OMG! Thinking of Getting Remora Skimmers, Need Advice Please [Archive]

Beverly

03-30-2006, 05:40 PM

impreza

03-30-2006, 06:13 PM

Remora's are great! It won't overflow because it has a design that prevents it from doing so. The thing that collects the skimmate has a hole at the top so that if it gets full, it will fall back inside the Remora. Ok, that wasn't very clear. I will try to find a pic, it will make this explanation super simple.

SeaHorse_Fanatic

03-30-2006, 06:18 PM

I have a Remora Pro & it works fine for the 65g & 20g sump. It will not handle a much larger tank or heavily stocked one, although it is one of the better regarded HOB.

Main things I dislike are that it produces microbubbles (you can get an add on overflow box that will catch most microbubbles).
The pump (Mag350) is a bit big & ugly in a display tank.

Other than that, for a lightly stocked tank, it should do great. I'm upgrading to a Tunze skimmer in the 20g sump/fuge & an ASM-G3 in-sump skimmer in the 50g sump/fuge mostly because I want to remove my micron-sock out of the 20g that I use to catch the RP's microbubbles.

HTH,

Anthony

OCDP

03-30-2006, 06:18 PM

It won't overflow. The most damage it could cause is some foam leaks through the hole on the lid. I have never had an overflow.. it simply cannot happen. Wait for the pic so you'll better understand.

As for cleaning inside the actual skimmer.. I don't believe you can. Downside? Perhaps.. but I don't care.

They are super easy to remove from tight spaces... they are long in design, that's about it..

I don't know how they compare to prism's , but .. from what I've read, I am sure they would kick a prism's butt no problem.

I've been using mine for a long time, not one issue.. super easy to clean and maintain, and it's always pulling out nasties.

You won't be dissapointed!

Funky_Fish14

03-30-2006, 06:21 PM

If the drain/overflow from the skimmer were to clog somehow with something, then yes, it will overflow. A snail did this on my bak-pak skimmer(with about the same diameter overflow pipe) and the skimmer started to flow over a bit. I dont think this is a very common occurence however.

Chris

Funky_Fish14

03-30-2006, 06:23 PM

Some are talking about skimmate overflowing, which no, would/cannot happen, but yes, water could overflow.

Chris

Delphinus

03-30-2006, 06:43 PM

fkshiu

03-30-2006, 08:10 PM

The skimmate in Remoras cannot overflow because when the collection cup is full, any additional skimmate will simply fall back down into the skimmer. You'll stop skimming but you'll still have a dry floor. There's a drain cup that AquaC sells that allows you to attach tubing that drains into another container so that you'll always be skimming.

You have to remove that whole unit to clean the insides. Just use a little vinegar and a long brush. I've only cleaned mine once after more than a year of continuous use. The only parts that you having to maintain on a regular basis are the collection cup (just take it off the top) and the injector nozzle (accessible from the top with an included brush).

There are some issues with amount of skimmate, noise and microbubbles but there are simple fixes. Having the pump inside the tank is unsightly but easily dealt with by hiding it behind some rockwork.

AquaC has fantastic customer service as well. I've even gotten freebies from them such as when the elastic around the collection cup broke.

G1GY

03-30-2006, 08:20 PM

IMO, the only way the Remora is going to let any water go......... Is if it's broken! (See: cracked or smashed)

By design, it will allow all water, skimate and foam to be put right back in the tank if the collection cup is over filled. Trace amounts of foam will appear around the hole in the collection cup when the foam isn't turning into liquid fast enough. (By trace amounts, I mean not even enough to drip off of the lid.)

There is no possible way for this skimmer to leak onto the floor without actualy breaking the body of it. (Works very good for a hang on also.)
:)

Beverly

03-30-2006, 09:50 PM

Wow! Very glowing testimonials :biggrin: Except for Tony's soooooo funny quasi-quote from Revelations :razz: :wink:

And, no, I'm not having a stroke because I can still type :lol:

Moving along.... A few I have questions brought up some of the discussion....

