How to make Remora's quieter.

glenns · #1 07/29/2005, 11:10 AM

What kind of muffler do you have on your Remora's?

I found a thread via Google that suggested placing a sponge in the injector chamber between the injector an collection cup. Has anyone tried this. I've also heard of covering the Remora with a towel.

swashbuckler · #2 07/29/2005, 12:14 PM

ive tried the sponge over the injector, doesnt seem to work- maybe im not doing it right, but would really like to find out if it does work,

also, im doin the towel thing right now and it works pretty good, gets rid of the hiss pretty well, but there's still the crashing, tumultous mixing water sound..

ive also tried putting a sponge over the exit hole where the water comes back into the tank- although this quieted it significantly, it created tons of back pressure and the water level rose in the skimmer.. so that didnt work...

kimche' · #3 07/29/2005, 01:38 PM

Sorry to say...start looking for a different skimmer. Basically Remora's stink (not the Pro I'm told). To lower the sound you'd have to change pumps and thereby end ANY likelihood of it ever skimming like a real skimmer.

swashbuckler · #4 07/29/2005, 02:19 PM

yeah, skimmate could be better, but hopefully someone else here can jive in on any noise solving issues

the MJ pump is the quietest out there for this- as a matter of fact, the Mag 3 that comes w/ the pro is louder.

glenns · #5 07/29/2005, 02:34 PM

I cannot here the Mag 3 pump over the hissing.

swashbuckler · #6 07/29/2005, 03:30 PM

well, i dont think there's any real solution unless we somehow built a box that goes over the whole top, kinda like another layer.. very much like how deltec's HOB design is- everyhing is built into an acrylic container.

billium · #7 07/29/2005, 03:40 PM

I don't mean to steal the thread but i was wondering if you guys have a problem with microbubbles. i can't seem to get rid of mine, i was thinkging of getting the preskimmer box, any thoughts?. As far as noise goes, I have a maxijet 1200 on my aqua c and the pump isn't too loud but the hissing of the bubbles is. i already gave up on the noise

swashbuckler · #8 07/29/2005, 03:43 PM

hey billium, the remora does give off quite a few bubbles especially when the skimmer's new and/or you just fed or put your hands in the tank..

i tried the skimmer box and it was useless- bubbles still came through and the whole thing kept tipping up causing the pump to go dry- so i left it off.

ever since, there have always been microbubbles, but not too many, something ya have to get used to - like the noise.

glenns · #9 07/29/2005, 04:05 PM

The skimmer box is good for getting the surface film where protiens tend to collect. However, it will run dry, so you have to keep you tank topped off. With the sponge in the return, I did not have many micro bubbles.

Currently, I have my skimmer box rigged as an overflow box. Long story short, I bought the skimmer before I had the tank drilled and added a sump. Could not afford sand, sump and pumps and a corner over flow box. And, the skimmer is to tall to fit under the stand. I used a specimen container and drilled holes in the bottom. That appears to have reduced microbubbles to an acceptable level.

dirtyreefer · #10 07/29/2005, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kimche'
Basically Remora's stink (not the Pro I'm told).

Nope, the Pro sucks too!

I had the Pro w/Mag 5 and it still only pulled out watered down tea skimmate every 4-5 days.

A way to quiet it down is instead of using the sponge over the injector, get a paper towel, dampen it, and then fold it up so it sits over the injector. Makes a world of difference.

chalowolf · #11 07/29/2005, 05:04 PM

I have the remora ,with skimmer box. I recall when it was new , i did get micro bubles. Now it runs good and it's pretty quiet. I only notice the noise from the pump when i empty the cup. My skimmer kicks ***.

swashbuckler · #12 07/29/2005, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dirtyreefer
Nope, the Pro sucks too! I had the Pro w/Mag 5 and it still only pulled out watered down tea skimmate every 4-5 days.

A way to quiet it down is instead of using the sponge over the injector, get a paper towel, dampen it, and then fold it up so it sits over the injector. Makes a world of difference.

OMG OMG OMG

thats the BEST ADVICE IVE EVER BEEN GIVIN (besides pvc VHO setup thanks to grim reefer)

i just tried the paper towel over the skimmer injector port- IT IS NOW ALMOST SILENT!
dude! how did you learn that technique? thanks again dirtyreefer-

dascharisma · #13 07/29/2005, 06:51 PM

You guys must have your tanks in really quite rooms to be concerned about the noise from the remora. Mine doesn't make close to as much noise as your typical window ac or room fan.

