Aquamaxx hob 1 questions!

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
Hello there , recently purchased a new Aquamaxx hob 1 for small 20 long! I've had it laying around for a week but decided to hook it up today , the directions state to make sure when you turn it on the bottom of the collection cup is 1/2"-1" into the water . When I do this , the collection cup on top is extremely low, and the skimmer is not yet producing anything up into collection cup. Does anyone have any experience with this hob skimmer . Marine depot had a pre Black Friday 1 day sale on it for $161.99. Had to give it a shot .
 

saltyfilmfolks

Lights! Camera! Reef!
View Badges
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
28,739
Reaction score
40,950
Location
California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
image.jpeg
image.jpeg
Hello there , recently purchased a new Aquamaxx hob 1 for small 20 long! I've had it laying around for a week but decided to hook it up today , the directions state to make sure when you turn it on the bottom of the collection cup is 1/2"-1" into the water . When I do this , the collection cup on top is extremely low, and the skimmer is not yet producing anything up into collection cup. Does anyone have any experience with this hob skimmer . Marine depot had a pre Black Friday 1 day sale on it for $161.99. Had to give it a shot .
how long has it been on? looks like its foaming.
Id give it a minute.
 

jsker

Reefing is all about the adventure
View Badges
Joined
Apr 11, 2015
Messages
25,008
Reaction score
80,077
Location
Saint Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You are going to have to make some adjustments of the the cups until you have the right amount of foam overflowing into the cups. I depends if you are looking for a dryer skim or a wet skim. My ideal was about 3/8 of a inch below the water using my CPR HOB filter to get a sludge type of skim:).
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
how long has it been on? looks like its foaming.
Id give it a minute.
30 minutes or so. I'm just questioning why the water level in the chambers is so low? Is there different settings on the pump . It's just shooting up clear bubbles at the moment , but not up into the cone
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You are going to have to make some adjustments of the the cups until you have the right amount of foam overflowing into the cups. I depends if you are looking for a dryer skim or a wet skim. My ideal was about 3/8 of a inch below the water using my CPR HOB filter to get a sludge type of skim:).
Probably in between the 2 if thTs possible lol.
 

jsker

Reefing is all about the adventure
View Badges
Joined
Apr 11, 2015
Messages
25,008
Reaction score
80,077
Location
Saint Louis
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The water level is going to be at the level in you tank;)
 

DED65

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
795
Reaction score
1,074
Location
Sparks, Nevada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't have experience with that one, but I do have a Reef Octopus 3000 hob skimmer. Mine took a couple of days to get going and get the cups at the right level. My cups are sitting about 3/8 to1/2 inch above the water level and producing plenty of skim. It just takes time.
IMG_0226.JPG
 

gar732

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
2,354
Reaction score
365
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
To me it looks like it's not getting air, the bubbles should be much more dense. Is there any air in their the intake tube?
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I don't have experience with that one, but I do have a Reef Octopus 3000 hob skimmer. Mine took a couple of days to get going and get the cups at the right level. My cups are sitting about 3/8 to1/2 inch above the water level and producing plenty of skim. It just takes time.
IMG_0226.JPG
Thanks , that was one of the skimmers it was between. I just couldn't pass up the Aquamaxx for $70 off after reading reviews . The design looks basically the same between the two brands . What lights are those .
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
To me it looks like it's not getting air, the bubbles should be much more dense. Is there any air in their the intake tube?
not sure . Directions do mention that it takes. A little while for pump to get primed . Wants you to take air tube off silencer and put inside the water .
 

DED65

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 21, 2016
Messages
795
Reaction score
1,074
Location
Sparks, Nevada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks , that was one of the skimmers it was between. I just couldn't pass up the Aquamaxx for $70 off after reading reviews . The design looks basically the same between the two brands . What lights are those .

They are the Aquatic Life 3 watt XS/UV's. I liked them so much I bought them for two other tanks. For the price, the build quality and the programing I could not find anything better. You can program almost any setting on these!
 

gar732

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
2,354
Reaction score
365
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What I used to do was just to take the air line off the silencer and plug it with my finger so that the pump is only sucking water. Once the all the air is clear of the intake tube (you don't want to see any air at all in the clear tube that enters the skimmer body) reconnect the air line and good to go. If the cup is all the way down it will overflow once it starts to produce skimmate. I would bring it all the way up while it breaks in and adjust from there in a few hours. As it continues to break in you'll have to readjust until you find the sweet spot that produces the type of skimmate you want.
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What I used to do was just to take the air line off the silencer and plug it with my finger so that the pump is only sucking water. Once the all the air is clear of the intake tube (you don't want to see any air at all in the clear tube that enters the skimmer body) reconnect the air line and good to go. If the cup is all the way down it will overflow once it starts to produce skimmate. I would bring it all the way up while it breaks in and adjust from there in a few hours. As it continues to break in you'll have to readjust until you find the sweet spot that produces the type of skimmate you want.
This tube is not sucking in any water . That must be where the issue is.

image.jpeg
 

gar732

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
2,354
Reaction score
365
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes you want no air in that intake tube, remove the airline and plug it with your finger making sure no air is coming through. Keep it plugged until all air is purged from the intake tube (this might take a couple minutes while the water works it way up the tube) then reconnect the air line to the silencer.
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes you want no air in that intake tube, remove the airline and plug it with your finger making sure no air is coming through. Keep it plugged until all air is purged from the intake tube (this might take a couple minutes while the water works it way up the tube) then reconnect the air line to the silencer.
Awesome , at first it looked like there was water coming up into that tube but it wasn't . That was the issue. Because the pump is working like a charm now.
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes you want no air in that intake tube, remove the airline and plug it with your finger making sure no air is coming through. Keep it plugged until all air is purged from the intake tube (this might take a couple minutes while the water works it way up the tube) then reconnect the air line to the silencer.
Also starting to get coraline on front glass and don't want to scrape it off !!!! Haha if I do scrape it off I heard it spreads faster in an aquarium . Also with an HOB skimmer should I feed with it off or on.

image.jpeg


image.jpeg
 
OP
OP
Ryan Rioux

Ryan Rioux

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
596
Reaction score
127
Location
Boston ma
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
They are the Aquatic Life 3 watt XS/UV's. I liked them so much I bought them for two other tanks. For the price, the build quality and the programing I could not find anything better. You can program almost any setting on these!
This tank is so small. I may just buy an AI sol. To see if it does the trick. I have no corals , only 2 clowns and inverts .
 

gar732

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
2,354
Reaction score
365
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Great, glad it's working as it should. As for the coraline, I'd scrape it. The more it grows the harder it is it remove, you're better off staying ahead of it.

I never bothered to shut the skimmer off for feeding, you will lose the foam head for a bit but it will recover.

And just a quick tip, I found that the air nipple in the Venturi would clog with calcium built up and will have to be cleaned periodically. The performance of the skimmer will drop off as it get clogged. I would just make cleaning it part of your maintainence schedule.
 

Chrisfish

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 29, 2015
Messages
7,488
Reaction score
26,844
Location
Hatteras
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi I have this skimmer and I love it. It's on my JBJ 30 gal. AIO. After purchasing some others that really stressed me out I purchased this one. I had a few issues in the beginning but members here like @saltyfilmfolks :Dwere really helpful with suggestions. Sounds like you've got yours working now, that's great. Hope it works out for your tank.:)
 
Back
Top