!!!!!!do Not Use Skilter Filter/skimmer!!!!!!!

d.french

d.french

Reef enthusiast
sharing this with everyone i have used 2 now skilter 400 for filter not skimmer and both have started leaking and corroding through motor. The first time i sent them an email and they sent me a new one and its happened again. Not good with saltwater so if you have on watch out neither has lasted a year.
 
My sister called me over the weekend about hers. It has the same problem yours did. But hers leaked onto the floor where the powersrip was sitting and she came home to two whinning dogs and a house full of smoke. All I can say she was very lucky that she came home when she did.

She didn'tknow it was the filter until she got looking and realized it leaks where the pump hooks. I told her call the company. I'm not sure if she did. I also told her to look for a protein skimmer and get rid of that thing.
 
i sent them another email and told them not to send another free one that there junk and that they need to address problem, salt water corrodes the motor very quick not saltwater safe i believe.
 
i have one to.filter sucks,skimmer sucks,so i put rubber tape around the motor and it fixed my problem for the leakage,for the too many bubbles i put this mesh that has very very tiny holes in it.
 
there is a mod that you can do to the skimmer part to make it skim pretty good, but i have never heard of the problem above. i hope they take care of it for you.
 
Well don't bother calling customer service. Boy were they rude. More or less told my sister it was her problem and not theirs. I told her to contact consumer safty and report it.
 
yep, it is super easy to do. all it is is this ...

run an airline tube with a wooden airstone UNDER the skimmer body and into the chamber, then put the chamber back in the filter. hook up an airpump to the tubing and plug it in. the only draw back is that you have to change out the wooded airstone every 2 - 3 weeks, but it REALLY help the skilter in efficiency.
 
sorry im late to this thread..i did that a couple of months ago..really it works great..i showed it step by step hot to do it..really ive never had probs with the skilter..thats the filter ive had in my 20g..but i know there are better ones out there..here are some pics hybie ..i hope tit helps you..

DSC03002.jpg
heres the chamber with the air stone..se more skimming power

heres the air pump
DSC03004.jpg
 
thanks rigo im gonna try that today the only thing is though i have a crappy air pump.and also do you keep the original skimmer on too?
 
Yeah I will testify that the skilters arent that good... I had the same problem with mine leaking, the guy at the LFS assembled it for me when I first started my tank, within a week it was dripping down the back, I noticed when i saw salt creeping all over the motor. I took it out and tried getting it to seal better, I eventually did, and only used it for another few weeks, and it never collected a single drop. Glad the guy at the LFS sold it to me for 90$... god i wish I could get that money back now. I bought my super skimmer 125gph for 116$ so not much more...
 
Also, the guy at the LFS told me to put some vasoline around the gasket to get it to seal better. I didnt listen figuring a petrolium based product wouldnt be too good for a saltwater aquarium...
 
They just need to fix the problem. It is so easy to fix but they figure why should they not enough people complain.
 

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