Microbubbles:
- am thinking of getting Maxi Jet and Mag Drive pump Surface Prefilter Boxes (http://www.proteinskimmer.com/surfaceprefilter.pdf ) to combat microbubbles and to help remove the surface scum we have in all three tanks. Any pros or cons to these pre-filters? Will they help remove the surface scum?

Noise:
- we are really used to very little noise coming from our tanks. The only noise we currently have is a wee bit of vibration from the powerheads in the tanks, which is still very quiet. How can I reduce noise from the skimmers, if there is any after the break in period?

Intake Protection for BTAs in 37g and 67g tanks (using Remoras and Maxi-jets)?:
- Gotta protect my BTAs in the event they decide to move after introducing the skimmers. Will the pre-filter box do the trick or do I have to cover the pre-filter box with something? Describe the something, if you know. (Not a trick question!)
- if we don't get the pre-filter boxes, what can we use to cover the pump intakes?

Tank Molding Size:
- the molding of these three tanks is 1 3/4" from front to back. Will these skimmers fit this non-standard molding size? If not, is there a modification we can make to the skimmers so they will hang onto the tanks?

Those are all my questions for now. Glad to hear that these skimmers will not leak or overflow water (unless broken), and that the skimmate will not overflow either.

Thank you all very much for responding :biggrin:

OCDP

03-30-2006, 09:58 PM

I can only help with the noise factor.

If you take the collection cup out, and on the left side where the injector is, you place some paper towel in there and it muffles it right up. Sure, there is some noise... but it's not that bad at all.

marie

03-30-2006, 10:20 PM

The mag 350 pump that comes with the pro, comes with a foam covering that would keep anemones safe. The noise isn't too bad, a lot less then a back pack skimmer anyway.

If you don't want flooding DON'T get the prism pro. Mine was constantly dropping water on the floor the instant my back was turned

Osiris

03-30-2006, 10:36 PM

Never had my Remora overlow. I had a Prizm and there is no comparison. When My tank was too close to the wall for my CS-90 overflow, I took a 4 ft. Maple dowl I have, sat down on the floor, put said dowl between baseboard and bottom of stand and pulled towards me. This was done to a 65 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump/fuge. Moved aquarium out 3 inches.
It worked for me. *shrug*

StirCrazy

03-30-2006, 11:06 PM

Didn't I read about this in Revelations ????

1 And I saw in the right hand of Bev, a protein skimmer that fitteth within a confined space and on the backside, sealed with O-rings or other;
2 And I saw a strong thread proclaiming with a load voice, Who is worthy to skim my tank, and to fractionate the foam thereof?
3 And no sump in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the tank, was able to hide other tank equipment, neither to look thereon,
4 And no leaks were to happen in the condo,
5 And the count shall be Three, not Two, nor Four,

... Oh never mind.

Now we just have to turn Bob :mrgreen:

Seriously Bev, the noise from these is minor, One Devided ran a remora for the longest time, might even still be running it, never any leaks, floods, or what ever that he has mentioned.. I saw it several times and it is a very quiet unit, about as loud as a power head.

Steve

G1GY

03-30-2006, 11:53 PM

Okay, I checked my pulse and it's still within normal range. Just so you all know :lol:

Anyway, got reading about skimmers thanks to the $40 skimmer thread posted today. One link led to another link that led to another link that led to a Google search on Aqua C skimmers.

Holy cow!! Aqua C has HOB skimmers that will fit the back clearance of our tanks. Well, except for one tank, but, heck we can move it forward from the wall a bit if you folks can tell me more about your experiences with the Remora and Remora Pro skimmers.

Our three reefs are a 37g, a 67g and a 120g, each with low bioloads, no sumps, macroalgae in each for nutrient uptake - information you might need to help me decide if these skimmers are useful for us.

