air eductor to increase air volume without sacrificing water volume...(the root cause of the finicky adjustment as built)
If/When I come up with something cheap,easy,and effective I'll post it for all that are "struggling" with there Sea Clones now.
The problem with all this is that besides the air pump noise you will also have this air stone "rattling" around in the cyclone chamber...
Like I said before it's not the "cure all" for inadaquite skimmer performance...
It just "proofed" my theory that the basic design is not at fault, rather a lack of air VOLUME in the tubes to collect and push skimmate through to collection cup...
Of the above mentioned modifications sealing the collection cup to inner tube was the easiest, cheapest, and most effective. It helps by causing all the air to exit through the collection cup tube...Hopefully bringing the skimmate with it...as well as a reduction of micro bubbles through the return flow.
I just added a couple wraps of teflon tape to the bottom of the collection cup where it seals in the inner tube.
I'll be "playing" with the pump/eductor system this weekend...I found some plans for a "recycling" foam jet/air eductor...
"Looks" like an easy hdwr store mod...
We'll see...No promises..."
Also, some people try to modify their seaclone to try and make the thing work better. Here are some mods that a member on this page has tried to do (sorry...I didn't copy the name down and can't remember.
From an earlier post:
I've been "experimenting" with my Sea Clown for a while now, trying to improve it's performance, which has been minimal to say the least...
And yes I've noticed that it does perfom better if there/after there is a slight build up of film on the inside of the tube in the collection cup. And a decrease if the "film" builds up into too heavy a scum layer...
Yes, the "air adjustment valve " is too finicky...
Yes, Changing water levels changes the pressure of water entering the pump necessatating constant readjustment...
There are a couple of modifications from another DIY board that have "helped" a little...
1.Changing the air adjustment valve to one with a "finer" thread on the screw to allow a more "precise" adjustment...
2.Cutting down (shortning) the riser tube in the collection cup to allow the foam to "roll over" into the cup without having to rise so far...(seems to get stuck and block the tube)
3.Cutting down (shortning) the innermost tube where the cyclone effect starts...Allows more contact time between water and air...
4.Sealing the collection cup to the inner chamber forcing all the air that does enter the chamber to push the foam out the tube in the collection cup...
These mods have helped the performance, but only slightly...
Some may think the increase on such a minimal skimmer is not worth the time and effort...and I would agree, but, I've taken it as a personal challange to "tweak" out every bit of performance it's capable of...
My inital question was "Is there a basic design flaw in unit itself that prevents normal protien fractionalzation?" (Is it a peice of junk?)
The weak spot seems to be the air/water mix ratio ie:constant adjustment needed. Too weak to push foam through tube.
While running the skimmer in its "normal" mode with the best mix I could get, I added an air stone through the top of the collection cup down through the inner tube and into the innermost tube placing the stone at the bottom where the water enters the skimmer...
The increased air VOLUME immediatly produced a much larger quantity of sticky /dry foam rising through the upper tube and into the collection cup!!
I ran the skimmer for a week this way and it produced cup after cup of thick brown skimmate (the kind a skimmer should)...
So my initial conclusion is that the unit itself IS CAPABLE of good to excellent production of skimmate on a consistant basis...
However I don't like the "Rube Goldberg" approach or the noise of running an additional air pump...
So I am now working on "modifying" the pump/air eductor to increase air volume without sacrificing water volume...(the root cause of the finicky adjustment as built)
If/When I come up with something cheap,easy,and effective I'll post it for all that are "struggling" with there Sea Clones now.
The problem with all this is that besides the air pump noise you will also have this air stone "rattling" around in the cyclone chamber...
Like I said before it's not the "cure all" for inadaquite skimmer performance...
It just "proofed" my theory that the basic design is not at fault, rather a lack of air VOLUME in the tubes to collect and push skimmate through to collection cup...
Of the above mentioned modifications sealing the collection cup to inner tube was the easiest, cheapest, and most effective. It helps by causing all the air to exit through the collection cup tube...Hopefully bringing the skimmate with it...as well as a reduction of micro bubbles through the return flow.
I just added a couple wraps of teflon tape to the bottom of the collection cup where it seals in the inner tube.
I'll be "playing" with the pump/eductor system this weekend...I found some plans for a "recycling" foam jet/air eductor...
"Looks" like an easy hdwr store mod...
We'll see...No promises..."
doodle1800
Active Member
I've had a Seaclone 100 and a I now have a 150. My Seaclone 100 leaked but I put silicone in the attachment knob and stopped that. I was given a 150 and it never leaked. It works great. However, 1 word of caution, do not let the air hose drop down, you'll have a nice puddle of water on the floor before long. Hang the hose in the holder the skimmer comes with.
And another thing, leave the 100 alone. You do not have to modify it. I tried the mod where I shortened the stem up top and it did nothing, maybe even made it collect less. I ordered another collection cup to compare and the original did fine.
I might invest in another skimmer after I move, new setup, a more expensive skimmer, but for the $$ the Seaclone works fine.
And another thing, leave the 100 alone. You do not have to modify it. I tried the mod where I shortened the stem up top and it did nothing, maybe even made it collect less. I ordered another collection cup to compare and the original did fine.
I might invest in another skimmer after I move, new setup, a more expensive skimmer, but for the $$ the Seaclone works fine.
doodle1800
Active Member
Originally Posted by Beth
Seaclones are nortoriously bad and need to be modified to even get it going.
If you are looking for a hang on, look into the RemoraPro.
I know nothing of the RemoraPro, but in my experience the SeaCLone works with no mods and collects green scum that I need to empty every week.
I don't see how my SeaClone works for me but they are notoriously bad. Maybe over time I learned how to adjust the airflow and I'm used to it now. Maybe other skimmers are easier to use? I guess I'd have a better opinion if I had a more expensive skimmer to compare it to? Theoretically I'd like to know whats different between the SeaClone and another brand. The construction seems fine.
Seaclones are nortoriously bad and need to be modified to even get it going.
If you are looking for a hang on, look into the RemoraPro.
I know nothing of the RemoraPro, but in my experience the SeaCLone works with no mods and collects green scum that I need to empty every week.
I don't see how my SeaClone works for me but they are notoriously bad. Maybe over time I learned how to adjust the airflow and I'm used to it now. Maybe other skimmers are easier to use? I guess I'd have a better opinion if I had a more expensive skimmer to compare it to? Theoretically I'd like to know whats different between the SeaClone and another brand. The construction seems fine.
heddy
Member
i have used my seaclone for 8 weeks now and at first it only collected green gunk, now it is collecting foam and green gunk!!!! works great for me and i dont think the air controller is that difficult. i've never used any other kind of skimmer, but mine works great. i would be afraid to have only the skimmer (ie no other filtering system) i have the eheim on mine (54 gallon corner bow front - 60lbs live rock and 60lbs sand)
jmick
Active Member
I made the mistake a few years ago to buy a Seaclone 100 for my 55 (lfs recommended it) and it was garbage. It barely collected any waste and when it did I’d have to continually adjust it. I ended up throwing it away and buying a Aqua-C Remora Pro, which is awesome! Needs zero adjustment and collects 1-2 cups every 4 days. My water has never looked better.