DIY Rotating Return Thingy

[ReefVan]

Fudge,

Gotta check that profile, not getting e-mail notices!

Yep, like anything else there are limitations. I've had good luck with mine so far. Part of it is that you need a real good silicone grease for the o-rings, don't be stingy.

As far as any unit leaking, yeah, that's gonna happen in the long run.

I've got Sea-Swirls that friends give me for repair and overhaul and I fix them, they leak after a while too, especially when rust from that damned metal clip at the inside top of the Sea-Swirl starts to rust.

My own units I build almost completely out of plastic, so no corrosion. As far as algae goes I cover my unit so that's ruled out.

The motors hold up well, you can't put a cheapie motor in and you have to give it a decent flywhell and crank lever length so as not to overload the motor.

I noticed the shaft would jump if I used vaseline as a lubricant, that's because it's water soluble and washes away gradually over time. Silicone grease does not.

And as a last note, don't put the unit too close to those MH lights, the heat builds up inside the unit and overheats the motor as well as turns your grease to oil...

Van