Things I need to know before buying ....

- have yours EVER over flowed? (We CANNOT have ANYTHING over flowing in our 2nd storey condo!)
- how common are over flows, in your experience?
- if yours has overflowed, what caused the over flow and what did you do to prevent it from happening again?
- are they easy to remove from tight spaces?
- how easy is it to get into the bottom box for cleaning?
- how do Aqua C skimmers compare to Prism skimmers? (Aqua C's website is far more detailed than the Prism site, so I'm leaning more toward the Aqua C Remoras based on info at their respective sites.)

I just want the facts, so please keep your I-told-you-so's to a minimum, please :razz:

All comments about, and experiences with, these skimmers are very, very welcome!

TIA :smile:

Hi Beverly.

I tried the pre filter box for the Remora and found that it was a huge space waster in my tank. Also, if you're water levell drops a little much..... You leave the powerhead sucking air when using this ugly little box.

For the pickup I just use the stocker screen that comes with the pump.(I still have all 3 BTA's alive and well.)

If the molding is a little too wide(As it was in my case), just use a little Xacto fine toothed saw to trim part of the inside rim off.

Once again, This skimmer can not overflow. It would not be possible.

Maybe put some heavy duty clamps onto the hose that connects the powerhead to the skimmer if you have any worries. The worst thing that could happen is: The powerhead could disconnect from the skimmer and cause the water to shoot upwards if the power cord was not long enough for it to fall to the bottom of the tank. Not likely, but plausable.

Hope this helps. :)

Samw

03-30-2006, 11:58 PM

What they said. I like my Remora. Remora can't overflow unlike the Precision Marine HOT which I've had overflow due to siphoning action. The only way to overflow the Remora is to block the water outlet I think. The only other HOT skimmer that I might like better but I can't afford to try is the Deltec.

Ruth

03-31-2006, 12:24 AM

OMG and we heard it here first!
Bev I ran my Remora Pro on a 44g cube with a 33g sump. I changed it out for a Deltec HOB skimmer and the only reason for doing this was that the Deltec pump is contained in the body of the skimmer and not in the tank and I had no way of actually making the skimmer "hang on the back" it had to be the side because of space issues. I still use the Remora as a back up - I had a little bit of cyno starting and so I just hung the Remora on to overskim and worked like a charm. I can't say one bad thing about the Remora other than the pump for austetics. No real noise, no micro bubbles for me, and no overflows.

seashells

03-31-2006, 01:14 AM

Sorry to tell ya this...The skimmer may leak from time to time. I have had a remora pro with the preskimmer. Most of the time it works great. Where the hose attaches to the body of the skimmer, I have had it slip off 3 times shooting water out of the tank. Each time emptying 4 to 5 gallons on the floor. Luckily we were home at the times it happened. It may not shoot water out if the pump can drop to the bottom. I tried using a stainless steel hose clamp but the screw begins to rust in a couple of days. I found air conditioner hose clamps similar to that which comes with the skimmer. Much heavier and stronger. I sent an email to Aqua C regarding the problem and they did ship me replacement clamps at no charge.

I was also told by Aqua C that the pump can be upgraded to a Mag 5 for better perfromance.

As for the cleaning it is fairly easy and straightforward. When we do a water change I usually siphon out the skimmer picking up any accumulated sediment .

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Doug

Beverly

03-31-2006, 01:23 AM

Sorry to tell ya this...The skimmer may leak from time to time.

I was also told by Aqua C that the pump can be upgraded to a Mag 5 for better perfromance.

Doug,

Don't like the sound of anything leaking. From where has yours leaked? What causes the leaking and how can the leaking be prevented, in your opinion?

I'm guessing that by using a bigger pump you also get more water moving through the tank? A bigger pump may not work for us, if this is the case.

G1GY

03-31-2006, 01:37 AM

Doug,

Don't like the sound of anything leaking. From where has yours leaked? What causes the leaking and how can the leaking be prevented, in your opinion?

