MOJO MINI 100 Skimmer Review!!!!!!

gkimble · 10/08/2009, 12:00 AM

Before I start I would like to dedicate this thread to MOJO, for he was the one who crafted this sexy beast. I would also like to take this time to congratulate MOJO for getting nominated thread of the month for his DIY skills. He has been a great help to me taking my calls and answering all of my questions. He is a big part of our reefing community and I am lucky to know him. I am also really fortunate that he was willing to sell this piece of art. If it were me I would have probably kept it as a trophy. This is a great accomplishment and he should be proud. Here is his link to the thread.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1699922

Mojo is more than qualified for building this skimmer. He can contribute his success to his great DIY skills and experience with so many skimmers. He has spent countless hours and money on reviewing and getting to know skimmer inside and out. He has helped this hobby greatly and for once deserves to read a review instead of write one.

He calls it the MOJO Mini. I call it MOJO MAGIC!!! haha. I am going to use some of his pics for now just because my camera battery is dead, so no pics until tomorrow.
Here is the skimmer from Mojo's thread.

When I got the skimmer I was amazed by the craftsmanship. Guys and gals he did all of this with a lathe. No CNC machine. I really have a hard time picking out any imperfections. You can tell that a lot of sweat was put into this skimmer and it paid off.

Specs of the skimmer
Skimmer height is 18.25"
Base is 12"X7"
1/4" cast body
3/8" base plate
3/8" lid plate

SICCE PSK 2500 pump
Custom silencer- this thing is super quiet. I can’t even tell it’s on.
As you can see this thing is a tank!!!!
His transition piece was from a solid 2" pvc block. This was the best crafted and most time consuming part of the entire project. The PVC block was very pricy costing $85!! He did an excellent job and I have to thank him because this part was making or breaking to the skimmers performance.

He also did an excellent job on the volute that he made. It has made a huge difference in the way this pump performs. This volute prevents the pin wheel from starting in the wrong direction. When it goes in the wrong direction it affects performance by at least 10%. Every time you turn it on it has no rattling and it constantly pulls 32 to 34 scfh.

Added features
He added a really cool feature in which you can remove the neck from the collection cup to clean. I really was tickled by this idea.

He made a super thick bubble plate that seems to be working excelent in breaking up the turbulance. Here is a pic of the plate and the skimmer in action.

He also made the pump outside the body to give the pump more reaction time with the skimmer. I am really glad he did this because it increased performance and I feel it is easier to maintain. I really don’t like the pump under the skimmer body.
Wedge pipe for easy dialing. He has also provided a screw to hold the wedge pipe in place when desired setting is reached.
Rating
I am going to give a rating now on visual build and quality.

Quality of products used- 10
Craftsmanship- 10
Ease to put together(talking about me putting it together not him building it.) 10
Look- 8 (compared to a Bubble king or ATB)
Added features- 10
Service- 10
The only thing that I could be really picky on was the look of the skimmer. I think it looks really nice. To give you a better perspective, I would rate a BK mini as a 9 and a MSX 160 as a 7.
I will give a performance rating in a week.

I would like to thank MOJO again for selling me his skimmer. It’s hard to believe that this is his first skimmer build. He has created a skimmer like the BK 160 for a fraction of the cost. Only time will tell on how it will perform compared to the BK. Everything is looking on the upside right now. Skimmer is practically brand new and still needs to break in. It has already created a monster foam head in just 4 hours of operation. I will provide pics of the skimmer and the nasty nogg it has made tomorrow.

mojo~ · 10/08/2009, 02:51 AM

Well I hope you like it.ITs the only one. I will now finish up my cone now that i have a little more experience under my belt. I did get a few pm/s about making people a skimmer and I am in no way in the business of making skimmers. it is way more work than I thought it would be. Selling this one simply funded the cone skimmer build. Thanks again and enjoy.

Mojo~

moondoggy4 · 10/08/2009, 06:39 PM

Looks good, looking forward to see the video.

gkimble · 10/08/2009, 06:42 PM

I will get a vido up when I get back next wednesday. My camera is acting up. I will try to get pics up later tonight or tom. This skimmer rocks. It has created a 4 to 5 inch foam head.

gkimble · 10/08/2009, 09:29 PM

Allright some bad news. I can't get any pics up until I get back from going to Columbus. So I will post some pics on Tuesday. Sorry for the delay. Got some good tea color skimate. Trying to get a little darker. I am messing with the wedge pipe to get the perfect setting. This bad boy is still breaking in. Can't believe how quickly it started creating a foam head.

mojo~ · 10/08/2009, 09:49 PM

just give it time. Cant expect it to pull dry foam in a day. lol.

kev apsley · 10/08/2009, 09:54 PM

WOW great craftsmanship! and without the use of a CNC machine!

gkimble · 10/08/2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojo~

just give it time. Cant expect it to pull dry foam in a day. lol.

