Aqua C Remora SKimmer: I'm sick of it not working, help me fix it.

So I've had this skimmer for over a year and from the get go it hasn't worked properly. I've had it in my sump until now and decided to make it easier to access so that I can fix it once and for all.

PROBLEMS:

The skimmer tends to almost never make the foam go up the neck of the collection cup and make that lovely white foam at the top. This happens maybe once a day and I can see it working for like 30 minutes, go eat, come back and it stop working for the rest of the day.

I get about a half cup of skimmate every two weeks MAYBE. I know this isn't right and I need to fix this.

I have tried having the cup pushing all the way down and it still has these problems. It is level and also no vortex at the top of the pump so I know it is not pulling in air. Make sure to look at the bubbles it is making in the skimmer, maybe that is the problem?

Please and I mean PLEASE help me because the customer service for these things seem to not exist. I paid almost 200 for this thing and I have been disappointed ever since but I think it is something I am doing.

Thanks.

 

Is this the Pro or Standard version? I started my SW tank with the standard and a maxi-1200. I thought it was pretty good. After upgrading to a Deltec MCE 600 I realized that its performance was less than stellar. The Deltec pulls, in a few hours, what the Remora took a week+ to pull. Deltec's are pricey but you get what you pay for, the internal pump is awesome too so you don't have any monster Mag pumps in the tank, just a intake tube.

Another thing I hated about the Remora was the plastic injector screw, adjusting it was a huge pain as it would swell from the SW and it wouldn't budge at all. To adjust it I had to take the skimmer off the tank and let it dry out and shrink, not fun.

My advice is sell the Remora and upgrade to something better. I couldn't be happier with my upgrade & my tank is crystal clear of the haziness and surface protein it used to have.

 

What does adjusting the screw do?

 

Adjusting the nylon screw will allow more/less flow and thus more injection. But, heed my warning, be very delicate when trying to adjust it. I stripped it twice because of what I mentioned (the swelling of the screw). I had to drill it out with a bit to get it unstuck. Remora sent me a few free replacments, they were good about that. It should be a white nylon flat head screw. I would try that if you can, but again be careful to not strip the screw.

 

For my problem which way should I make the screw go? More in or out?

 

honesrly I'm not sure, I forget how the Remora was structured, I guess experiment, can't hurt at this point

unscrewing it will create more flow, just make sure to not unscrew it too much or you'll have water coming out of the top of the intake. Screwing it in more will lessen the flow. Again just don't go nuts if you can't move it, it may be stuck like mine was. It's possible you'll need to take it off, let it dry until you can comfortably move it without damaging the screw head.

Watching the video back I would think you need more injection so more bubbles are created, the column seems to be far from your collection cup, just my thoughts.

 

So I should loosen the screw correct? Thanks for all the help this has been annoying me forever. I can move the screw really easily. So I want to unscrew it to the farthest point I can before it starts spraying water out?

 

I would maybe use some trial and error, unscrew it a bit, see if the column of bubbles rises at all, go from there. I hope it helps, just kinda a shot in the dark but maybe.

 

some more info I found online from other Remora owners having problems with no skimmate:

"If you remove the skimmer cup and look in to the skimmer you will see a nylon screw that has been tapped into the plumbing... simply grab a screwdriver and remove the screw to clean the injector. A small (3/8") bottle brush is what comes with the skimmer.

Mine had stopped producing also recently and after cleaning the injector and the pump it's going like crazy again."

& from the Remora manual:

"...clean the water pump every 3-6 months to maintain optimum performance." A very important note is, "...remove the small screw (injector access screw located above the injector inside the reaction chamber) by turning COUNTERCLOCKWISE-try not to let the screw fall into the skimmer once it is loose. " Also, "When replacing the Injector access screw DO NOT thread the screw so far that it will fall into the injector. Only thread it deep enough so that it seals the hole. It is normal for a small amount of water to drip out of the sealed hole during operation and this shouldn't be cause for concern."

 

kinda sounds like something is leaking......