.

Same thing I pointed out in a previous post. Use heavy duty clamps, or you can double wrap with 304 or 316 stainless steel wire and twist with pliers to tighten.(Maybe use the stock clamps and back them up with stainless wire?)

Very minor issue and nothing to prevent you from buying this skimmer.

304 and 316 stainless wire isn't the easiest stuff to find, but if you need some just PM me and I'll send as much as you could ever need for what the shipping will cost. :)

Beverly

03-31-2006, 02:05 AM

Thanks for the further explanation, Gary. Will probably look for the air conditioner clamps to be on the safe side. Gads, you wouldn't want to see how fast my hair would light on fire if a pump started shooting water out of a tank :eek: :razz:

We're going to see a couple of Remora Pros in action next week at a local reefer's house. That should give us a pretty good idea of how they work and what they look like. (Thanks, Josh!) Then, we'll look at our finances to see how we can fit them into our budget.

Thank you, everybody, for your great input :biggrin:

Chaloupa

03-31-2006, 02:08 AM

Hey Bev...I gotta jump in a bit...I have 2 Remora Pro's one on my 50g FOWLR and another on my 65g hex reef that is well stocked...I love this skimmer, have to agree with Anthony about the micro-bubbles....they suck but they do go away with the pre-filter as I have one on my 50....BUT that having been said...I have had an overflow....I had the collection cup WAY down...as I had been getting thicker skimmate and then we accidently used a chlorine remover that caused a huge over skim and some "thick" (for lack of a better word) water....and I had water on the floor....I have never had an overflow on the reef one and I have had it in place for over a year...very happy with performance especially comparing it to the Prism. So it CAN happen it just most likely won't....and MAN does it fit into a tight spot!!!! Easy to use, adjust etc etc...i wouldn't let my little overflow stop you as they are great skimmers! Just my experience and .02...I'd recommend them in a heartbeat!

OCDP

03-31-2006, 03:29 AM

Heh, I think you're worrying far too much about using the skimmer. Surely if so many people use it, and recommend it.. it must be good to use. By no means am I trying to sound rude at all... but I think you need to put your worried mind to rest. The chances of the pump coming off and having water shoot out everywhere is very slim. Use extra clamps or zip ties (like I do) to give yourself more peace of mind.

I think you'll be very happy in the end... (if you choose to use them of course)

Good luck,

Murminator

03-31-2006, 04:33 AM

OK has someone checked if hell has indeed frozen over? :razz:

Chaloupa

03-31-2006, 05:14 AM

I'm with Scott...they are GREAT skimmers...just go for it!:biggrin:.... you can thank us later!

marie

03-31-2006, 05:31 AM

Funky_Fish14

03-31-2006, 06:26 AM

If the actual return pipe were to get clogged by something, then yes, the skimmer may overflow, but the likelyhood of that happening is very low.

Chris

seashells

03-31-2006, 06:28 AM

Don't get me wrong...It's a good skimmer for the price. Just make sure you have good clamps or double up on them. The upper portion of the hose that attaches to the skimmer is where it slipped off. It came with the mag 3 pump. With mag 3 it leaked twice on me. It leaked once with the mag 5. I then changed to the heavier nylon clamps a few weeks a go and all has been fine. If you get the preskimmer then watching your water level is critical. It can easily start sucking.

Doug

Samw

03-31-2006, 06:32 AM

If the actual return pipe were to get clogged by something, then yes, the skimmer may overflow, but the likelyhood of that happening is very low.

Chris

If the drain/overflow from the skimmer were to clog somehow with something, then yes, it will overflow. A snail did this on my bak-pak skimmer(with about the same diameter overflow pipe) and the skimmer started to flow over a bit. I dont think this is a very common occurence however.