Mekong · #14 07/29/2005, 07:14 PM

I have a remora pro with a mag7 on it, it works great, dark sludge covering the entire pipe, I have to clean it more than once a week, theres alot of waste!

I also have a normal remora with a mag3 on it, the mj1200 didnt suck anything more than 'tea' but with the mag3 I am getting some tan sludge all over it, I wonder why its tan, but its skimming well.

Neither are that loud, I cant even hear the remora w/ mag3, the noise of my overflow and MH fan are alot louder.

s3aL · #15 07/29/2005, 07:16 PM

Im not having none of the problems you guys have and I just got mine 4-5 days ago. Remora w/ maxi jet 1200. Its about 5 feet from where I sleep and its fine. Micro bubbles were there first 3 days. There almost all gone. Im dry skimming and its pulling out dark skimmate that I never did with other skimmers. No its not gunna do what a Euroreef does but its one of the best HOB skimmers out. If yours doesnt work well, maybe you got a bad one/dirty/to big of a tank.

glenns · #16 07/29/2005, 07:33 PM

Wow!!! I can hardly hear it now. It used to drown out everything else. Thanks dirty reefer. How often do you have to replace the towel? I think I might try a piece of an old T-Shirt. I'm concerned the paper towel will fall apart and get into the tank,

My Remora Pro has the Mag 3 to. I'm not sure if this is alot, but it pulled 1/2" of dark green skimmate out in 30 hours. It used to take 48 - 72 hours, but I lowered the cup and started over. Now it is working better. I plan on upgrading to a 5 or 7 when the Mag 3 slows down.

swashbuckler, PVC VHO?? I guess I'm hijacking my own thread.

SBJim · #17 07/29/2005, 07:57 PM

Can you be specific about the paper towel trick? Imagine you're explaining how to do this to an 8-year-old who has no idea what a skimmer is, and I'll probably be able to comprehend.

Thanks!

glenns · #18 07/29/2005, 08:28 PM

I took two paper towels and folded them up to a size which should cover the Remora's injector. If you remove the collection cup, you'll see the injector and its chamber. I dampend the towel with RO/DI water. and draped it over the injector. Does not seem that great, but once you put the cup on it is much quieter. I'm sitting 8ft from it now and cannot hear it.

tjay · #19 07/29/2005, 08:36 PM

I love my pro, it just runs and dumps. Dont know why people would not love these things. I might try the wet towl trick though.

pdog182 · #20 07/29/2005, 10:38 PM

I just got to say that the paper towel trick is amazing. As my tank is in my family room, the noise from my remora was quite annoying. Thanks dirtyreefer.

sjm817 · #21 07/29/2005, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tjay
I love my pro, it just runs and dumps. Dont know why people would not love these things. I might try the wet towl trick though.

People dont like them because they didn't work for them. Mine never pulled out anything other than weak tea colored water. Upgraded the pump to a Mag5 and no real change. I gave up on it and tried an ASM G2. It pulls out more in a day than the Remora would in a week. The needlewheel setup is also much quieter than the spray injector of the Aqua C.

mrkrispy · #22 07/30/2005, 02:05 AM

POST OF THE MONTH! IT worked it worked! I can finally hear my TV!!!!

I was thinking of cutting some foam to fit around the injector tube, that way you don't have to worry about the towel coming apart.

BTW I cleaned my injector port last week for the first time, the Remora works much better now.

bjolly · #23 07/30/2005, 08:41 AM

if you're like me, and your o-ring broke the first month you had the skimmer, and you figured, what the heck, I didn't really need it.....get a new o-ring. MUCH quieter now.

swashbuckler · #24 07/30/2005, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by glenns

swashbuckler, PVC VHO?? I guess I'm hijacking my own thread.

made my own PVC VHO fixture by cutting a 4 inch PVC in half and mounting a VHO inside- eliminates the need for a canopy.. great for those who have no way to mount them. the PVC "dome" just sits on the tank now.

dirtyreefer · #25 07/30/2005, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by glenns
How often do you have to replace the towel? I think I might try a piece of an old T-Shirt. I'm concerned the paper towel will fall apart and get into the tank

I used to swap it out every couple weeks, cos the paper towel gets pretty dirty with skimmate itself. It almost doubles as another way to trap nutrients because you can just throw it out like a disposable filter. You'd be surprised how much crap it collects.

Don't worry about the towel falling apart and getting into the tank, it won't happen