Avast Skimmer Swabbie - Worth It?

[crs751]

I am contemplating buying the kit to add a Swabbie to my skimmer. Aside from being a cool reef gadget, are there real benefits to having this on your skimmer? Would like some feedback from those who have them. Thanks for your time.

 

[DC Reefer]

I have them on two of my skimmers and also have the skimmer cups draining into collection tanks (one Avast and one Reef Octo). They have been running for 4+ years on each tank. I have each one run a couple of minutes twice a day. What I like is that I only clean my skimmers maybe once each year (not counting emptying the collection tanks). My skimmers, even up to the year point are still skimming very well. Saves a lot of time and keeps my hands out of the gunk.

The key for them is to get them set-up correctly for your skimmer. You want some pressure on the wiper blade, but not where it bends the arm. You also have to spend some time to get it centered on your skimmer or it will miss areas while cleaning. Once set-up it is good to go and I generally don't have to adjust it again.

 

[rionroxxx]

I was just on the Avast site last night looking at these. Tagging along to hear what others have to say. But from video reviews and light research. As @DC Reefer mentioned, getting it set-up correctly is the key.

 

[authentic]

i have been running one for over a year with no problems,I like the fact that my skimmer neck stays clean,the only issue i have is that when i take it off to clean the plug is still connected(hassle to unplug) so i have to clean the rod connected to the motor in place

 

[Gablami]

I’ve used the aquadriver neck cleaner, and my issue with neck cleaners, is that even though the neck itself remains clean, the actual neck swabbed gets caked with gunk instead. So instead of collecting on the neck, it collects on the neck cleaner. Does that really help skimming to move the location of the gunk in the neck? I stopped using a neck cleaner when I upgraded tanks.

 

[trmiv]

I used a swabbie for awhile but took it off because I found it more of a pain than just cleaning the cup. I hated how caked in gunk the blade and arm got. Also it wasn’t convenient to unplug it every time I needed to clean it. For me it’s just easier to take off the cup and clean it.

 

[crs751]

This is great information. I appreciate the time you guys took to respond. Regarding the gunk on the scraper, I thought I saw in a post somewhere that someone added a spray nozzle over the cup that periodically dumped water over the scraper to clean it. Could be my imagination but I wonder if this would solve the issue raised?

 

[Gablami]

This is great information. I appreciate the time you guys took to respond. Regarding the gunk on the scraper, I thought I saw in a post somewhere that someone added a spray nozzle over the cup that periodically dumped water over the scraper to clean it. Could be my imagination but I wonder if this would solve the issue raised?

No, the aquadriver has a built in spray nozzle. It's a high end product. It didn't prevent the gunk from building up. I feel like neck cleaners are a product marketed to do something that doesn't actually make a difference in skimming. Just another way to buy gear that makes a feel better about not cleaning our skimmer cups, but actually don't do much.

Maybe @BRS needs to do an experiment. Three identical system, with only skimmer as filtration, feed a cube a day, measure nutrient levels weekly after break in time. One skimmer with a neck cleaner that is never cleaned, one with NO neck cleaner that is never cleaned, and one with NO neck cleaner that is cleaned weekly. So you have your positive and negative controls, and your experimental group (neck cleaner).