Cad Lights Conic Protein Skimmer (TIA-1150)

[gmann]

what water level do you have your skimmer in? I have min in 10" and it is overflowing like crazy...

[gmann]

what water level are you having yours sit in? I have mine in 10" and its overflowing like crazy no matter what direction i turn the pipe

[Dearth]

Originally Posted by gmann

what water level are you having yours sit in? I have mine in 10" and its overflowing like crazy no matter what direction i turn the pipe

Try lifting it a bit as optimal operating for the Cadlights is 7-9 inches mine is set at 8 inches with no issues

[oupulino]

put at 7 " that is the best setting anyway the pumps in this skimmers are junk if you can returned do it and buy other skimmer .I like aquamax great skimmers and quality build pump not much a deferents in the price

[gmann]

thanks i will try 8"

[Dearth]

So its been a year since I bought the Cadlights skimmer and after a year I am still thoroughly impressed with the skimmer I've done 2 complete cleanings of the skimmer.

Likes

-Very easy to pull apart and clean very few moving parts
-Still very quiet with no vibrations
-still skims like it was new
-very easy still to adjust bubble flow
-power costs are low
-very easy to pipe if you need to


Dislikes

-Had to do a minor modification to the venturi to improve bubble flow(supposedly has been fixed in newer models)
-Anti-vibration rubber foot pegs are a waste of time they keep falling off
-collection cup drain tube plugs up easily(if you choose to use it I used it for 3 months didn't really like the drain tube)
-electrical cord is 2 feet too short


Overall it still performs well does as advertised and unlike some other name brand skimmer models I've seen in action this runs very quiet my lights cooling fans are noisier than my return pump and skimmer combined

I have no qualms recommending this to anybody

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Dearth

So its been a year since I bought the Cadlights skimmer and after a year I am still thoroughly impressed with the skimmer I've done 2 complete cleanings of the skimmer.

Likes

-Very easy to pull apart and clean very few moving parts
-Still very quiet with no vibrations
-still skims like it was new
-very easy still to adjust bubble flow
-power costs are low
-very easy to pipe if you need to


Dislikes

-Had to do a minor modification to the venturi to improve bubble flow(supposedly has been fixed in newer models)
-Anti-vibration rubber foot pegs are a waste of time they keep falling off
-collection cup drain tube plugs up easily(if you choose to use it I used it for 3 months didn't really like the drain tube)
-electrical cord is 2 feet too short


Overall it still performs well does as advertised and unlike some other name brand skimmer models I've seen in action this runs very quiet my lights cooling fans are noisier than my return pump and skimmer combined

I have no qualms recommending this to anybody

Thanks for the long term review. I just happen to be looking for a new skimmer for a 75g FOWLR and will look into this one as a candidate.

[Dearth]

Just a quick update

Pump has been running almost non stop for approx 19 months now aside for 6 hrs for cleaning at 6 and 12 months and today no vibration or noises evident still runs silent no heat buildup detectable nor any electrical issues aside from the ridiculously short power cord (my biggest complaint)

Still skims well however adjustment pipe for flow sticks and can be a pain to micro adjust (been using pliers to adjust flow)

The impeller is still in great shape next to no buildup in the pump

Only issue is scum and slime buildup around the Venturi which was inhibiting bubble flow

Overall still extremely impressed with the Cadlights skimmer and still would have no issues recommending this to people

[Dearth]

Another update:

Its been almost 3 and a half years since I started using this skimmer

Pump is still in great shape no noise or damage visible and bubbler is still working well

other than the previously stated issues I have not noticed any major problems

I just cleaned it tonight after it has run continuously for the past year with next to no maintenance due to medical issues and have only had to do minor adjustments on the bubbler to optimize its operation

Still a good product IMO for those on a budget

[Dearth]

Final update on this skimmer

When Cadlights first came out it was a relatively unknown skimmer when I bought mine. I don’t believe the model I have is sold anymore however some of the issues I previously mentioned have been fixed in later models

The pump and pin wheel still function awesomely I have never had to clean the pin wheel or pump as both work as if brand new still just pull apart for inspection purposes only

The body of the skimmer is still in great condition and no issues very sound and well built and is still as quiet as the day I bought it no noise at all

It is still one of the easiest skimmers I have found to adjust for flow just use the pipe to adjust flow and instant results no waiting to see if that adjustment was wrong or right

Biggest issue I have found is the pipe will bind after sometime of not moving and I have to use a pair of channel lock pliers to loosen the pipe

One of the things Cadlights fixed in later models is the size of the hole that the bubbler tube attached to as in earlier models like mine you had to drill out the hole to make it marginally bigger as the hole was too small and tended to plug off

One thing I would like to see is a screen over the opening of the bubbler to stop snails, larger detritus and algae from clogging up the body of the bubbler the DIY ones I build are crap

Other than that I am quite pleased with the skimmer it is very easy to use and adjust and very few parts so it’s not complicated to put together and is relatively cheap compared to some of its competitors