Remora Pro / piece of garbage

[Reiner]

Has been on the tank now for 8 days and the collection cup is not even 1/2 full and the color of apple juice is dark compared to the stuff this skimmer pulls out. I'm running it with a mag 3 pump and a modified intake so it skimms from the surface. For a week now I have lots of microbubbles and yesterday I discovered a small leak right where the intake pipe connects to the skimmer box. So I shut it down for 24 hours and glued the pipe which is no longer leaking. Now that it is turned on again I have a ton of microbubbles again and bigger bubbles (like a freshwater airstone)as well now coming out from the output. And the best thing is even at the lowest setting of the collection cup the top of the skimmer foam is still 1" below the top of the pipe.

[Entropy]

Is this a new unit?

[Reiner]

No used. I opened up the little plastic screw inside the skimmer box and cleaned out the inside since there was some plastic scraps inside but everything is clean now and nothing is restricting the flow anymore.

[JotaDe]

Perhaps you could wait a month or so to see how your tank looks before declaring it garbage?
Even if it's not pulling out wet cement, but your tank looks better than ever, it still might be working out well.

[crumbletop]

plastic scraps? Where did those come from?

?? Intake pipe connecting to skimmer box? They aren't designed that way. The intake pipe connects to the output of the pump. Something is very strange about your unit. It doesn't sound like a remora at all.

Jack

[LBCBJ]

I'm sorry to hear you feel that way. I love mine and today I installed the pre-skimmer which made it even better. Maybe your modification screwed it up.

[Reiner]

Originally posted by JotaDe
Perhaps you could wait a month or so to see how your tank looks before declaring it garbage?
Even if it's not pulling out wet cement, but your tank looks better than ever, it still might be working out well.

Yes I'll wait and see what happens but I do not believe a piece of equipment that costs about $250 brand new should have a breakin period of a month to see if it works. Besides it was used and only shut down overnight so there should not be any breakin period at all or just a couple of days. Right now the skimmer box is set at the lowest setting and it skimms nothing since the bubbles burst at least 1" below the top of the pipe.

[LBCBJ]

This is a used unit? Hmm, sounds like that might be a clue there. The injector port could be clogged or there could be something wrong with it to begin with. It should only take about 2-3 days to break in.What size thank is this on? Is the mag3 operating correctly? (has it been cleaned, is the intake sucking against the side of the pre-skimmer box?

[Reiner]

Originally posted by crumbletop
plastic scraps? Where did those come from?

?? Intake pipe connecting to skimmer box? They aren't designed that way. The intake pipe connects to the output of the pump. Something is very strange about your unit. It doesn't sound like a remora at all.

Jack

Sorry I was not clear about that. Yes the intake pipe for the skimmer is connected to the output of the pump. I ran it for a few days with just an open pump intake but that was 6" below the water surface and I read that it is best to skim the surface water since a lot of the dirty particles float there. So the pump has a threaded 1/2" intake so I connected a PVC reducer that has a 1/2" male part and then a 1"slip on the other side. So the 1/2" male screws into the input of the pump and I connected a 1" elbow and the a few inches of 1" pipe so it sucks the water from the top. This improved the skimming part pretty good but then I discovered the leak and had to shut it down again for about 24 hours now that I restarted it and it gets more flow since it is no longer clogged up but the bubbles also increased even more then before.

[LBCBJ]

Well, if the skimmer is used than the leak is not the maufacturers fault, the previous owner probably rough-handled it and weakend the seal. As far as bubbles go, the first time you use it you'll get bubbles for about 2-3 days until a bio-film can develop inside the skimmer. Also anytime you turn it off or make an adjustment the bubbles increase for a while. This is a problem with all HOB skimmers.

[Reiner]

Originally posted by LBCBJ
This is a used unit? Hmm, sounds like that might be a clue there. The injector port could be clogged or there could be something wrong with it to begin with. It should only take about 2-3 days to break in.What size thank is this on? Is the mag3 operating correctly? (has it been cleaned, is the intake sucking against the side of the pre-skimmer box?