Chris

The Bakpak has a return pipe but the Remora doesn't have a return pipe. The Remora just has a big opening for return so there's almost no chance of a snail clogging up the return on Remora.

http://www.proteinskimmer.com/i/Remora%20copy.jpg

Beverly

03-31-2006, 02:27 PM

I would like to ask why you want a skimmer. My zoo/ricordea tank hasn't had a skimmer on it since it has been set up and with what I would consider a good bio-load, yellow tang, 3 chromis, and a potters angel. The sponges and feather dusters are doing way better in that tank then the other "skimmed" ones and with less algae problems.

Good question, Marie. Right off the top of my head, I would answer that so many people talk about how useful skimming is and they have the skimmate to prove it. However, I'd have to think about your question more to provide a more rounded answer.

I have a few questions about the tanks you skim and the one you don't....

- Why do you think you have more algae problems in your skimmed tanks than in the one you don't skim? Larger bioloads that the skimmers are unable to keep up with, maybe? Or other factors? I would have thought skimming would reduce algae problems, if all your tanks were similar in feeding and bioloads.

- Why do you think you have more sponges and feather dusters in the non-skimmed tank than in the skimmed ones? Could there be predators in the skimmed tanks that eat dusters that do not reside in your non-skimmed tank?

On another note, I just realized that the 120g and the 67g have Euro-bracing under the trim around the perimeter of each tank, which means I may not be able to use HOB skimmers on them. Can anyone tell me the maximum size of trim the Remoras will fit on?

TIA :smile:

danny zubot

03-31-2006, 06:10 PM

Geeez Bev, whats next? A sump?:lol:

Though I can't comment on the remora, and though everyone has already preached the skimmers to death already. I can relate one tidbit; My skimmer pump crapped out a while back for a few days, and altough algae growth on the glass is common in my tank, it grew much faster with now skimmer. I like the effects I see after cleaning my skimmer, then seeing the tank much cleaner a day later.

I hope the remora or whatever you choose will work for you, I hope they are less maintainence then mine.

Funky_Fish14

03-31-2006, 09:33 PM

The Bakpak has a return pipe but the Remora doesn't have a return pipe. The Remora just has a big opening for return so there's almost no chance of a snail clogging up the return on Remora.

http://www.proteinskimmer.com/i/Remora%20copy.jpg

DOH! Well, that'll teach me!:lol:

Thanks for pointing it out:mrgreen:

fkshiu

04-01-2006, 11:06 PM

I found the pre-filter box took up too much room and had trouble adjusting to changing water levels.

My setup is a Hagen surface skimmer intake hooked up to a Mag5 up to the Remora through a ball valve to control flow. The Mag is sitting behind live rock on top of my PVC rock rack so all you see is the tubing going up to the intake. The Hagen surface skimmer has a floating intake so changing water levels and water surface movement does not affect it.

As mentioned, I also muffled the sound with a wet paper towel stuffed on top of the injector.

I elminated micro-bubbles by cutting a slit down an AC filter sponge and slipping it over the Remora's return outlet lip. I change the sponge once a week to prevent nitrate build-up.

Quagmire

04-01-2006, 11:53 PM

Ive been planning on replacing the skimmer on one of my tanks with a Remora,Pro and 99% of what Ive read was good.But I have to ask.Bev your doing well without skimmers,why fix it if it aint broke?

Beverly

04-02-2006, 12:12 AM

My setup is a Hagen surface skimmer intake hooked up to a Mag5 up to the Remora through a ball valve to control flow.

fkshiu,

Interesting adaptation. Is this the surface skimmer you're talking about? How well does the skimmer work if there is quite a bit of surface scum? I wouldn't use Remora Pros on my 37g and 67g, only Remoras. Do you think the suface skimmer would fit the Maxi Jet 1200 that comes with these skimmers?

http://www.hagen.com/img/aquatic/products/a240.jpg

Bev your doing well without skimmers,why fix it if it aint broke?

