SeaClone 100

[Picoso]

Well I went ahead and went the cheaper route in skimming. Got the SeaClone 100 for my 30gal reef. After all the bad things I heard about this skimmer I still wanted to try it out since it was less expensive and I have already spent a small fortune on everything else. Here is the skimmer after 2days no mods.

[KngLurker]

AAAAAA++++++++++ on that cuz..............I have one running on my 20L and its a work horse. I'm learning that every individual tank journey is different . I got mine on ebay for $30 bucks .

[theheaddon910]

My opinion, If they all sucked then they wouldn't keep making them. Let me know how it is 2 weeks down the road, because I need to get a skimmer and am having a hard time picking one out in my price range.

[Dr.eclipse]

id had one for about 6 months, sometimes it worked great other times it just made bubbles.

[Picoso]

I will be keeping a eye on it. Will post pics further down the road. From what I read if it's just making bubbles then you don't have enough bio-load for it to process the waste. Which is a good thing.

[stg2roush]

Add a air valve to it for more precise adjustment. I switched out the impeller with a bio ball that i cut down which worked even better. Just do the air valve first. If its not broken don't fix it.

[blasterman]

The problem with the Sea Clone is that the configuration of the pump being in the tank and pushing bubbles such a long distance through tubing creates a whole slew of variables. The design of the bubble chamber itself is fine. However, the Sea Clone suffers from the same design issues that a host of other HOB skimmers suffer, and that's the problem with the powerhead being located such a large distance away creates inconsisten foam. Take any high end skimmer like a Reef Octopus, etc., feed em bubbles the same way and they'll suffer the same problems. Large in sump skimmers work good because they directly inject a large mass of bubbles into a big a chamber with minimal plumbing and typically use heavy duty pumps, and that's 80% of the design advantage.

 

I've gone through two Sea Clones; both were second hand and originally used by friends. When they first bought them both worked great and produced skimmate like the OP is showing. However, both became inlcreasingly less effective until they gave them to me with the challenge of figuring out what was wrong. After fiddling for weeks I concluded the skimmer itself was fine but the complex plumbing and constant need to replace pumps / and or impellars was the main issue. More recent Sea Clones are a bit simplier although the pumps shipped with them have gone through a host of Q/C issues over the years.

 

So, if you can keep the pump in working order and replace it when needed the Sea Clone should work fine in a moderately sized tank. IMHO, with a properly working pump it's a much better skimmer than a Remora and a notch above a Bak Pak.

[Dr.eclipse]

IMHO, with a properly working pump it's a much better skimmer than a Remora and a notch above a Bak Pak.

this might be true but..i <3 my bak-pak skimmer.

[Picoso]

Thanks for the insight on the SeaClone! I will cont. Using it until I see it start to be less productive. Should have enough time to save up for a better one.

[Apoptosis]

I have had one on my 54 gallon mixed reef for about a year and a half. The skimmate produced by it seems to depend on the bioload of the tank. It varies since I have many more coral than fish, and try not to overfeed.

[skeeters]

If it works who gives a #### what others think. Looks like it's pulling junk to me.

[ajmckay]

With mine the key was to use a more adjustable air valve and to clear out the tube frequently. I don't know why, but after a week or so of use some salt would accumulate in the tube near the pump. This would slowly diminish the air volume so I would usually just pour a little RO water down the tube to clear out the salt and it would work well again.

 

I got mine off eBay really cheap as well, so I wasn't afraid to modify it. I shortened the riser tube inside the chamber and added a piece of acrylic tubing instead which would allow me to adjust the height to maximize the size of the chamber while keeping micro-bubbles out. I also shortened (slightly) the tube inside the collection cup and rounded the edges. I think this helped me get a little wetter skimmate.

 

Good luck with it just don't forget to replace the o-rings frequently (you can use ones from a plumbing repair kit at HD) because there are a lot of potential failure points. Also use silicone grease on them because apparently you can crack the tube going from the pump to the skimmer if you're not careful.

[Picoso]

Well still working after a week. This is what it pulled out.

[Jlax132]

First post!!!!

Looks like it's skimming great to me. Is there any way to mod it to be in sump? Like cut the pipe cuz that might be a good little skimmer if you can. More constant bubble production, more good skim mate. How much is it on eBay?