Sea clone Skimmer

[ebeckels]

Hi. I just got a new sea clone skimmer. It seems to be working ok, however, nothing is coming up to the top. I have the air tubing hanging out the top of the tank. Is this correct? I had to screw the end of the air tubing shut completely or else it made a loud noise (sounded like a filter trying to work without enough water in the chamber) So I tightend the end completly so no air can get in. The tornado thing is working in the chamber but the water flow is not getting much higher than the water fall part that hangs on the tank. Shouldn't their be some green liquid coming up to the top of the skimmer? Could this be not working properly because I just broke down my tank and added new water...there is no fish or coral in the tank currently but the skimmer is on. Any help would be great on how to use this sea clone skimmer.
-Eric

 

[trigahappynigerog]

return it while it is new. try getting a skilter or prizm. it probably isnt working because the tank is not cycled yet

 

[michael]

Why a skilter or prism? Are they better? I also just bought a Sea Clone but haven't used it. I need 4" clearance behind the tank and only have about 3"(too heavy now to move). Are the other ones smaller? I know I could use it as a sump type but would rather not have that big thing in my tank.

 

[beecher]

The prizm only takes up about 3" behind the tank. If your tank is still cycling with no fish in it. There is nothing really for the skimmer to "skim" I read that you should'nt use a skimmer until your tank is fully cycled. Also, skimmers need a week or two to "break-in". My prizm didnt do much until it was working for a week. You can probably find 50% that like the prizm and 50% who don't. I think its alot of bang for the buck. I found mine online for less than $70.

 

[ebeckels]

unfortunately I can not return it. I got it off of ---- for 65.00 It was a good price considering the stores near me are selling it for 108.00 Anyways...I'm gonna turn it off and wait a month or so.. I just did a 95% water change 2 days ago because of a huge ick out break and i had some dead anemones in there... Once the tank is cycled again I will start the sea clone back up. It's supposed to be green stuff coming up..right?
-eric

 

[nosmada]

first the skimmer has a break in peroid ( per the instruction manual) of around 3 days although it may take longer. second, if you completely close the valve there is no air gettin in. with no air you have no bubbles. you will have to adjust the valve untill you find the correct spot for its optimal preformance. it will be loud at first but does quiet down somewhat after it breaks in. third, since you just did a huge water change i cant imagine you have anything to skim. also with no livestock in the tank i cant imagine theres anything to skim. get your tank set up and running, let it cycle then start to run the skimmer. you cant skim whats not there.
hth,
chris

 

[twoods71]

The above post sums it up pretty well.
What makes a good skimmer is the amount of tiny bubbles in contact with the water for the longest amount of time.

 

[bobothewizard]

I have the same skimmer and basically you have to "adjust" the skimmer for your tank. Im talking about the air bubbles. I have my cap almost all the way off and its working perfectly.

 

[nosmada]

same here on the cap. mine is almost all the way open. although i do adjust it as the filter over the venturi gets dirty. when its to the point where its almost not skimming then i take it out wash it and start over with the cap all the way open again.
chris

 

[big dave]

Sea Clones umm how do I say this ::cough, cough, suck, cough, cough::: Return it if you can and either get a prizm or a bak pac.

 

[ebeckels]

when you have the air valve almost all the way open don't you hear a very loud and annoying noise? Is that normal? It sounds like a filter trying to work without much water in it. I have it off now and I'm not planning on turning it back on for at least a month or so...It's a shame I can't return it. oh well. Thanks for the advice everyone

 

[beth]

Yes, the SeaClone has an annoying noise, but so do most skimmers. I had a SeaClone for nine mos and it never would skim. I finally stripped it for parts, and thru the rest away. Using a prizm now. Nothing to brag about, but it works ok for now and the price was right.
A few days ago I posted the standard modifications that hobbyst use to get the seaclone working. Use the serach feature here and type in Seaclone modifications and you should get this info, if you're interested.

 

[ebeckels]

wow...i wished I researched the seaclone more before buying...I guess some people like while others say it is crap. No one has said the prizm is bad however. I just put a bid on a new prizm on ---- and I will sell my new seaclone to pay for it. Thanks for the advice everyone.
-Eric

 

[cayers]

I don't understand why all the negative feed back on the seaclone. They might have had a design flaw a while back, but that has been corrected, It seems as though its past history will forever doom this thing. They work very well if you take the time to fine tune them. Which doesn't take but a second once you figure out the optimal air adjustment. At least this has been my experience. I wouldn't hessitate to buy another one.

 

[bentrue]

just like most things with this hobby, there are varrying opinions. my seaclone works great, and have heard from others, like the people that have posted already that theirs work well also. others think they suck and go for the prizm. i chose to go for the prizm because of some posts that i read stating that the prizm will sometimes pump water down the back of the tank. IMO, it was worth it to go with the seaclone to avoid the chance, all be it a small one, that water would be pumped out to the floor.
i would give the seaclone some time, especially since you can't return it. maybe it will start working for you like it did for me.

 

[davidcanupp]

I really don't understand all the anti-sea clone talk either. Not only does mine skim great, but i didn't have to do any adjustments. Maybe it varies depending on the individual skimmer but i have nothing but great things to say about mine. Also, somebody mentioned taking it back and getting a skilter...NOT A GOOD IDEA. At least in my case (I have two) they are the loudest filters that i have ever heard and they don't skim worth a flip. Although, they do ok for mechanical filtration. Anyway, I guess that everybody has good and bad experiences. Just felt that i should speak out for the poor defenseless Sea Clones. -David

 

[twoods71]

My seaclone works great also. The history is bad for this skimmer but the manufacture did a great job fixing the problems.
i'm glad to see I'm not the only one that has had great results from the seaclone.
What really cracks me up is when people make negative comments about this skimmer going only on what they have heard and have never had one themselves.