So I recently purchased the AquaC Remora 1200 HOT skimmer with the surface skimmer box. The skimmer and pump work good enough and I have no complaints. The Surface skimmer, while a good idea seemed kind of like an after thought and was poorly executed in my opinion.
The intent of the surface skimmer is much like a typical overflow on a drilled/sump setup on the intake side, only it contains the pump. On the return side it's pretty much an empty chamber begging to be filled with media (more on that later) with a little foam filter on the bottom where the water exits. The intent is to help buffer micro bubbles coming of of the skimmer. Once broken in it is probably fairly effective at this.
There are a few problems....
1. The "teeth" on the top of the intake portion of the box seem a little to small considering the variance in water level on a closed system like this.
2. The box is attached by slipping it in place and tightening two small set screws on to the pump. This method is about as effective as having a retard help you with a calculus exam. First of all only one of the screws even touches the pump. It's impossible to to keep level both side to side and front to back. Not only does this not allow it to function correctly, but it looks like $#!+. You end up with only one side allowing water in which staves the pump every time the water level changes by a millimeter. I'm also not real comfortable with the whole box hanging off the pump. Due to the nature of the system you also need to be able to slide the box up and down occasionally to adjust for the water level. When attached to the pump this can result in the pump popping loose and hosing you down.... at 7 in the morning.....in your nice clean, pressed, white shirt.......after you've got ready to go to work......and make you pissed off and late.....
So here's how you fix it!
First you dump out the ton of extra crap that came with your maxi-jet. Find the little triangle bracket and the three suction cups that go in it. Put the suction cups on backwards. There is a recess on one side that indicates how they should fit, but they fit fine backwards. Then clean and dry the bracket and the surface skimmer box. Now get some good quality double sided tape, the 3M automotive type. You could technically use an epoxy or something but i'm afraid of comitment and the tape can come off if need be. Put 4 nice strips of tape on the bracket on the opposite side of the suction cups. Center it on the back of the box and press the tape on firmly. Now it just suctions to the tank which solves pretty much all the problem. It looks good, functions better (because it's level), and as an added bonus it's easy to slide up and down to adjust for the water level. I wonder why AquaC didn't do something like this in the first place?
Now for the return chamber. I left the spong in the bottom and then filled the chamber with bio balls. This in theory should work symbiotically. The bio balls will break up the micro bubbles and the micro bubbles will provide plenty of oxygen for the submerged bacteria. Porblem is bio balls float. So you get the Fluval Edge garbon bags and sit one on top of the bioballs. They are cheap, fit perfect, and help polish the water a little more. Now you kind of have a little mini sump in your return that works two fold, polishing the water,and breaking up the micro bubbles.
Sorry, this is probably a big waste of time for most that read it, but if you have the Remora with the surface skimmer, it just might help. I should have taken pictures of the process but didn't really think about it while I was doing it. So heres some random pictures of my few inhabitants.
Cause everybody likes pictures
The intent of the surface skimmer is much like a typical overflow on a drilled/sump setup on the intake side, only it contains the pump. On the return side it's pretty much an empty chamber begging to be filled with media (more on that later) with a little foam filter on the bottom where the water exits. The intent is to help buffer micro bubbles coming of of the skimmer. Once broken in it is probably fairly effective at this.
There are a few problems....
1. The "teeth" on the top of the intake portion of the box seem a little to small considering the variance in water level on a closed system like this.
2. The box is attached by slipping it in place and tightening two small set screws on to the pump. This method is about as effective as having a retard help you with a calculus exam. First of all only one of the screws even touches the pump. It's impossible to to keep level both side to side and front to back. Not only does this not allow it to function correctly, but it looks like $#!+. You end up with only one side allowing water in which staves the pump every time the water level changes by a millimeter. I'm also not real comfortable with the whole box hanging off the pump. Due to the nature of the system you also need to be able to slide the box up and down occasionally to adjust for the water level. When attached to the pump this can result in the pump popping loose and hosing you down.... at 7 in the morning.....in your nice clean, pressed, white shirt.......after you've got ready to go to work......and make you pissed off and late.....
So here's how you fix it!
First you dump out the ton of extra crap that came with your maxi-jet. Find the little triangle bracket and the three suction cups that go in it. Put the suction cups on backwards. There is a recess on one side that indicates how they should fit, but they fit fine backwards. Then clean and dry the bracket and the surface skimmer box. Now get some good quality double sided tape, the 3M automotive type. You could technically use an epoxy or something but i'm afraid of comitment and the tape can come off if need be. Put 4 nice strips of tape on the bracket on the opposite side of the suction cups. Center it on the back of the box and press the tape on firmly. Now it just suctions to the tank which solves pretty much all the problem. It looks good, functions better (because it's level), and as an added bonus it's easy to slide up and down to adjust for the water level. I wonder why AquaC didn't do something like this in the first place?
Now for the return chamber. I left the spong in the bottom and then filled the chamber with bio balls. This in theory should work symbiotically. The bio balls will break up the micro bubbles and the micro bubbles will provide plenty of oxygen for the submerged bacteria. Porblem is bio balls float. So you get the Fluval Edge garbon bags and sit one on top of the bioballs. They are cheap, fit perfect, and help polish the water a little more. Now you kind of have a little mini sump in your return that works two fold, polishing the water,and breaking up the micro bubbles.
Sorry, this is probably a big waste of time for most that read it, but if you have the Remora with the surface skimmer, it just might help. I should have taken pictures of the process but didn't really think about it while I was doing it. So heres some random pictures of my few inhabitants.
Cause everybody likes pictures