Quagmire,

I'm not sure if my tanks are running up to snuff. I mean, they could very well be, but I'm wondering if skimmers might not improve them. Honestly, I've got a lot of thinking to do on this issue.

Do you run skimmers on your tanks?

J Feez

04-02-2006, 12:40 AM

Hi Bev,

I don't know if this will help at all, but I've been having issues with too many micro bubbles that my skimmer likes to create. So I've decided to switch the actual skimming of my skimmer off (just turning off the air intake), but leave the pump on just for the added airflow. Anyways, the moral of the story is, I will let you know if I see a big difference in my tank without having a "skimmer" on it as I've been running one for the past 4 months.

Quagmire

04-02-2006, 01:50 AM

Do you run skimmers on your tanks?
I have 2 tanks running,one with a small homemade jobby that I want to replace,and one without a skimmer.Both are doing well,but the skimmerless has more hair algea.

marie

04-02-2006, 03:59 AM

Good question, Marie. Right off the top of my head, I would answer that so many people talk about how useful skimming is and they have the skimmate to prove it. However, I'd have to think about your question more to provide a more rounded answer.

I have a few questions about the tanks you skim and the one you don't....

- Why do you think you have more algae problems in your skimmed tanks than in the one you don't skim? Larger bioloads that the skimmers are unable to keep up with, maybe? Or other factors? I would have thought skimming would reduce algae problems, if all your tanks were similar in feeding and bioloads.

- Why do you think you have more sponges and feather dusters in the non-skimmed tank than in the skimmed ones? Could there be predators in the skimmed tanks that eat dusters that do not reside in your non-skimmed tank?

The tank that is skimmerless doesn't have less algae but it doesn't have more either. The only real problem I have is the film on the glass, I do have to clean it a lot more often on the skimmerless tank which I think is the reason the sponges and feathers are doing much better in this tank...more phytoplankton for them :biggrin: .

I did put a skimmer on this tank for about 3 weeks but took it off because there was no real change (I know 3 weeks probably wasn't long enough) and because the tank is viewed from 3 sides and there was no room on the 4th side the skimmer looked ugly.

fkshiu

04-02-2006, 06:47 AM

[QUOTE=Beverly]fkshiu,

Interesting adaptation. Is this the surface skimmer you're talking about? How well does the skimmer work if there is quite a bit of surface scum? I wouldn't use Remora Pros on my 37g and 67g, only Remoras. Do you think the suface skimmer would fit the Maxi Jet 1200 that comes with these skimmers?

http://www.hagen.com/img/aquatic/products/a240.jpg

Yup. That's the one. I got it to fit on the Mag intake the following way: surface skimmer --> a bit of 1/2" ID hose left over from my Filstar canister --> NPT barb fitting screwed into the Mag intake. It took some time at the hardware store finding the little plumbing bits and pieces, but eventually I got the setup to work.

It probably won't fit on a Maxijet very easily, but upgrading the Remora to a Mag3 and the Remora Pro to a Mag5 is the recommended pump upgrade from AquaC itself. Going from the Maxijet to the Mag in my case showed a marked improvement in performance.

The surface scum is what you're after when you're skimming! That's the organics that the skimmer will pull out before they can break down into nitrate and phosphate. Since that stuff floats to the top like any oily substance in water, your skimmer's intake position should be near the top of the water for maximum efficiency.

golfbomber

04-03-2006, 04:43 AM

any other options besides the remora?

Ruth

04-03-2006, 04:55 AM

If you want to spend the $ and need a HOB skimmer the Deltec is a great skimmer as well.

fkshiu

04-03-2006, 05:49 AM

There's also the CPR Bakpak and the Coralife Superskimmer.