The amazing thing is that it allready is. It has allready made a 4 inch wall of salid white foam. I just had the water level to high in the body. Almost right under the transition peice. Now it is about an inch below.

gkimble · 10/15/2009, 04:41 PM

Have this setup in my new frag tank so you guys can get a better look at the mini in action. I just cleaned the skimmate out last night because my cup was full of nasty black junk. So it has produced a ton of gunk. This foam head was made in just 8 hours. I will post skimate production in a couple of days.

mojo~ · 10/15/2009, 05:29 PM

looking good. looks like you could raise the water level just a bit. otherwise it looks good.

chadfarmer · 10/15/2009, 09:55 PM

alot of the stuff you like are the things he likes that other skimmer company incorporated in there skimmers

mojo~ · 10/15/2009, 09:57 PM

That was the point I took all the best things I like from other skimmers to build this one. I would of kept it if I wasnt building a cone. Good luck with the skimmer. THere is only one.

gkimble · 10/16/2009, 10:44 AM

Yeah it is a sweet little beast. I will keep this thing forever. 1 of 1 skimmer. haha Moved the skimmer back into my sump last night. I need to get a new sump. The 20 gallon rubbermaid is a pian to work with. You can't fit much umbder a 72 bowfron tank. Don't know what I was thinking when I bought it. It will have to do for a year or so when I go for a rimless style tank.

Charlie Davidson · 10/17/2009, 07:17 PM

Did you get Certificate of Authenticity?

I love it! it even has Mojo label

mcbaes72 · 10/17/2009, 08:03 PM

Are you sure that's Mojo's first attempt? I think he'd better just come out and tell us the truth about this one...

j/k.

Do you mind sharing how much you paid for that one-of-a-kind? This way, big companies know how to price their skimmers accordingly before Mojo steals all the business.

mojo~ · 10/17/2009, 08:49 PM

lol Well at first is was going to be two skimmers but now I have enough material I will build 3 total.
and that is not my cone !! mine is clear not orange. Other than that they are the same lol.

gkimble · 10/19/2009, 12:57 AM

No certificate of authenticity but it's got the lable. lol
I was gone this entire weekned. I can't wait for this weekned when I can just stay home and work on my fish tank. Been gone almost every weekned it seems lile.
Here is a pic of about a day and a half worth. Skimming pretty wet. I was very impressed with the skimmate it produced in such short time.

Good job MOJO.

gkimble · 10/28/2009, 04:27 PM

Pretty sweet, All a sudden it went nuts.

kc350twin · 10/28/2009, 05:48 PM

Man Mojo how could you sell that thing. I hope the cone works just as well if not better

Skimmer is looking good your a lucky reefer.

Buganddoug · 10/28/2009, 06:59 PM

Preety cool and good luck with it.

gkimble · 10/28/2009, 08:41 PM

Allright here are some more pics and a video this time. These are all taken with my phone, I appologize for the quality.

Looks pretty full

Here is the lid and the froth is seeping through!!!

Here is the foam head.

And here is the Vid
Skimmer seems loud but the phone is right by the silencer. It is actually relly quiet.

leslie hempel · 10/28/2009, 11:26 PM

awsome.

kc350twin · 10/29/2009, 06:43 AM

Man I can't watch it on my iPhone. Damn photobucket.

