Tank Journal Archive

192k

Member
Nov 17, 2011
915
336
Northside Brisbane, 4017
Skimmer Pump Clean
My skimmer pump needed a thorough clean and breakdown, so I headed to Aldi to get 15 L of white vinegar and proceeded to soak the motor block.

The Red Dragon 2 pumps are made to a modular system and every part is availabe as a spare.

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Adjustable volute is modular and comes completely apart. The red threaded section allows you to fine tune the water to air ratio. The two inputs are for the main airline and the smaller one is for ozone.
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Next I soaked the impeller in vinegar to remove all the calcium deposits. It is important to remove the bearing and o-ring and ensure these are clean before re-assembly. If your pump is vibrating, It is more than likely the bearing seizing up from calcium.
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This impeller is a decent size
:)
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I also removed the red tubing that is the Anti-Calcium-Bypass and gave it a vinegar soak so it's clear and clean.

Pump is now fully clean and ready to go :cool:
 

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192k

Member
Nov 17, 2011
915
336
Northside Brisbane, 4017
They are definitely a nice looking pump - a cheap bottle of vinegar does a great job of making it look like new :)
Yes they are!

The people at Aldi look at me weird walking out with a case of vinegar :eek
I find vinegar the easiest and safest method for cleaning calcium deposits from powerheads, heaters and anything else. Just make sure it is fully rinsed, you don't want to add and additional carbon source ;)

Now I am soaking the skimmer body for a few days and it will be ready to go when I need it.
 

192k

Member
Nov 17, 2011
915
336
Northside Brisbane, 4017
I ordered some spares from to get my skimmer body up and running again.

Silicon rubber o-ring 165 x 3mm
Old
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New
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Foam insert for air-silencer and food grade silicon grease for skimmer cup.
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Body cleaned and re-assembled. Ready for use ;)

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Now I need to finish cleaning my Tunze Stream pumps - I really should have cleaned all this gear before putting it away :confused:
 

192k

Member
Nov 17, 2011
915
336
Northside Brisbane, 4017
The BK pulls out a load of skim and emptying the cup is not something I look forward to doing :cry
To make this job easier I bought one of these and it arrived today.
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It is an Eheim 4004412 Double Tap Quick Connector.
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Installed and ready to go. Connecting and disconnecting the collection cup drain line has never been easier :D
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