Going skimmerless

[Weatherman]

Just for a few days.


The Sedra pump on my old Euro-Reef ES5-3 skimmer on my 155 just died. Tried soaking it in vinegar for a few hours, but it’s locked up tight. Time for a new skimmer.

Since my 155 is my soft coral tank, I decided to buy another Euro-Reef - a CS135. It has a little larger diameter chamber than the ES5-3 and a stronger pump. I’ll, probably, still have to add an extension to the riser pipe to get it to skim wet, but it should work well.

I still have a Euro-Reef ES5-3 on my 180. It does a very good job for an anemone and Euphyllia-dominated tank.

[Wiskey]

You had me very worried there for a second Good luck on your new skimmer, I love new toys

Do you have detectable nitrate in any of your tanks?

Does your skimate have any color to it?

Thanks,
Whiskey

[gwaco]

jack before you pitch it try just getting a new impeller ! the plastic around the magnet tends to swell up and cause it to not spin . mine would spin if i spun it by hand but as soon as you unplugged it and plugged it back in it would not work ! i then went out and bought a new sedra ,put the new impeller in the old pump and it work just like new ! be a lot cheaper than a whole new skimmer ! or i got this monster of a skimmer i'll sell ya ! just kidding .

[Weatherman]

My 120 did for a while, but not any more. I've never had detectible nitrate in my 155 or 180.

My 155 is my oldest tank. Except for a sandbed removal session back in December last year, it has been running continuously for over 3 years.

The old ES5-3 on my 155 always ran dry. Maybe a half a skimmer cup of skimmmate a day and very dark color. I could tell the nutrient levels in the water were high because I had to clean algae off the glass every three or four days. The fish and soft coral didn't care. They just keep going and going and going. Except for a new, baby Queen Angel, all the fish and coral are the original stock I purchased back in the spring of 2003.

[Weatherman]

Originally Posted by gwaco

jack before you pitch it try just getting a new impeller ! the plastic around the magnet tends to swell up and cause it to not spin . mine would spin if i spun it by hand but as soon as you unplugged it and plugged it back in it would not work ! i then went out and bought a new sedra ,put the new impeller in the old pump and it work just like new ! be a lot cheaper than a whole new skimmer ! or i got this monster of a skimmer i'll sell ya ! just kidding .

I don't mind getting a whole new Euro-Reef. For some reason the Euro-Reef on my 155 never worked as well as the Euro-Reef on my 180, even though they are the same model.

[gwaco]

Originally Posted by Weatherman

I don't mind getting a whole new Euro-Reef. For some reason the Euro-Reef on my 155 never worked as well as the Euro-Reef on my 180, even though they are the same model.

so much for your summer statis quo!

[Weatherman]

I hadn’t put in a large order with Marine Depot since early April.

I was long overdue.

[Wiskey]

High nutrient and still no nitrate! Dang it.

I'm not putting a single fish in either of my tanks until my nitrate drops to 0. Both have new rock, uncooked, so I bet it is still settling in. I bet in 3 months or so, about the time cooking would be completed, my nitrate will also drop to 0.

Sorry for the brief sidetrack, but I just remembered that you ran at least one high nutrient tank and I wanted to see if you had nitrate in it.

Thanks,
Whiskey

[Weatherman]

Nope, never have. In fact, for a long time I thought something was wrong with my Salifert nitrate test kit. The test water was always clear. The brief spike in nitrate in my 120 (up to 5 ppm) confirmed the test kit was ok.

I don't know why my 155 and 180 have never had detectible nitrate. They just never have.

[Wiskey]

You thoroughly cooked all your rock, from all your tanks right?

Whiskey

[Weatherman]

Nope. The rock in the 155 and 180 was never cooked, even after the sand beds were removed.

[Wiskey]

Originally Posted by Weatherman

Nope. The rock in the 155 and 180 was never cooked, even after the sand beds were removed.

Well there goes my rock sheading thery now I just have no idea.

Whiskey