seaclone protein skimmer - Page 3

dragon_slayer · #51 04/01/2005, 08:30 AM

i don't fully agree that the seaclone is complete junk, i've done every imaginable mod, heck some of the now 'common mods' are ones i did long before they were posted. for tanks of the proper size i'd put my seaclone up against an Aqua-C Remora any day. i've done the side by side and the seaclone i have does As Good As my Urchin Pro w/ Mag 3, but is nowhere in the ballpark of my ER's.

kc

spamin76 · #52 04/01/2005, 08:32 AM

Seaclone

chineseknife · #53 04/01/2005, 02:52 PM

dragon could u email those mods?
chineseknife@carolina.rr.com

dragon_slayer · #54 04/01/2005, 03:20 PM

i'm sure you've searched and read about them many times, IIRC i've even seen you posting wanting to buy a 'bio-ball' mod for your MJ1200???? but anywho.......

bio-ball mod
shorten riser tube in collection cup
improve air intake
seal collection cup to inside 'middle' tube
shorten 'vortex' tube to 4.25"
adjust so pump intake is as close to surface as possible
buy Euro-Reef 6.2 RC to replace seaclone.........

hth
kc

tml52974 · #55 04/01/2005, 05:20 PM

I had a Seaclone on my 62 gallon reef tank. I tried all of the modifications; new valve, chopping tubes, adding gaskets. Yeah, it helped, but I still didn't get great production and damn it made a lot of bubbles. I finally broke down and bought a AquaC Remora with the skimmer box. It rocks! I can't say enough good things about it. My only complaint is that the skimmer box is a little on the big side. This thing gave me more skimmate the first day than that Seaclone gave me in a week! And it wasn't even broken in yet! Get one. You won't be dissappointed.

chineseknife · #56 04/01/2005, 08:18 PM

You know dragon- now that you mention it it seems like the closer the water level gets to the pump intake the more skimming i do. What's up with that? Also, yes, I have heard about mods to the seaclone and even a search did produce good results, but you never know when someone has thought something else up.
How exactly did you shorten the vortex tube?
ck

dragon_slayer · #57 04/01/2005, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by chineseknife
You know dragon- now that you mention it it seems like the closer the water level gets to the pump intake the more skimming i do. What's up with that?

Proteins collect at the surface of water, they are more concentrated there and the closer your pump is to that level the more you'll pump into your skimmer. having minimal disturbance on the surface (no water ripples) will also give you better protein removal down through your overflows, hopefully to your skimmer.

and on a side note, having a skimmer in a sump/tank/etc.. where the water level changes you'll always get different skimming quality as the water level changes, you want this to be a constant for consistent skimming.

How exactly did you shorten the vortex tube?
ck

some are glued in i've heard but mine never was and i wiggled it till i got it out and then chopped a little off at the time till i got better contact with less turbulence in the reaction chamber, which for me as about 4.25"

i also got your email, i'll get the bio-ball mailed out to you ASAP.

kc

ratimpulse · #58 04/01/2005, 09:57 PM

W/e im going to show you guys AHHAHAHA. But i mean seriously, tho i meen if you wher to seal the output of the seaclone chope off the bottom of the seaclone add a larger base get a new pump and such and do some things like the DIY euro reef and such modified to fit a seaclone it might work. But yea, i got ****ed at my seaclone soo i just took it off and been using a differen skimmer, but im going back to my seaclone. But for the time being, would i be able to add a larger pump or would that not work. And when i was using my seaclone i wasnt getting all these bubbles. I had the air valve open to where it usally is open too and i was getting almost no air bubble inside my skimmer
any help?!?

chineseknife · #59 04/01/2005, 11:26 PM

I take it you used a dremel to saw it down?
@rat- what kind of skimmer are you using now?
ck

dragon_slayer · #60 04/02/2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chineseknife
I take it you used a dremel to saw it down?

myself i use a bandsaw to cut it in half, then use a 90* high-speed with a sanding disk to flush up the 'needles' with the impeller, and an Xacto works fine for removing the center to accommodate the impeller shaft.

kc

ratimpulse · #61 04/02/2005, 08:42 PM

Right now just a counter current airstone.

chineseknife · #62 04/03/2005, 12:06 AM

actually dragon I was talking about what you used to cut the vortex tube down.
rat-you may just have build up in you venturi intake or your airline tubing. Try blowing through the tubing. and you might want to consider soaking the intake in a vinegar solution to clean it. After cleaning my entire skimmer in vinegar it seemed to slightly enhance it's performance.

dragon_slayer · #63 04/03/2005, 11:27 PM

a 12" dewalt miter saw.

kc

CaptainCoral · #64 04/04/2005, 12:23 AM

Don't forget to add a drain line to the more effective modded sea clones as their collection cups are about the size of a thimble.

