Experience with Aquamaxx HOB-1?

[iChillum]

Folks,

I just got the 55 gallon setup for curing (which you can follow on my Tank Builds thread: iChillum's 55 Gallon Acrylic) last night.

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[HR][/HR]
I'm writing this thread more for positive affirmation than anything...but looking for folks that have experience with the Aquamaxx HOB-1 Protein Skimmer. I've read previously that it can take a good amount of time to break-in. Over the last 12-hrs, it has been VERY wet, and has literally been adjusted to the maximum height since the waste reservoir was filling so rapidly.

Anyone else have similar experiences to make me feel more comfortable? I've read everything from a couple days...to a couple weeks before you really start producing some serious sludge. Also I am of the full realization that I really don't have any bio-load yet :smug:

 

[jahmic]

Mine ran fairly wet for about a week. It took about 2 weeks of adjusting it before it settled in. Since that period though, I haven't adjusted it aside from the couple times I accidentally pushed the cup down too far. I marked the ideal height on my cup though...and it's been consistent.

I have mine setup to pull fairly wet since I'm trying to get rid of cyano; I empty the cup every 2-3 days. It was previously set to empty every 7-10 days and it did pull dark sludge at that height.

 

[iChillum]

Mine ran fairly wet for about a week. It took about 2 weeks of adjusting it before it settled in. Since that period though, I haven't adjusted it aside from the couple times I accidentally pushed the cup down too far. I marked the ideal height on my cup though...and it's been consistent.

I have mine setup to pull fairly wet since I'm trying to get rid of cyano; I empty the cup every 2-3 days. It was previously set to empty every 7-10 days and it did pull dark sludge at that height.

Thanks jahmic, I feel better already! anda:

 

[jahmic]

Have faith...it will eventually get nasty for you

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Lol

Just snapped this photo after dumping the skimmate...and that's what was left behind after 5 days.

 

[Ghosty]

Whoa, that's like dark brown/black mud K-man! My (similar sized) CPR Aeroforce-2 (dual mini-pumps) pulled good after about a few weeks, only took about a few days to start pulling in wet green slowly. But now it pulls about half a cup dark green liquid with some small chunkies per week or less. Should it be so much darker and thick like Jahmic's? I don't mind a little wetter. There's a huge RC thread on that debate of wet skimming. Personally I'd rather just replace with new saltwater to makeup.

I actually picked up an Aquamaxx (blue) HOB-1 for cheap on RC and I'm gonna throw it on my 29g when I finally get off my *** and build the stand. This time I'll keep careful track of how long any "break-in" period takes, so I can compare notes with you two dudes.

This brings up a long-standing question of mine about "break-in". Does it have to do with building up enough "crap", protein, algae, gunk, etc. in the water volume, to finally get skimmed out. Or maybe the actual "sliming up" of the skimmer cup/tube inside surface which allows more foam to "stay foamy", build, rise, then overflow into the collection cup. Maybe something to do with surface tension of that algae-slimed plastic vs. a new skimmer clean plastic surface allowing more bubbles/foam to break, instead of stay gunky and rise?

Sorry if this sounds bizarro, I tried to word it as best possible, lol! Opinions? I'm hoping my Aquamaxx works as well as my CPR, love it!

P.S. Thanks to Coloagro-Trevor for the great deal ($100) on my near-new CPR.

 

[jahmic]

I notice that when I do clean the inner tube of the cup I get a wetter skimmate until it gunks up a little...then it goes back to just pulling that thick stuff after several weeks. I used to adjust the cup height over and over after cleaning that inner tube, and it got tedious. It was my laziness that made me figure out it might be best to leave the inside of that tube slightly dirty, and be left with less fiddling and a darker skimmate.

I rinse out and wipe the inside of the collection cup, and just lightly rinse the inside of the tube to get the heavier stuff out. Leaving that "rim" of gunk at the top does prevent it from pulling well...so I just make sure that falls off and I leave the inside of that tube fairly slimy. Seems to work for me, ymmv.

You do seem to be spot on though in thinking the break in has to do with the tube sliming up a little. I read that thread on RC too at one point...couldn't make up my mind on which was better. My only issue with wet skimming was that my salinity fluctuated too much in my small tank in trying to top off for evap and accounting for skimmate being pulled off at the same time. I added a gfo reactor instead of skimming so wet, and with some patience the cyano is finally gone and I'm back to emptying that cup maybe once a week.