two mysteries solved...bad skimming...hermit crab suicide

[Vincerama2]

So as the title suggests, my skimmer has been definitely NOT skimming. It's an AquaC EV120 so it has "spray induction"...I wasn't seeing any foam at all. Then I took 2 weeks "off" to get married, and finally had a chance to do some tank maintenance. The skimmer pump was WEAK! Not enough to do more than cycle water through the skimmer body.... and of course, the ONE hermit crab that I kept in my sump for fun is missing ... hmmmm.... hmmm.... heck, you don't have to be Encyclopedia Brown to figure this one out! I found a margarita snail shell (I don't have margarita snails!) jammed perfectly in the input of the Mag5 pump that feeds the skimmer!

I am amazed that the pump didn't "burn out" as I've heard that restricting input is a seriously bad thing for pumps. In anycase... I feel really bad for that hermit, but they have a history of stupid suicide in my tank!

I had a HOB filter with a slightly broken strainer. I mean one or two "teeth" was missing on the strainer. When the HOB started working badly, I took the input pipe off and found THREE hermit crab shells and parts. They are complete idiots. Or rather, they can't resist a dark tunnel with water flowing into it. Morons.

V

[raddogz]

I like my EV 120, but don't love it. If it were my choice (funds need to allow for it) I would get a different skimmer.

The one thing I do not like about the skimmer is that the pump can easily get jammed with crap "chaeto" or stupid nerites.

The injector also gets easily clogged as well from silt and chaeto remants. I have to check and clean out pump and injector every other week on mine.

A good indication is when you don't see any skimmate and/or low foam production - it's a tell tale sign something is clogged.

[Vincerama2]

One thing I'd like to try with the EV120 is to take the drain from the main tank and hook that directly to the EV120 intake. Since it "induces" bubbles using a water stream alone (I mean there is no bubble chopper or anything). If the inductor nozzle gets clogged, the "backup drain" (a standpipe that is higher than the main drain) should kick in and warn me (with loud splashing) that the nozzle needs cleaning.

I figure that since my return pump is probably returning around 500 gph (it's rated at 1000 gph @ 0', but goes through a busted scwd) the water flow in the return line might actually be enough to run the skimmer.

The downside would be that crap that goes through the drain will get stuck inside the skimmer (macro algae mostly) rather than settling out in the "skimmer section" of my sump. The upside is that the drain will be "silenced" and, of course, use no extra electricity. On the other hand, it might just not work at all.

In retrospect, since the EV120 cost me $300 WITHOUT a pump, but the Euro-reef (smallest one) cost $280 WITH a pump, it was idiotic of me to have bought the EV120... oh well...(Hey, it WORKS, so I'm not complaining, but nobody raves about AquaC like they do about EuroReef!)



V

[raddogz]

Yes, like I bought my EV120 not long after you did. After seeing for myself what a Euro Reef is capable of doing I really wish I had gotten a Euro Reef instead - but like an idiot I couldn't pass up a scratch and dent EV120 from PA a few years ago (it was returned - used for a week and missing a label).

Speaking of putting the drain directly into the skimmer I thought about that too and hooking up the mag 5 somehow as a recirculating pump.

Just a thought...

[TheMandarinFish]

I thought your "hermit crab suicide" was a blue-leg that flipped off a wrasse.

"You wanna piece a me? Huh? You don't want to taste none of this. OWWWW!!! STOP!!! HELP ME TANGS!!! OWWWWW"

"...gurgle... slurp... burp... "



(yeah, ER is kinda the entry point IMO, unless you're into maintenance, biofiltration, and have a lot of time to do water changes - I'm finally mentally and financially prepared to dump well over a grand on my next skimmer and I only wish I had more cash for an even better one)

[RustySnail]

Originally posted by Vincerama2
One thing I'd like to try with the EV120 is to take the drain from the main tank and hook that directly to the EV120 intake.

Wont work... The injector nozzle creates far higher backpressure than your overflow head will provide. Putting a tee on the outflow so that the pump intake gets all of it's water directly from the display will minimize re-circulation of sump water (a problem IMHO with the basic setup of many in-sump skimmers)

[Me No Nemo]

I have both a Euro Reef and an AquaC EV400. I love that AquaC, better than the Euro Reef IMO. It skims much more out of the tank. Ours is outside the sump, "downdraft" style on 400+ gallons and I couldn't be happier with it. Perhaps its the fact that it's outside the sump that makes it better?

[andyman]

I've had the EV120 and I have to say that while it works, it is hard on the pump and not very efficient. Don't get me wrong, if you spend the time to set it up, it works great but I find that my H&S works a lot better. Not sure if anyone saw my skimmer pictures a long time ago but I think a picture says a thousand words. Before seeing these pictures please note that I've been running the EV120 for over a year. It was properly setup and the pump I used was a Mag 7 as recommended. I heard from others that using a pump rated higher works better but I have not tried this.

This picture was taken on July 3, 2004 at 17:00 according to the Exif data on the jpeg file.



This image is 4 days later! If my EV120 was working, I don't think it should have pulled this much dark stuff out so quickly by the H&S. (July 27 8:18:03)



H&S does cost more then EV120 and this is hardly a fair test but I find that the H&S requires a lot less headpressure due to needle wheel design and probably more reliable since it doesn't work the pumps as hard.

What we need is maybe everyone bring in equivalent skimmers and we can have a club skimm-off competition to see which skimmers the best... Oh I'm sure the manufacturers are gonna love this..

[RustySnail]

Hmm... I've always had great success with the EV series (and Remoras); I recently upgraded skimmers from the EV-180 to an EV-240. The 240 does not make as much skimmate; but it's very dark and it generates more sludge on the walls of the skimmer riser/CC. The 180 would make 1/2 liter of wet skimmate per day.

[raddogz]

I'd bring in my EV120 for a shoot out.

Interestingly enough my Remora will pull out more crap than my EV120; however with that said I only use a mag 5. Where did you see the mag 7 recommended, I'd be interested to read up on it?

[Vincerama2]

Yeah, I also use a Mag5. It seems to work OK now. What water level are you guys maintaining? I try to keep the level juuuuuuust below the "platform". Should it be higher? Lower? What gives the best results?

I might try putting my ViaAqua 2600 on the skimmer, it is rated at 740gph, to see if it skims better than with the Mag 5.

V

[raddogz]

Mine will not skim if it is above the "platform". I actually have to take the silly thing apart as it doesn't seem to skimming very well after I re-arranged my sump (I took all of the sand in the refugium part out).