Tom Aquatics Pro Series Surface Skimmer Overflow Box with Aqua Lifter

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Below Average

Not a good surface skimmer. by PAUL HORN

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 11/4/2009 from DES MOINES, IA UNITED STATES

Comments: The Tom Aquatics Pro surface skimmer is easy to setup, but could not adjust the unit to skim the top of the water surface. The unit seems to skim 2-3 inches below the surface and leaves an oily film on the water surface. The unit does a good job as an overflow box, no problems with losing suction, but because it does not skim the top of the water surface I would not recommend its use. I have removed the unit and replaced it with a CPR unit. I would not recommend this product to my friends.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Average

OK product by Steve

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 10/6/2008 from HOUSTON, TX UNITED STATES

Comments: This thing is easy to set up and pretty quiet. It has a little removable plastic cover that goes over the drain in the back to keep the noise down (part of this stays underwater and gets covered with crud, however. The biggest problem (IMO) is that it doesn't actually skim the top of the water. My tank now has a lot of crap at the surface of the water, which blocks light and evaporation. The slots in the front of the box go so far below the water line that all the water that it pulls is also below the water line. It needs an adjustable baffle that you can slide up and down in front of those slots to adjust water height and make sure its actually skimming the top. Easy mod to do yourself, but still annoying. You can adjust water height with the screws on the mounts but the water level stays well above the bottom of those slots so that it doesn't skim the surface. Not a bad product, but not great either. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Unsatisfactory

NOT SO GOOD!!! by ZACH

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 7/11/2008 from St. Louis, MO

Comments: It is a good idea but poorly executed, first off the siphon tube is clear making it grow algea which can quickly lead to lost sucktion and a flood dispite the "no flood" claim. secondly it is very hard to clean the siphon since it is very narrow and bent at 90 degree angles. the shiphon should be wider and made of black plastic. consider replacing the siphon with a U-tube fitted with a conection for the lifter pump, then this unit works great and is easy to clean. I would recomend this but only if you intend to modify it to make it work as it should. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

Very good, easy setup by M

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 1/18/2008 from WALLA WALLA, WA UNITED STATES

Comments: Awesome overflow, took me no time to get this thing running with my Tidepool II. Comes with everything needed right out of the box. Very quiet, very reliable. I recommend it. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

Works Great by PETE RUEBERGER

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 1/3/2008 from HERMITAGE, PA UNITED STATES

Comments: I used this overflow box to connect my homemade sump to reef tank. I am very happy, installation was easy and the price is right. I also tested if unit would keep suction and not flood either main tank or sump by turning off power several times it worked perfect. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

Average

Watch out by RICHARD (UTAH)

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 12/18/2007 from MAGNA, UT UNITED STATES

Comments: I found a few things lacking in the installation of this product on my aquarium. The tank that I installed it on is a 46G column aquarium with a Mag9.5 return pump. Since the overflow is not rated anywhere for the flow rate it was hard to know if the pump was too much. Also the fittings for the overflow were difficult. The top of the tank to the sump is close to 6 feet, so to extend and add in valves to control the flow was a challenge locating the correct fittings. It also was not quiet due to the drain producing noise. I found that placing a bio-ball over the drain helped reduce the noise. The worse thing that happened is that it flooded after a power outage. The issue is that the suction necessary to start the siphon did not happen fast enough or at all. After the clean up I could not get it to start properly without making modifications to the design. Currently the only suction from the lifter is to the overflow. The return has a disconnected line that is used to pull in air if a power outage occurs to stop the siphoning. Also since the sump I have contains enough room it could handle a large siphon into without any issues. All in all an okay product that does not meet the expectations stated on the box, but with a little ingenuity it works as good as can be expected. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Great

surface overflow box by DANTE NAGTALON

Experience Level: Expert

Posted on 10/16/2007 from LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES

Comments: this product is great no water mess, all in one canister Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

Average

decent unit by reefer

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 9/25/2007 from SCHOFIELD, WI UNITED STATES

Comments: Worked quite well at first. I disagree about not being able to overflow. If the tubing gets plugged with algae, it will lose suction and stop skimming, while your return pump fills your floor. Be carefull to keep meticulously clean, and clear any algae build up at least every couple of weeks. Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

I love it!!! by Reefnetworth

Experience Level: Intermediate

Posted on 9/10/2007 from Nashville, Tennesse

Comments: Less than 30 minutes, my 25G nano with 10G sump were one. The Aqua Lifter is a great idea. My only regret is, I didn't think of it first. Adjusting the flow ratio only took minutes. It can't get any easier than Tom Aquatics Pro Series Surface Skimmer Overflow Box with Aqua Lifter! Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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46 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent!

GREAT QUIET NO FLOODING! by Lucy

Posted on 6/7/2007

Comments: Did I mention its QUIET-NO FLOODING (it CANT) AND it comes with ALL the parts - a real plus!! Had a CPR unit that lost suction causing a small flood - I was home! This one cant I would say its PEREFCT Yes, I would recommend this product to my friends.

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