Tunze 9004

[solitude127]

Does anyone have any opinions on the Tunze 9004 skimmer? I'm thinking of adding this to my JBJ 30g. TIA

[reeftivo]

Just looked at it and I must say it does look like an improvement over the 9002.
I like the fact that in their description they state it would be okay for SPS tanks up to 40 gal. The 9002 was listed only up to 25 gal for SPS.

Looks nice!

Does your JBJ have the sump chamber on the back? My only concern is if you would need to run it in the rear chamber it might be finecky with the surface skimming feature on the 9004.

I'm sure someone else will chime in (-:

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by reeftivo

Just looked at it and I must say it does look like an improvement over the 9002.
I like the fact that in their description they state it would be okay for SPS tanks up to 40 gal. The 9002 was listed only up to 25 gal for SPS.

Looks nice!

Does your JBJ have the sump chamber on the back? My only concern is if you would need to run it in the rear chamber it might be finecky with the surface skimming feature on the 9004.

I'm sure someone else will chime in (-:

Yes, I would be running it in the rear chamber and it would be a perfect fit in one of them. The 9002 was just a little too wide by like 1/4".

[reeftivo]

Sweet!
Does the rear compartment stay at a stable level? Ato? I used to have a 28 gal jbj and it came with a wave maker for the return power heads. I had to disconnect the wm so the Chamber wouldn't fluctuate. Hooked the wm up to koralias in the display instead

[solitude127]

Yes, the chamber I'm going to put it is will be constant which should help.

[solitude127]

Is the Tunze 9004 fairly new? like within the past couple of years?

[Craig Borowski]

Yes, within the last couple of months!

You can find some more information about it over here: http://tunzeusa.com/protein-skimmers/

[reeftivo]

looks like a better design imo. The 9002 is a pain to re-attach the air line (it crimps) and feeding it through the hole at the side of the inner lip was a true task when doing maintenance. The tunze pumps on their skimmers are little work horses though.

wish the 9004 was out when I had my jbj.

[moondoggy4]

Originally Posted by reeftivo

looks like a better design imo. The 9002 is a pain to re-attach the air line (it crimps) and feeding it through the hole at the side of the inner lip was a true task when doing maintenance. The tunze pumps on their skimmers are little work horses though.

wish the 9004 was out when I had my jbj.

I just drilled that hole a little larger so the air line slides easier, I really like the air silencer they have on the 9004 kinda of like the mod they use on the 9002.

[smkooq]

super silent skimmer. But like other nano skimmers, tends to skim wet (which is how i like it anyways).

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by smkooq

super silent skimmer. But like other nano skimmers, tends to skim wet (which is how i like it anyways).

Which tank are you using this in and do you get micro bubbles back in the tank?

[smkooq]

Originally Posted by solitude127

Which tank are you using this in and do you get micro bubbles back in the tank?

Using it in a Nuvo 38. I did get some micro bubbles going into the display (not too bad), but I was able to completely eliminate the micro bubbles.

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by smkooq

Using it in a Nuvo 38. I did get some micro bubbles going into the display (not too bad), but I was able to completely eliminate the micro bubbles.

If you don't mind, could you tell me What the dimensions of that chamber you have the skimmer in is?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III

[smkooq]

Originally Posted by solitude127

If you don't mind, could you tell me What the dimensions of that chamber you have the skimmer in is?

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III

It's about 4.3" x 4.9"

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by smkooq

It's about 4.3" x 4.9"

Thank you for your help

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III

[reeftivo]

Originally Posted by smkooq

super silent skimmer. But like other nano skimmers, tends to skim wet (which is how i like it anyways).

how long has your's been running?

what did you do to solve your micro bubble issue?

from the reviews I've read it seems the only overwhelming issue that people are having is micros. I would assume the micro issue would be less of an problem if the skimmer is run in the sump chambers

[smkooq]

Originally Posted by reeftivo

how long has your's been running?

what did you do to solve your micro bubble issue?

from the reviews I've read it seems the only overwhelming issue that people are having is micros. I would assume the micro issue would be less of an problem if the skimmer is run in the sump chambers

My micro bubble issue was not terrible, mainly because the water has to pass through the refugium chamber before the water gets to my return pump chamber.

I was able to eliminate the micro bubbles by using a intank refugium basket in the refugium chamber and just placing some chemical media in there, which seemed to have stopped the bubbles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Craig Borowski]

There are a few things that can cause the 9004 to release micro-bubbles, but there are easy fixes for all of them. The first most common cause is just the usual one- it needs some breaking-in time, like 3-4 days or up to a week even. The second would be strong currents underneath the skimmer. This can be fixed by relocating the skimmer or adjusting the flow patterns in the tank.

The third, more unexpected, cause has to do with the air adjustment. When the skimmer is initially plugged in, you should have the air valve all the way open. After it's plugged in you can make adjustments as needed, however in most cases you will get the best performance with the air all the way open. But the key here is that the adjustment should be all the way open as the skimmer is first started up. The reason for this is that if the air is restricted when the pump is powered on, it will draw a higher water-to-air ratio. This higher ratio brings in more water than it should and more water means more water leaving and at a faster rate. As this water travels through the skimmer too quickly, the micro-bubbles do not exit the way they should. I've found that this skewed ratio does self-correct, but it can take several days to do so. It's easily avoided by just having the airline fully open when powering the skimmer on.

[solitude127]

What's the optimal water level for these skimmers?

[reeftivo]

i'm sure someone else will chime in but I would assume it would be right at the lower level of the wiers at the surface skimmer. I read if the wiers on the surface skimmer are set too deep that it doesn't perform as well. I think I read that on a review on the MD site.

[ksed]

I had a 9004 great little skimmer. Skimmed well. Although I had to close the air valve all the way otherwise it would overflow. It appeared to have to much air for the body, that being said it skimmed well.
Another issue for me at least is the collection cup was to small. I had to empty the cup every two days. Being gone for a couple of days was a problem for me.

It was in a 30gallon tank with four damsels and mainly softy coral tank.
I currently switched to a JNS HOB.

If you have room for a larger skimmer I would go that route but if you are confined with space the 9004 is a nice skimmer.

[E.intheC]

Solitude, did you end up with this skimmer?

I'm looking at this or the Hydor Slim Skim at the moment.

[Dmoody]

Bought one for my 40g QT. It was missing the blue air screw and the pump didn't work when I plugged it in. I have to break it apart underwater and manually spin the impeller to get it to work. The magnets are awful. Not like the high quality magnets used on the osmolator. My experience has not been good so far. Surprising coming from a tunze product.

[reeftivo]

Disappointing!
Contact Roger Vitko on the tunze sponsor Site and he should take care of you

[Dmoody]

turns out the impellar inside the pump was for a european version pump which is why it wasnt functioning. Roger made it right and everything works great now.