Of course there's the king of the hill: Deltec (if you can afford +$500 for a HOB skimmer). But it's apparently worth every penny.

hawaiiguy

04-03-2006, 05:55 AM

clearance for the remora pro is 1 3/4". The regular remora is probably less though... I think it's smaller than the pro version.

hawaiiguy

04-03-2006, 06:09 AM

To respond to marie, why wouldn't you want a skimmer? I'm not saying skimmerless systems are necessarily bad; I know there are many who don't use them and have lots of success. But I think using one can only improve your system. It can be a great buffer if organics start going up without you knowing. I think they are especially important if you have a heavily stocked reef. FOWLR systems probably don't need them as much.

I have a Remora Pro with a Mag 3 and I haven't had a single problem with it. There's no way it'll overflow (I have a hose adapter that connects the collection cup to an external container) and I have clamps for the Mag 3 pump. I'd say your chances of a mishap are low with this product. Also, if you're shopping around for the best deal, you might want to try e-bay... I got mine used and in excellent condition for 220 CAD (including shipping).

Beverly

04-03-2006, 10:28 PM

Well, over the weekend, dear husband had a chance to look at the Remora and Remora Pro via Internet pics. Once he saw the honkin' huge Mag 3, 5 and 7, he nixed the Remora Pro and the Remora with upgraded pump.

I guess he and I have more talking to do and perhaps go on a fact finding mission with someone local with a Remora and Maji Jet 1200.

And then we have to consider the comments made about if it ain't broke, why fix it?

Thank you, again, for all your great input :biggrin:

Doug

04-03-2006, 11:38 PM

Bev, I dont know if you followed our thread in the equipment review section but we discussed the Deltec MCE 600. Plus they had a good feature on it in one of the RDO mags.

No pumps in the tank. High quality skimmer and not that bad looking, at least by the pics. Several members running them here. Depending on my tank size after I move, and if I have a sump or not, I may run one

Willow

04-03-2006, 11:47 PM

the price is a little.. umm high on those deltec's tho. for that kinda money why wouldn’t you drill and run an asm.

Ruth

04-03-2006, 11:59 PM

You know, I would have thought the same thing as Willow before I ran a system with that Deltec. I have the Deltec set up on a 44g cube. I also have an ASM G4X with the recirculating mod set up on my 230g. The Deltec skims every bit as good if not better than the the ASM. I have a sump on my cube and could run an in sump skimmer if I chose to but I would be hard pressed to be convinced to take the Deltec out of operation. I also have a Remora Pro (yeah I know too many skimmers in my house) and would rate the performance as good, not as good as the Deltec, but still good. It's just as Beverly said it's that darn honking Mag pump in the tank.

Doug

04-04-2006, 12:20 AM

I would agree with that Willow but I,m only going to use it, if running sumpless, which is Bev,s situation. I would not likely use one, if running a sump, as I would stick with my beckett.

For myself, in my new place, sumpless may be the way to go, thus the Deltec.

Good comparison Ruth.

fkshiu

04-10-2006, 08:05 PM

Here's a couple of pictures of my tank taken a few months ago. The Mag5 that's driving the Remora is hidden behind the rockwork. You can see the Hagen surface skimmer and the Remora's intake tube as well as the filter sponge bubble trap, but all things considered it's not too intrusive.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/fkshiu/Tank2.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/fkshiu/Tank1.jpg

Chad

04-10-2006, 08:46 PM

the price is a little.. umm high on those deltec's tho. for that kinda money why wouldn’t you drill and run an asm.

Space is the main reason I got myself one. I already have a big becket for when I have a chance to actualy set up my sump. When I do have that sump I will switch the deltec over to a Sea Horse tank I will eventualy set up.

Deltec is pricey, but its certainly worth it IMO.

OCDP

04-10-2006, 08:51 PM

Can you use a more powerful pump other than a MJ1200 on a Remora??

fkshiu

04-10-2006, 09:32 PM

Can you use a more powerful pump other than a MJ1200 on a Remora??

Sure you can. I've got a Mag5 on mine. AquaC actually recommends the Mag3 as the upgrade for the regular Remora and the Mag5 as the upgrade for the Remora Pro.

