Seaclone 100?
- Thread starter joshradio
- Start date
lion_crazz
Active Member
I would never spend any money on them.
There are much better skimmers that are similiar in price.
I don't think Corallife's are all that expensive. A friend of mine got her Corallife for about $80.
Plus, if he cannot afford a good new one, buy a slighly used one from a person who is breaking down their tank. Those type of people will sell cheaply just to get rid of things.
There are much better skimmers that are similiar in price.
I don't think Corallife's are all that expensive. A friend of mine got her Corallife for about $80.
Plus, if he cannot afford a good new one, buy a slighly used one from a person who is breaking down their tank. Those type of people will sell cheaply just to get rid of things.
joshradio
Member
Originally Posted by KDFrosty
I used to have a SeaClone 100. Now that I have a Remora I realize what garbage the SeaClone was. Spend the extra $$, and dont skimp on a skimmer.
There are, however, a few mods you can do the the SeaClone to get a little better performance from it.
Do tell!
I used to have a SeaClone 100. Now that I have a Remora I realize what garbage the SeaClone was. Spend the extra $$, and dont skimp on a skimmer.
There are, however, a few mods you can do the the SeaClone to get a little better performance from it.
Do tell!
lion_crazz
Active Member
If KDFrosty does not know them, I am sure you can find them pretty easily by searching old posts. Every so often, people post their modifications to get them to perform better. Just click the search button at the top.
kdfrosty
Active Member
From another website that I cant mention here:
"here are three basic tasks that can individually enhance a Seaclone's performance.
1) Replace the stock air flow adjustment end cap and replace with a air adjustment valve.
2) Reduce the inner most riser tube's length to approximately 2-1/2" to 3" in length.
This can be accomplished by pulling out the inner tube with a pair of needle nose pliers after you have gently rock the tube back and forth with your fingers. It should come loose without breaking. Take your time with this task because if you do break the inner tube you will have a very tough time clearing the base of broken acrylic. Unless you have very small hands that can fit in the skimmer.
3) Seal the base of the collection cup to the top of the intermediate tube. The simplest method I came up with is by cutting an O-ring out of a sheet of compressible non-porous foam. The best type of material is similar to the large foam O-rings you find from an old Magnum canister filter. This should give you an idea of what is needed. I trimmed the tip off a foam gasket that is normally used to seal a reservoir tank to a toilet.
The Purpose of Each Task
1) The air flow adjustment endcap that the Seaclone comes with is the item that frustrates many hobbyists. It is not meant to be used the way it needs to be and is obviously a cost saving measure by the manufacturer. Opened too wide the Maxi-Jet generates too much bubbles and inadequate flowrate. There is also a point where too much air will decrease the suction of the water pump hence reducing both the water flow rate and bubble generation to nearly zero. Don't open the cap enough and the water flow becomes too high and flushes the bubbles down to the outflow channel and into your display tank. Hence a good air adjustment valve is needed to control the bubble generation and water flow rate.
2) Reaction time is one of the main factors in protein skimming and the stock Seaclone has very little of this. The inner tube extends too high and is too narrow in diameter offering very little bubble and water mixing and contact time. Cutting this inner tube down in length effectively utililizes the volume of the intermediate tube as a reaction chamber. The intermediate tube has a much larger diameter hence cross sectional area and inversely the flow rate. The flow of water through the reaction chamber is greatly reduced, allowing for a greater contact time.
3) A portion of the air from the bubble generation does not exit the skimmer via the foam collection cup. Sealing the base of the cup to the top flange of the intermediate tube forces all the air to flow through the cup. This increased air flow helps push the foam up to be collected.
Another Modification Worth Considering
4) Reduce the height of the riser tube in the collection cup. The skimmate that the Seaclone generates is quite dark when compared to that produced by high-end skimmers. The main reason for this is the difference in height between the water column/foam interface and the top of the skimmate overflow tube in the collection cup. This distance is far too much for the foam to travel for this low power skimmer. The Maxi-Jet simply doesn't generate enough foam and air to blow the skimmate up such a tall dry column. I haven't figured out a way to cut this inner tube with minimal effort. The only solution is with the use of a hand held rotary tool (Dremel) but this may generate too much heat and bind the blade as the acrylic melts. The quality of the cut is also questionable since there is no guide available to make such a cut.
The Results
I have claimed this modification to be worthwhile based on a comparison of my current observation of the modified Seaclone's performance and that of the stock Seaclone from my recollection. I really don't have any prove that the modifications work. Fortunately (and many thanks to) Larry has acquired two Seaclone skimmers and is currently putting them to the test. He is running a modified and a stock Seaclone simultaneously on one of his reef tanks. His initial response has been good but the final verdict has yet to be given."
"here are three basic tasks that can individually enhance a Seaclone's performance.
1) Replace the stock air flow adjustment end cap and replace with a air adjustment valve.
2) Reduce the inner most riser tube's length to approximately 2-1/2" to 3" in length.
This can be accomplished by pulling out the inner tube with a pair of needle nose pliers after you have gently rock the tube back and forth with your fingers. It should come loose without breaking. Take your time with this task because if you do break the inner tube you will have a very tough time clearing the base of broken acrylic. Unless you have very small hands that can fit in the skimmer.
3) Seal the base of the collection cup to the top of the intermediate tube. The simplest method I came up with is by cutting an O-ring out of a sheet of compressible non-porous foam. The best type of material is similar to the large foam O-rings you find from an old Magnum canister filter. This should give you an idea of what is needed. I trimmed the tip off a foam gasket that is normally used to seal a reservoir tank to a toilet.
The Purpose of Each Task
1) The air flow adjustment endcap that the Seaclone comes with is the item that frustrates many hobbyists. It is not meant to be used the way it needs to be and is obviously a cost saving measure by the manufacturer. Opened too wide the Maxi-Jet generates too much bubbles and inadequate flowrate. There is also a point where too much air will decrease the suction of the water pump hence reducing both the water flow rate and bubble generation to nearly zero. Don't open the cap enough and the water flow becomes too high and flushes the bubbles down to the outflow channel and into your display tank. Hence a good air adjustment valve is needed to control the bubble generation and water flow rate.
2) Reaction time is one of the main factors in protein skimming and the stock Seaclone has very little of this. The inner tube extends too high and is too narrow in diameter offering very little bubble and water mixing and contact time. Cutting this inner tube down in length effectively utililizes the volume of the intermediate tube as a reaction chamber. The intermediate tube has a much larger diameter hence cross sectional area and inversely the flow rate. The flow of water through the reaction chamber is greatly reduced, allowing for a greater contact time.
3) A portion of the air from the bubble generation does not exit the skimmer via the foam collection cup. Sealing the base of the cup to the top flange of the intermediate tube forces all the air to flow through the cup. This increased air flow helps push the foam up to be collected.
Another Modification Worth Considering
4) Reduce the height of the riser tube in the collection cup. The skimmate that the Seaclone generates is quite dark when compared to that produced by high-end skimmers. The main reason for this is the difference in height between the water column/foam interface and the top of the skimmate overflow tube in the collection cup. This distance is far too much for the foam to travel for this low power skimmer. The Maxi-Jet simply doesn't generate enough foam and air to blow the skimmate up such a tall dry column. I haven't figured out a way to cut this inner tube with minimal effort. The only solution is with the use of a hand held rotary tool (Dremel) but this may generate too much heat and bind the blade as the acrylic melts. The quality of the cut is also questionable since there is no guide available to make such a cut.
The Results
I have claimed this modification to be worthwhile based on a comparison of my current observation of the modified Seaclone's performance and that of the stock Seaclone from my recollection. I really don't have any prove that the modifications work. Fortunately (and many thanks to) Larry has acquired two Seaclone skimmers and is currently putting them to the test. He is running a modified and a stock Seaclone simultaneously on one of his reef tanks. His initial response has been good but the final verdict has yet to be given."