10/08/2009, 12:00 AM	#1
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	MOJO MINI 100 Skimmer Review!!!!!! Before I start I would like to dedicate this thread to MOJO, for he was the one who crafted this sexy beast. I would also like to take this time to congratulate MOJO for getting nominated thread of the month for his DIY skills. He has been a great help to me taking my calls and answering all of my questions. He is a big part of our reefing community and I am lucky to know him. I am also really fortunate that he was willing to sell this piece of art. If it were me I would have probably kept it as a trophy. This is a great accomplishment and he should be proud. Here is his link to the thread. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1699922 Mojo is more than qualified for building this skimmer. He can contribute his success to his great DIY skills and experience with so many skimmers. He has spent countless hours and money on reviewing and getting to know skimmer inside and out. He has helped this hobby greatly and for once deserves to read a review instead of write one. He calls it the MOJO Mini. I call it MOJO MAGIC!!! haha. I am going to use some of his pics for now just because my camera battery is dead, so no pics until tomorrow. Here is the skimmer from Mojo's thread. When I got the skimmer I was amazed by the craftsmanship. Guys and gals he did all of this with a lathe. No CNC machine. I really have a hard time picking out any imperfections. You can tell that a lot of sweat was put into this skimmer and it paid off. Specs of the skimmer Skimmer height is 18.25" Base is 12"X7" 1/4" cast body 3/8" base plate 3/8" lid plate SICCE PSK 2500 pump Custom silencer- this thing is super quiet. I can’t even tell it’s on. As you can see this thing is a tank!!!! His transition piece was from a solid 2" pvc block. This was the best crafted and most time consuming part of the entire project. The PVC block was very pricy costing $85!! He did an excellent job and I have to thank him because this part was making or breaking to the skimmers performance. He also did an excellent job on the volute that he made. It has made a huge difference in the way this pump performs. This volute prevents the pin wheel from starting in the wrong direction. When it goes in the wrong direction it affects performance by at least 10%. Every time you turn it on it has no rattling and it constantly pulls 32 to 34 scfh. Added features He added a really cool feature in which you can remove the neck from the collection cup to clean. I really was tickled by this idea. He made a super thick bubble plate that seems to be working excelent in breaking up the turbulance. Here is a pic of the plate and the skimmer in action. He also made the pump outside the body to give the pump more reaction time with the skimmer. I am really glad he did this because it increased performance and I feel it is easier to maintain. I really don’t like the pump under the skimmer body. Wedge pipe for easy dialing. He has also provided a screw to hold the wedge pipe in place when desired setting is reached. Rating I am going to give a rating now on visual build and quality. Quality of products used- 10 Craftsmanship- 10 Ease to put together(talking about me putting it together not him building it.) 10 Look- 8 (compared to a Bubble king or ATB) Added features- 10 Service- 10 The only thing that I could be really picky on was the look of the skimmer. I think it looks really nice. To give you a better perspective, I would rate a BK mini as a 9 and a MSX 160 as a 7. I will give a performance rating in a week. I would like to thank MOJO again for selling me his skimmer. It’s hard to believe that this is his first skimmer build. He has created a skimmer like the BK 160 for a fraction of the cost. Only time will tell on how it will perform compared to the BK. Everything is looking on the upside right now. Skimmer is practically brand new and still needs to break in. It has already created a monster foam head in just 4 hours of operation. I will provide pics of the skimmer and the nasty nogg it has made tomorrow. Last edited by gkimble; 10/08/2009 at 12:55 AM.

10/08/2009, 02:51 AM	#2
mojo~ Skimmer Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: IN Posts: 5,647	Well I hope you like it.ITs the only one. I will now finish up my cone now that i have a little more experience under my belt. I did get a few pm/s about making people a skimmer and I am in no way in the business of making skimmers. it is way more work than I thought it would be. Selling this one simply funded the cone skimmer build. Thanks again and enjoy. Mojo~ __________________ Mojo~

10/08/2009, 09:49 PM	#6
mojo~ Skimmer Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: IN Posts: 5,647	just give it time. Cant expect it to pull dry foam in a day. lol. __________________ Mojo~

10/15/2009, 05:29 PM	#10
mojo~ Skimmer Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: IN Posts: 5,647	looking good. looks like you could raise the water level just a bit. otherwise it looks good. __________________ Mojo~

10/15/2009, 09:55 PM	#11
chadfarmer Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: ST Charles, MO far from nanook Posts: 11,045 Blog Entries: 1	alot of the stuff you like are the things he likes that other skimmer company incorporated in there skimmers __________________ If you think you know the answer than ask 3 more people the question Current Tank Info: 200 Gal RR,ATB medium, 4 AI blue sol,230 LBS LIVE ROCK, no sand , 40 GAL sump, airstar1800, 3 tunze 6105 1- 6205 1-6305, Geo 818, profilux3ex with toys

10/08/2009, 06:39 PM	#3
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	Looks good, looking forward to see the video.