OCDP

04-10-2006, 09:37 PM

Oh, I thought I read somewhere that a bigger pump wont work on the Remora. I guess I was wrong.

Have you noticed significant improvement in using a more powerful pump???

Samw

04-10-2006, 09:47 PM

Sure you can. I've got a Mag5 on mine. AquaC actually recommends the Mag3 as the upgrade for the regular Remora and the Mag5 as the upgrade for the Remora Pro.

Is that official? I've only seen Maxijet 1200 as their recommended upgrade over the Rio 800 for the Remora. The Mag 3 was recommended for the Pro. No doubt the Mag 3 will work on the Remora, I just haven't seen AquaC officially recommend it.

http://www.proteinskimmer.com/products/Remora.htm

"Pump (Included)

• Rio 800 or Maxi Jet 1200 - Remora"

http://www.proteinskimmer.com/productsnew.htm

"The Maxi Jet 1200 is now available on the Remora skimmer. For a few extra dollars you are guaranteed a modest performance increase and super quiet operation.

The Mag Drive 3 is a super pump and we've tested it thoroughly on our Remora Pro."

OCDP

04-11-2006, 12:23 AM

Hmm, is there anyone running a mag on their Remora? I'd like to know if you noticed any significant skimmate production, and if you've run into any problems with the pump on the Remora. I'd like to boost the power on mine if it's possible.

fkshiu

04-11-2006, 05:22 AM

Here's the reply I got from AquaC when I inquired about upgrading the pump:

Franklin,

Thanks for the message, I can help out. I would not recommend using the Mag Drive 5 on the standard Remora. This is an upgraded pump to use on the Remora Pro and would be too powerful for the standard Remora. I would recommend going with the Mag Drive 3 and many customers upgrade to this pump when using the Remora with good results. You will need an adapter as the pump outlet is 3/4" and the Remora inlet is 1/2".

Please let me know if you have any other comments or questions and I can help out!
- - - - - - - - - - -

Christine Quinones
Customer Service Manager

AquaC, Inc.
7949 Stromesa Ct., Ste. E
San Diego, CA 92126
858-689-1121 phone
858-564-3419 fax

visit us online at...
www.proteinskimmer.com

I got the Mag5 anyway since I'm all about going overboard =)

Kinda regretted it at first as the it did overwhelm the Remora. I installed a ball valve to staunch the head pressure a bit and the Hagen surface skimmer also slowed things down. Took a while to tweak it, but it kicks butt now. I have to empty the cup about 2x a week with nasty dark skimmate whereas before with the Maxijet I'd be lucky to get a cup every 10 days or so and the skimmate then was just tea coloured.

If I could do it over, I'd stick with the Mag3 for the regular Remora and the Mag5 for the Remora Pro as recommended.

OCDP

04-11-2006, 04:11 PM

Awesome, so how do I tweak the Remora inlet.. I'm not very handy, or good with DIY (modding) stuff. What would I buy? I am very interested in doing this.

Quagmire

04-11-2006, 10:19 PM

You should be able to get an adaptor in a plumbing store or from Home Depot.Or you can try a piece of 3/4 OD vinyl hose.Just cut to the proper length and soften up one end in hot water,so you can get it to fit over the pump outlet.Plus 2 hose clamps.

fkshiu

04-12-2006, 06:05 AM

Yup, I just brought the pump with me to a plumbing place and started fiddling with different NPT fittings.

The fitting on the inlet of the Remora itself is actually removable so you can bring that in to experiment with as well.

I got my 3/4" OD hose from some leftover Filstar canister filter hosing I had lying around.

You won't need to add a valve on the Remora if you go with the Mag3, although you can adjust the Hagen surface skimmer in respect of how much water you want to go down the top portion at the surface of the water. I found that the more water that gets sucked down that top inlet the less head pressure is generated by the pump into the skimmer.