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New Member
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Last Login: 5/9/2008 6:40:53 PM
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I know this forum topic is quite old, but I am new to the sight and want to comment anyway. I purchased a Coralife Needle Wheel Skimmer and placed it in my wet/dry system. I am not very happy w/ it, in my opinoin it does not do a very good job @ all. If I don't figit w/ it daily it either stops forcing material into the chamber or floods it. Several times I have found where it has overflowed I may have to invest in a different unit. Thanks for the tips euro-reef products.
Remember you did not pick a cheap hobby!
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Starting Member
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| How long has the skimmer been set up and low old is the system that it's skimming? Skimmers have a break-in period in which they are almost impossible to get to stabilize. Sometimes its a matter of a few days sometimes a few weeks. After break-in it becomes much more consistent and you should be able to tune it like you want it. Skimate can be a light green water or a thick pasty gunk. I like to set mine in between, kinda dark green just a little heavier than water. As for the age of the system, that can play a role too. If you have new uncured live rock, the die-off will cause the skimmer to produce like crazy! Once the rock becomes cured and the system settles in, the skimmer will slow down production requiring some final minor adjustments. After that you shouldn't have to do much more than clean it every couple of days. As far as Coralife skimmers go, I haven't owned one but my neighbor has one on a 75g FOWLR (the largest model I think) and it seems to work well for him. I think that you'll find most skimmers in that price range do about the same job. It seems kinda backwards, but the more expensive/advanced skimmers are easier to set up and tune in. You would think that an entry level skimmer would take less experience to set up, not more. Hope that helps some.
So many species, so little money!
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New Member
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Last Login: 5/9/2008 6:40:53 PM
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Thanks for the info Nep2n. I am well past the point of the break-in period. It's been up & running for several months now & the tank has been established for over 5 years. I have the skimmer in the sump and it seems to do fine for a couple days & then I need to start adjusting it constantly in order to keep it working properly and actively filling the chamber. The water level fluctuation I know contributes to its inconsistency, but even when the levels are fine, it still requires too much supervision. I have come to the conclusion, thats it's possessed by the spirit of a fallen fish!
Remember you did not pick a cheap hobby!
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Starting Member
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| A couple of things that you might check. Be sure that the air intake tubing is open and air is flowing freely. Also check to insure that the needle wheel is clean. Be very careful checking/cleaning the needle wheel. Broken prongs will cause the skimmer to function poorly. There's a mod for needle wheel skimmers that replaces the needles with mesh that I've heard is very effective. A google search should give you more info. Good luck.
So many species, so little money!
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New Member
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Last Login: 5/9/2008 6:40:53 PM
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Yes air intake is clear and I cleaned the needle wheel about 2 weeks ago. It looked very well when I took it apart. The needle wheel was clear of debris & all needles were intact. I will research the screen mod. Thanks again for the info.
Remember you did not pick a cheap hobby!
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Starting Member
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 4:40:02 PM
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I'm all out of bright ideas. Hope the mod is of use.
So many species, so little money!
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