Lovely skimmer for smaller tanks

[jaybroreef]

hello folks, log time no speak.....I just purchased a AquaticLife 115 mini skimmer for my small 20 gal.I had tried 2 other......and they were noisy as hell, or just didnt function correctly at all...This small skimmer is a miracle in my book...quiet from the first moment, couldnt hear it over all the other sounds an aquarium makes, fans, pumps etc.I highly recomend it! Give it a try, you will be glad,,,its even priced nicely, for skimmers,thanks alot for listeningto my raving on a product, which I rarely do!!!!! Have a good one!

[chrisfont23]

hello folks, log time no speak.....I just purchased a AquaticLife 115 mini skimmer for my small 20 gal.I had tried 2 other......and they were noisy as hell, or just didnt function correctly at all...This small skimmer is a miracle in my book...quiet from the first moment, couldnt hear it over all the other sounds an aquarium makes, fans, pumps etc.I highly recomend it! Give it a try, you will be glad,,,its even priced nicely, for skimmers,thanks alot for listeningto my raving on a product, which I rarely do!!!!! Have a good one!

Ha. I have the same one....and posted something skeptical at first. After I bought it, I instinctively kept the receipt,the manufacturers box, the box it came in and the Styrofoam bubble crap. I even affixed the return label to the box. Anyway, I plugged it in and got micro bubbles galore. I let it break in and kept the box within arms reach. After about the third day, I had incinerated the boxes and tossed the Styrofoam bubble crap. I had great skim results and good success. Not only was it quiet, but it was extremely easy to tune. Bubbles were gone.

My two gripes are that the suction cups easily fall off. They're not adequate enough to support the thing and the bracket is a must. Secondly, the black knob used to tune the skimmer is too close to the cup, making it tough to work with, esp w./wet hands. Also...I didn't realize but being a HOB, the entire unit wouldn't fit under my lighting fixture. I had to raise my T5s about 1/2 an inch to fit "over" the unit...no big deal, but wasn't planning on this.

For $59.99 I have bought much worse...this has been a pleasant surprise!

[Mad Mead]

so I have a 8gal tank and I've been looking all over for a skimmer to fit my tank with no luck. what do you think?

[chrisfont23]

so I have a 8gal tank and I've been looking all over for a skimmer to fit my tank with no luck. what do you think?

It's a great skimmer. You won't be disappointed

[Mad Mead]

Dude thanks

[toolingrl]

does it take up a lot of real estate? can you post a pic?

[chrisfont23]

does it take up a lot of real estate? can you post a pic?

Here are two pictures. On a standard 29 gallon (18 x 12) with a Coralife T5, you'll see it doesn't fit under the light without the extensions I added to each 12 inch side of the tank. Basically, I cut two 12 x 1/2 inch pieces of wood and mounted them to the frame, raising the light and allowing me to put the skimmer in the back corner underneath. Pic two will show my excellent gorilla gluing skills...but also will point out my insane water flow!!!

Hope this helps!

[toolingrl]

that looks easy enough. I only have a double ballast T5 so I don't think I will have an issue with the height. but I meant how much room inside the tank does it take up. I already have my filter and heater and a few pumps so Im worried adding more inside will take up a lot of room. Im also worried that now I don't have enough lighting! I have the same 29g tank.

[chrisfont23]

that looks easy enough. I only have a double ballast T5 so I don't think I will have an issue with the height. but I meant how much room inside the tank does it take up. I already have my filter and heater and a few pumps so Im worried adding more inside will take up a lot of room. Im also worried that now I don't have enough lighting! I have the same 29g tank.

Ah, that make it easy then. I run the skimmer in the back right corner. It takes up approx a 3 in x 3 in square (check retailers website for exacts). I don't know how long it is. Since it's behind been my Koralia nano PH, I don't even see it. I also use a Maxi Jet 1200 (295) gph - that's the most noticeable thing in the tank other than the display components...the skimmer will not be a problem. Only drawback (possibly) is you will need a modified glass top...(I don't use one anyway but a consideration)

I am running a Coralife Lunar Aqualight T5 (30 inch): 30 inch 4 lamp Coralife Lunar Aqualight T5 Lighting Fixture Coralife Lunar Aqualight T5 Light Fixture. I have it set on a timer to run 10 hrs a day and then about 7 hrs on moon LEDs. It will give you about 4.5 watts per gallon. I have a few corals in my tank now and they are doing very well. Assuming the std 24 w bulbs in your double ballast, that's probably well under what you need for a reef tank.

[chrisfont23]

A lot of people w/ this skimmer have been complaining about the gurgling noise. Here is a really easy mod to take away the gurgling noise. Takes about 15 mins. You will need needle nose pliers, 1 ft of air tubing and a coupler.

- open the skimmer by removing the brackets
- disconnect the air hose from the black elbow in the top corner
- using needle nose pliers, pull the black elbow through the hole. Be careful. Do not snap the plastic
- once the elbow is out, you will be left with a small hole that the elbow used to fit in.
- slide the air tubing through the hole and connect to one end of the coupler; regarding the tubing and the hole - it may fit tight / may not - you can add a little sealant here if you really care; just make sure the coupler to the new air tube is tight; if the hole is too small, you can make it a little bigger using the edge of a small scissors and rotating it around the plastic (or use a small drill bit and hand rotate)
- slide the other end of the coupler into the existing air tube. make sure it's tight
- reassemble the skimmer and make sure everything is tight

Once this is done, you will have an "extended" air tube that will / can extend well beyond the surface of the water, reducing noise and overall inconsistency with air intake. I draped about 8 inches to 1 foot of the new airline over the back of the tank. It's quiet as can be and seems to be way more efficient.

[chrisfont23]

Here is a picture of the mod:



And the skim about a day after