10/08/2009, 06:42 PM	#4
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	I will get a vido up when I get back next wednesday. My camera is acting up. I will try to get pics up later tonight or tom. This skimmer rocks. It has created a 4 to 5 inch foam head.

10/08/2009, 09:29 PM	#5
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	Allright some bad news. I can't get any pics up until I get back from going to Columbus. So I will post some pics on Tuesday. Sorry for the delay. Got some good tea color skimate. Trying to get a little darker. I am messing with the wedge pipe to get the perfect setting. This bad boy is still breaking in. Can't believe how quickly it started creating a foam head.

10/08/2009, 09:54 PM	#7
kev apsley Moved On Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: LI, NY Posts: 4,424	WOW great craftsmanship! and without the use of a CNC machine!

10/15/2009, 04:41 PM	#9
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	Have this setup in my new frag tank so you guys can get a better look at the mini in action. I just cleaned the skimmate out last night because my cup was full of nasty black junk. So it has produced a ton of gunk. This foam head was made in just 8 hours. I will post skimate production in a couple of days.

10/15/2009, 09:57 PM	#12
mojo~ Skimmer Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: IN Posts: 5,647	That was the point I took all the best things I like from other skimmers to build this one. I would of kept it if I wasnt building a cone. Good luck with the skimmer. THere is only one. __________________ Mojo~

10/16/2009, 10:44 AM	#13
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	Yeah it is a sweet little beast. I will keep this thing forever. 1 of 1 skimmer. haha Moved the skimmer back into my sump last night. I need to get a new sump. The 20 gallon rubbermaid is a pian to work with. You can't fit much umbder a 72 bowfron tank. Don't know what I was thinking when I bought it. It will have to do for a year or so when I go for a rimless style tank.

10/17/2009, 07:17 PM	#14
Charlie Davidson Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Deltaville , Va Posts: 10,977	Did you get Certificate of Authenticity? I love it! it even has Mojo label __________________ Richmond Reef Club Current Tank Info: Doing without for a while :)

10/17/2009, 08:03 PM	#15
mcbaes72 -Aidan's Daddy. Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 779	Are you sure that's Mojo's first attempt? I think he'd better just come out and tell us the truth about this one... j/k. Do you mind sharing how much you paid for that one-of-a-kind? This way, big companies know how to price their skimmers accordingly before Mojo steals all the business.

10/17/2009, 08:49 PM	#16
mojo~ Skimmer Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: IN Posts: 5,647	lol Well at first is was going to be two skimmers but now I have enough material I will build 3 total. and that is not my cone !! mine is clear not orange. Other than that they are the same lol. __________________ Mojo~

10/19/2009, 12:57 AM	#17
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	No certificate of authenticity but it's got the lable. lol I was gone this entire weekned. I can't wait for this weekned when I can just stay home and work on my fish tank. Been gone almost every weekned it seems lile. Here is a pic of about a day and a half worth. Skimming pretty wet. I was very impressed with the skimmate it produced in such short time. Good job MOJO.

10/28/2009, 04:27 PM	#18
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	Pretty sweet, All a sudden it went nuts.

10/28/2009, 05:48 PM	#19
kc350twin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Severn, MD Posts: 1,579	Man Mojo how could you sell that thing. I hope the cone works just as well if not better Skimmer is looking good your a lucky reefer. __________________ 112g Cube 36x36x20= Custom 12x39wPower Module (Par Monster)= Neptune Apex=ATB 840v2=BM Doser= 2 MP-40's

10/28/2009, 06:59 PM	#20
Buganddoug X NJRC Vice President Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Eastampton NJ Posts: 1,068	Preety cool and good luck with it.

10/28/2009, 08:41 PM	#21
gkimble Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 751	Allright here are some more pics and a video this time. These are all taken with my phone, I appologize for the quality. Looks pretty full Here is the lid and the froth is seeping through!!! Here is the foam head. And here is the Vid Skimmer seems loud but the phone is right by the silencer. It is actually relly quiet.

10/28/2009, 11:26 PM	#22
leslie hempel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Gonubie,South Africa Posts: 331	awsome.

10/29/2009, 06:43 AM	#23
kc350twin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Severn, MD Posts: 1,579	Man I can't watch it on my iPhone. Damn photobucket. __________________ 112g Cube 36x36x20= Custom 12x39wPower Module (Par Monster)= Neptune Apex=ATB 840v2=BM Doser= 2 MP-40's