And certainly any significant improvement without said drainline would result in a spill. hehe
Check out this DIY needle wheel.

chineseknife · #65 04/04/2005, 05:22 AM

how does that impeller work for you? is that fishing line?
ck

CaptainCoral · #66 04/04/2005, 06:35 AM

Yeah, thats 8 lbs. test Berkley Tri-lene. hehe good line too. I've never used a "real" needle wheel, but I have a good hunch this one will will outperform the bio-ball mods. It kicks but.

jules77 · #67 04/05/2005, 01:43 AM

How's it working for ya?

chineseknife · #68 04/05/2005, 08:11 AM

Lastnight I drilled two small holes in each impeler blade. Haven't yet tried the fishing line mod. Like jules said," How's it working for you?". The holes really seem to produce smaller and more bubbles. The only things is that my Seaclone has "stopped" working. Normally after I clean it or do some heavy rearranging in the tank it stops producing for about 1/2 a day. It's been two days and still no foam. I can see the foam level and I have the water level set just right, well, like it was when it was working anyway.
Anyone else have this problem? Also, with the venturi wide open I get no microbubbles, however, when it's dialed in for maximum air/water mix I get huge amounts of microbubbles.
Go figure?!?!?!?
ck

jules77 · #69 04/05/2005, 09:30 AM

I'm in the same boat dude, since my recent cleaning it has done nothing. How do you judge "dialed in for maximum air/water mix "? I am just trying to get the water line up as high as possible with as many bubbles as possible. I get the same thing when it seems to be ideal then the micro bubbles

chineseknife · #70 04/05/2005, 12:56 PM

I listen- funny as it sounds. there's a point where the sound of the mixing becomes loud, if you will. That is where I have found maximum skimming. Little more open, too much air, little more closed, not enough. Looking for that happy medium. Can't save $ fast enough for my AquaC Pro, and my sump, which I am going to build myself.
I have an other question: how important is the cyclone action. What I mean is, is that if i were to remove the enitre vortex tube and just had the swirling action as it enters the mixing chamber, would that effect performance. It seems that all the "tornado" does is push the bubbles further upward, resulting in less contact time with the water. By cutting down the tube I could, technically speaking, increase that contact time by about 6-7 inches. I know that would make a difference, but positive or negative I just don't know. Hoping that when I get home from work today there will be a mound of foam pushing up and over the tube.
Does anyone have pics of their mods. I will post a pic of my drilled impeller tonight. The holes could probably be a tad bit bigger, but it's a start. My first DIY project. YAY!!!!!! LOL!
ck

tgreene · #71 04/05/2005, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chineseknife
I listen- funny as it sounds. there's a point where the sound of the mixing becomes loud, if you will. That is where I have found maximum skimming.

Me too... There is a very small window where you can actually hear the resistance of the water becoming a very dense mixture of bubbles and water, and this is where you need to be set.

dragon_slayer · #72 04/05/2005, 04:10 PM

when your working in your tank, oil from your hand/arms will cause your skimmer to stop working, it should not last days though.

CK i mailed out your bio-ball mod sat night so be patient on drilling the impeller all to pieces

also you want contact time but you want the bubbles to rise as well, if they didn't rise or they are to turbulent then they pop before they make protein collect and rise to your cup. don't get to carried away with the vortex tube, myself i found it was a very fine line between to long and to short.

kc

chineseknife · #73 04/05/2005, 04:43 PM

kc- thanks for the hope-and the bio-ball, I'll let u know when it gets here- back to the ole patience thing huh?
Also, how do bubbles not rise? I guess I missed the science on that one. Like, if you have too many bubbles they just sit there and actually run "dry" before they get to the top?
ck

dragon_slayer · #74 04/05/2005, 04:48 PM

no they pop and form much larger bubbles that are useless in carrying proteins to your cup.

kc

chineseknife · #75 04/05/2005, 04:52 PM

O-I-C!!!!