Help cleaning protein skimmer please

[koda_dad]

Hi all,

I just purchased a used Remora Protein Skimmer.

I am trying and trying to get this thing clean...but I cannot.

I am using a solution of vinegar and water and it helped a lot... but there is hard calcium or salt deposits that are just not coming off.

They are at the bottom....which makes it hard in itself... but nothing makes a dent in these.

Is there some trick I am missing? I think this was not used for along time and maintnence was pretty bad to begin with... cause this thing was DIRTY...

Please help... thanks

 

[parrotchute]

I'd just leave them, personally, they shouldn't really hurt the skimmer.

You could try putting it in the dishwasher?

 

[SeaBee]

CLR, Calcium, Lime, Rust Dissolver, grocery store. MAKE SURE you rinse it out and I would run it through the dishwasher after anyway. And final rinse in RO water.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Or let it soak overnight in pure vinegar.

 

[parrotchute]

I've noticed soaking it in vinegar doesn't work right away - when it's done soaking a lot of times it looks like the stuff still won't come off, but then a couple of hours in the tank, it's clean.

 

[Reefrookie]

The vinegar bath will work better and faster with a powerhead in the container along with what you are cleaning

 

[koda_dad]

okay..I hooked up my powerhead to it... and its running the vinegar water solution through it.

Not a lot of bubbles inside of it???? all the protein skimmers I have seen running have crazy bubbles inside...this has well...just not a lot at all... could the "bubble maker" inside be clogged too?

 

[Reefrookie]

You wont get bubbles untill you put it in saltwater. Let it clean up first, then rinse it in RO water, then it's ready for the tank

 

[avery155]

From what I understand running the protien skimmer in just fresh water (or fresh water and vinegar in your case) will not produce many if any bubbles. It is when the skimmer is skimming salt water that you will get the ammount of bubbles that you are used to.

 

[avery155]

Darn my internet must be a lot slower! I swear I just seen this and typed that and here it says Reefrookie beat me by 8 min!

 

[Rcpilot]

Darn my internet must be a lot slower! I swear I just seen this and typed that and here it says Reefrookie beat me by 8 min!

You got Ninja'd :D

 

[Reefrookie]

Darn my internet must be a lot slower! I swear I just seen this and typed that and here it says Reefrookie beat me by 8 min!

No problem, we are just a little quicker on this side of the state:mrgreen: