SeaClone 100, it works for me!!!!

[barchtruong]

After reading lots of discussions regarding Seaclone, lots of negative!
I was so nervous about my brand new Seaclone skimmer that I ordered online.
Plugged the thing in yesterday and didn't know how exactly it should work.
Today, I got it figured out, and the thing works like a charm.......can't believe break in time on my skimmer is so short like that.
Foam spills into the upper container, no bubble goes into the tank, PERFECT!
What I did was I cut the air intake tube short enough to bring the valve up to parallel with the collector. Tighten the valve all the way and make sure no air pocket in the J tube. Then release the vale 1/4 turn at the time every 3 min. until the foam starts raising up into the collector. Then adjust a lil more to get rid of all the tiny bubbles going into the tank.
If you have one, how does it work for you. How much spilling is normal???I can adjust my to spill out fast or slow.

 

[squidd]

The really weird part about the Sea Clowns is...
While you usually hear about how it takes a couple days for a skimmer to break in and start working...the sea clown seem to work right out of the box...for a couple days...maybe a week or two...
But for reasons unknown...they soon lose their effeciency and adjustabilty and and become a royal pita...
Hope your works long and well...
But I doubt it....

 

[fbm]

Originally Posted by Squidd
The really weird part about the Sea Clowns is...
While you usually hear about how it takes a couple days for a skimmer to break in and start working...the sea clown seem to work right out of the box...for a couple days...maybe a week or two...
But for reasons unknown...they soon lose their effeciency and adjustabilty and and become a royal pita...
Hope your works long and well...
But I doubt it....

Absolute truth in my experience. Worked great for about a week then poof skimmed no more. Thought I had all the junk out of my tank. Still thought that after about 2 weeks of no skimming then I got me a new skimmer and I seen what it was missing.
Good Luck but you will probably be a new skimmer in your plans before too much longer.

 

[maeistero]

mine pulls stuff still. it needs a lot more cleaning and maintenance, but it does skim. ***)
helluba lot better than prizms.

 

[gman52]

got mine on Christmas, plugged it in, and am not getting anything. I can't get any foam or nothing. I can see a little bit right where the return is. Also it is very noisy. Any suggestions on how to get mine to work.

 

[fbm]

there are several mods that you can do to get it to work, do a search for seaclone mod and you will find them.
The most useful one that I did was got rid of that plastic air valve and went with a metal one from the lfs for air lines. That quieted down the unit and skimmer better.
But really for the money if you can take it back do so and get a coralife super skimmer.

 

[barchtruong]

so far so good on mine!
GMAN52, you need to cut the air intake tube short.
then tighten the valve all the way and leave it for about 1 hr.
then release the valve slow....ly. You will see the twister begins to form in the skimmer. Keep going until you see a twister at the bottom half of the skimmer and the upper half is going to be trillions of tiny lil bubbles. That's where you want to set the skimmer.
then release the valve at 1/4 turn and wait for about 3 min then turn 1/4 turn again to reduce the amount of tiny lil bubbles going into the tank.
Once it's good and starts spitting the crappy stuff into the collector, use a knife or something to mark the valve setting so next time you can get exactly adjustment if you have to mess with it.
Give it a day or so to break in.

 

[gman52]

how short should I cut the airtube.

 

[barchtruong]

oh, I forgot,
make sure there is no AIR POCKET in the J tube.
If there's an air pocket, guarantee, it will never work for you!
If you happen to over turn the valve while adjusting it and get an air pocket,
start over with air tight valve. don't try to adjust while the air is in that thing, it will not work, for sure.

 

[barchtruong]

plug everything in,
set everything up first.
after everything's in place, bring the tube up to about the collector top and cut it right there.
Oh, and just let the tube stand up by itself, don't tuck it in the lil clip by the skimmer, it sucks. That's a bad thing.

 

[gman52]

thanks, im going to go try all of that stuff now. Ill post some questions later if I have any. Thanks again

 

[gman52]

ok, I have done everything you have said. Im getting about a centimeter of foam, but not in the collection cup. Its below it at the water level in the skimmer. Should I just wait, or what should I do know?
thanks

 

[fbm]

Is it hangin on the tank or in the sump? If it is in the sump try rasing and lowering the level of the sump until you find a happy spot.

 

[gman52]

its hanging on the back of my tanks, its a 20 gallon

 

[barchtruong]

ok, so it has foam in there, that's good.
now, turn the valve counter clockwise every 1/8" at the time. and see how much foam it can raise and make sure no air pocket in J tube. If you see about 2 cm or 3cm of foam, that's perfect and let it run for a while and see what it does. New skimmer doesn't skim right away, it takes awhile. Mine was quick, 24hrs.

 

[gman52]

there is about a half a centimeter of foam at the top of the water level in the skimmer, not in the collection cup. After doing 1/8 turns, same amount of foam, just a little higher up, and not as many bubbles in the tank.

 

[barchtruong]

ok, leave it of about 1 hr.
then ck back, you can turn the valve back and forth at 1/8" interval and play around with it till you see foam starts going up. Or you can jus leave it there for about aday.
BTW, how old is your 20g tank? If it's new or somewhat new, there's nothing to skim.
So, don't think the skimmer's broke. Maybe your tank is so clean!!
let me know how it works.

 

[gman52]

the tank has been set up since late june. It does have a low bio load, maybe 10 lbs of rock, few mushrooms, zoo colony, 6 button polyps, and a small clownfish. I am actually gonna go treat myself (with Christmas money) to a fish and coral colony. Maybe if the bioload goes up a little bit, it will skim. For now ill just leave it how it is. Thanks for all your help, and I will update you on how it works.
Thanks again