CPR Aquatic SR3 Protein Skimmer

Posted by gerard on May 2, 2009 under Products & Reviews | 2 Comments to Read

 Ok so I finally threw in the towel on the oceanic biocube skimmer.  That thing was just not helping me at all.  So I bought a refurb of the CPR SR3 on ebay a couple weeks ago for 89 bucks.  It finally came and I hooked it up.  It took a little messing with to get it going but its been running for a week now and it is definitely pulling out more gunk from my water than the oceanic one was.  The oceanic skimmer cup usually looked like it had light tea colored water in it.  I emptied out the cup of the SR3 the other day after about 3 days and there was about a half inch worth of this very very dark green water.  I was amazed. 

As far as the setup goes I didn’t follow the directions exactly because when I did my tank filled up with bubbles.  Instead of taking the false floor out of chamber 2 I put the skimmer on top of it.  This way I can keep the water level higher in chamber2 and the flow of the water coming out of skimmer is must less crazy because the water coming in from chamber 1 is not pounding on it anymore.

 The only issue I have with it so far is the noise.  It is pretty loud and I cant seem to find a way to quiet it down without drastically losing the amount of bubbles it produces. 

Either way for about 30 bucks more than the oceanic skimmer it was a great buy.  I think you can grab one new for around 150-200 bucks.  I would check ebay.  I lucked out on this one.

If anyone has one too please let us know your experience with it.

Here are some of the spec on this skimmer:

• Includes side mounted venturi pump to fit into confined spaces.
• Dual return chamber and underwater return to effectively remove excess bubbles.
• Simple skimmer adjustment using CPR’s collection cup assembly and O-ring support.
•  Easily slides inside of the Oceanic BioCube 29 sump area; fits in the middle chamber of the sump section of the BioCube 29 without any modifications. The lid closes as originally manufactured and the collection cup can be easily removed for cleaning through the rear access hatch.
• -Dimensions 8 5/8″L x 2 7/8″W x 14 3/8″H
  -19″H needed to remove collection cup.

more at www.cpraquatic.com

AquaticLife Internal Mini Protein Skimmer 115

Posted by gerard on March 9, 2009 under Aquarium Info, Products & Reviews, Reef Info | Read the First Comment

Check out this new nano protein skimmer.   I wonder if this will fit in the back chamber of my biocube. I may pick one up to replace the cheesy biocube skimmer.  I am not very fond of the airstone you need in that one.

Anyone have any reviews of it yet?  read more....

Seachem | Alpha

Posted by gerard on November 11, 2008 under Products & Reviews | Be the First to Comment

Here is the 2nd in the list of new Aquavitro products by seachem.  If any of our readers have tried any of the new aquavitro products, please let us know what you think.  We tried to contact seachem for some samples but they haven’t responded.

A paramount factor in the proper maintenance of an aquarium is the dilution of accumulated waste by scheduled water changes. This requires the removal of chlorine or chloramine or both from the new water. With the advent of chloramine, thiosulfate has proven inadequate, causing the release of ammonia. At acid or neutral pH, this is not of serious consequence. However, at alkaline pH it can be devastating, particularly if the tap water is heavily treated with chloramines.

alpha™ is a concentrated conditioner for saltwater. It is 50% more active than Prime™ and 375% more active than the next closest competitor. alpha™ removes chlorine, chloramine and ammonia. It converts ammonia into a safe, non-toxic form that is readily utilized by beneficial bacteria and reef inhabitants such as clams. alpha™ may be used during tank cycling to alleviate ammonia/nitrite toxicity. alpha™ detoxifies nitrite and nitrate, allowing the biofilter to more efficiently remove them. alpha™ also promotes the production and regeneration of the natural slime coat on fish. alpha™ is non-acidic and will not impact pH, nor will it over activate skimmers. Use at start-up and whenever adding or replacing water.

Read more at www.aquavitro.com