Lifespan of HOB protein skimmers

[ShoalSister]

Hi all. Hey, for those of you with HoB protein skimmers, what is the typical lifespan for them?

I had to replace an Octo after a year and a half. Now, I'm replacing an Aquamax 1.5 after a year and a half. Another aquamax is still going strong at 2.5 years, but with a loss of 2 out of 3, I'm not impressed with the lack of durability of either brand. Is this typical?

I clean them about every 2 months. The Octo motor made excessive noise early on and just worsened until it died. The Aquamax isn't making the bubbles as much as it used to and skimming is minimal. I've cleaned that one twice in 3 weeks and it hasn't helped.

Seems like a short life for a pricey piece of equipment.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Hi all. Hey, for those of you with HoB protein skimmers, what is the typical lifespan for them?

I had to replace an Octo after a year and a half. Now, I'm replacing an Aquamax 1.5 after a year and a half. Another aquamax is still going strong at 2.5 years, but with a loss of 2 out of 3, I'm not impressed with the lack of durability of either brand. Is this typical?

I clean them about every 2 months. The Octo motor made excessive noise early on and just worsened until it died. The Aquamax isn't making the bubbles as much as it used to and skimming is minimal. I've cleaned that one twice in 3 weeks and it hasn't helped.

Seems like a short life for a pricey piece of equipment.

Which Reef octo did you have? Just curious because that is what I currently have. I have the classic HOB 2000

 

[ShoalSister]

Which Reef octo did you have? Just curious because that is what I currently have. I have the classic HOB 2000

Yes, ours was a classic 2000. I think that one was defective from the start with the noise it made. I contacted the company. It took them weeks to respond and by then I had given up and replaced it with the Aquamax.

How long has yours been operating?

 

[JustAnotherNanoTank]

Why not replace the pump?

Did the venturi clog up on the one with low bubble production?

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Yes, ours was a classic 2000. I think that one was defective from the start with the noise it made. I contacted the company. It took them weeks to respond and by then I had given up and replaced it with the Aquamax.

How long has yours been operating?

My has only been operating for about 4 months now. But I don’t find it to be noisy at all

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’ll move this to the main forum.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

My aquamaxx 1.5 is 4+ years old, still being used today and working perfectly. I clean mine about every 6 months or so.

The biggest PITA is getting that yellow air tube into the tiny hole, and then getting the pump with airline back into the casing without the yellow tube falling out. My personal feeling is that I would purchase a different skimmer if/when this one fails.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

My aquamaxx 1.5 is 4+ years old, still being used today and working perfectly. I clean mine about every 6 months or so.

The biggest PITA is getting that yellow air tube into the tiny hole, and then getting the pump with airline back into the casing without the yellow tube falling out. My personal feeling is that I would purchase a different skimmer if/when this one fails.

For what it’s worth, so far I love my Reef Octo classic 2000.

 

[ShoalSister]

I must just have bad luck with 2 out of 3 failing before year 2. That's good though. May be I've paid my karma and am due for the next one to run for years.

 

[littlebigreef]

I have my CPR hob unit running and it’s 20+ years old. I just swap out the pump as they die. I read but didn’t see, how exactly are your habits failing?

 

[ShoalSister]

I have my CPR hob unit running and it’s 20+ years old. I just swap out the pump as they die. I read but didn’t see, how exactly are your habits failing?

It's the pumps that die. How long do your pumps last?

 

[ShoalSister]

Why not replace the pump?

Did the venturi clog up on the one with low bubble production?

No clogs. One pump flat out quit. The other has become weak. It sounds like others are just replacing their pumps.

 

[ShoalSister]

My aquamaxx 1.5 is 4+ years old, still being used today and working perfectly. I clean mine about every 6 months or so.

The biggest PITA is getting that yellow air tube into the tiny hole, and then getting the pump with airline back into the casing without the yellow tube falling out. My personal feeling is that I would purchase a different skimmer if/when this one fails.

Do you have this fitting to connect your yellow hose to the pump? See pic. You can buy them from intank

 

[William Chiavetta]

Which Reef octo did you have? Just curious because that is what I currently have. I have the classic HOB 2000

I have this exact one and there should be a 5 year warranty on it

 

[littlebigreef]

I’ve used Rio 600s. They usually last 4-5 years.

 

[KrisReef]

It's the pumps that die. How long do your pumps last?

Are you cleaning them regularly with vinegar? I killed a lot of impellers with vinegar before I switched to muriatic acid for descaling.

 

[FUNGI]

I have 2 EShopps PSK - 75's....almost 15 years old
going strong....replaced pumps on both once.....now use as back-ups in case my Ice Cap fails.....

 

[FUNGI]

No clogs. One pump flat out quit. The other has become weak. It sounds like others are just replacing their pumps.

For a "weak" pump, replace the impeller