Yes the pump works perfect and is actually very quiet. Also when the skimmer was shut down I did shake it pretty good to see if the particles I found inside the skimmer box came from the pump but nothing is loose inside the pump and the particles were the wrong color anyways. Do you have the remora as well? I'm not sure how it is supposed to look like inside the skimmer box but when I opened the little plastic screw there is nothing inside there just a pipe piece cone shaped that tapers down to about 1/8 diameter opening where the water shoots out into the skimmer box below. Do you have some kind of valve or anything after the 1/8" opening or is this the way it is supposed to be?

[Reiner]

Originally posted by LBCBJ
Well, if the skimmer is used than the leak is not the maufacturers fault, the previous owner probably rough-handled it and weakend the seal. As far as bubbles go, the first time you use it you'll get bubbles for about 2-3 days until a bio-film can develop inside the skimmer. Also anytime you turn it off or make an adjustment the bubbles increase for a while. This is a problem with all HOB skimmers.

I'm not upset about the leak since it was no big deal fixing it what makes me more upset is the bubbles and instead of getting better they got worse. Also 95% of the time the bubbles don't even make it to the top of the pipe in the collection cup since they burst at least 1" below.

[LBCBJ]

I don't know how to explain that. I've never experienced that with a Remora. I wish I could help you out. Have you cleaned the injector port to see if that helps?

[Reiner]

Could you disribe what the injector port looks like. Is it the part I discribed 2 posts up if not we might be getting somewhere here and I might be missing a part

[crumbletop]

That's what the injector looks like. That part sounds fine. It is odd that there were plastic scraps in there, though. Not sure where those could have come from.

RE break-in period, that is well known. I have a remora and it works great. It didn't do much for the first few weeks, though. It will also pull out more or less skimmate depending on your bioload, etc.

Jack

[mikeatjac]

I had one on my 55 and it was fantastic. Did not really appreciate for 2 weeks. Then it really kicked in. The micro bubbles nearly went away at that time. As with any HOB skimmer, not all bubbles go away.

You can down the instructions at the maufacture's site.

[LBCBJ]

Yes, I have a Remora on one of my nanos and your injector port sounds fine, altough the position of the screw can affect performance. Exactly what's rattling inside the skimmer? There should be nothing in there, if there is you need to empty it out and find out what it is. This could be responsible for your lack of bubbles. Once again, have you cleaned the injector port?

[Reiner]

Yes the injector port is cleaned out and nothing is restricting the flow. I guess I wait another 1 or 2 weeks and hope it starts to perform better. The Plastic scraps I found were burgundy / light purple in color so I have really no idea where they came from since nothing on the unit is actually that color. It was only 2 small pieces that I found inside the port but they were big enough not to fit through the injector ports hole and therefore restricting the flow a bit. Now it runs good the downside is it produces more bubbles then ever before inside the tank. Well thanks for all your help and hopefully when I get back to work on Monday where the tank is I actually have a plesent surprise with less bubbles

[robsmith32]

Take It off the tank.. take it to a sink or tub..
run it in vinegar/water mix, or better yet, bleach, then rinse it well
Really rinse it out.
Put the pump on in the STANDARD configuration.. pump output, right on the intake tube. NOT attached to all the other junk you are reducing your pressure getting to the injector by adding plumbing.
Is it a new mag3, or a pondmaster3? make sure it isn't the pond version as the screws are not saltwater safe.
Might want to try a new impeller for the mag3 as well, they are only about 6-8 bucks.
What additives do you have in the water? Many additives will keep one from working for a while. The preskimmer box that is designed for it will all but get rid of the microbubbles, but then it is a big box going into probably a smallish tank.
Is it a reef, or fish only, try putting some amquel + in it, that stuff will make them kick up some foam. But not a ton of water like anything with aloe in it.

[LBCBJ]

Washing it will make the bubbles worse.

[robsmith32]

yeah, but will clear any existing chemicals that are preventing it from providing a nice foam.
The microbubbles, will be worse for sure. as it will be like brand new, but that is temporary.

[LBCBJ]

True, true. Scum lining the bubble tower will basically kill the foam permantly until it's cleaned

[joedirt54]

it'll never work, I'll give you a $100 for it

[prugs]

Originally posted by joedirt54
it'll never work, I'll give you a $100 for it

[prugs]

What do you have in the tank for a bioload, & how long has the tank been up & running??