Cleaning Protein Skimmer

How often do you all rip apart your skimmers? I have a Bak Pak2 and I am having nightmares with the RIO Pump, looking at switching to a Maxi-Jet 1200 W/ Venturie. This is already the second pump as they stop working with 1 to 2 weeks. My LFS also just replaced all his show tanks to Maxi-Jets for he was having the same problem.

 

Have never heard a good thing about RIO pumps but they seem to be recommended by many equipment manufactures.
I clean my PS one a week or my house get very stinky

J

 

I do the same thing - once a week for cleaning. Same time I do a water change.

 

Now when you say once a week i take it you mean the colection cup? Do you have to freq clean the pump? With the Rio it is also beoming weekly.

 

I clean the collection cup when needed, usually twice a week. The pump I clean every other month or when the performance drops. It's a Seclone 150 with a Maxi Jet 1200. Going strong after two years of service!

 

Replace the Rio with a Maxi-Jet 1200 and i have foam again. The Rio never seamed to habve enough power to get a strong flow of foam, plus the pumps only lasted 2-3 weeks before i would have to totaly rip apart and clean it, and every time i did this it seamed to stop working quicker the next time. I think i will avoid Rio Pumps at all cost.

 

When Seaclone used Rio pumps, the skimmers got a bad rap. Since they changed to Maxijets their performance has improved greatly. It's all in the pump, eh?

 

I wish i would of known this earlier so i could have a few more corals instead of a few dead Rio's! Interesting thing is my Bak Pak 2 has the BIo Beads removed and it is now a breading ground for all kinds of little creatures, free food source.

 

I use my BakPak II to hold my heaters. No more bio bale for me!

 

I was thinking about that, someone told me i need a Stainless Heater or it could melt it. I also have a CPR Hang on Ref for my other heater.