seaclone skimmer question

[fish_gurl]

Hey all.....

I am using the sea clone skimmer (100) I know its not the best skimmer out there, but it does the job on my 23 gal.

I am wondering... there is a sponge like thing covering the water intake. It is really unsightly and seems to get algea growing off of it quite frequently. Would it be a problem if i took the sponge thingy off? will it work better or effect the performance negatively? or is it there for a specific reason?
any help will do,
thanks in advance,
Ruth

[kgolem]

Remove the sponge, it will become a nutrient trap.

Here is a list of Modifications for you Seaclone...

seaclone_modifications (http://www.reefcentral.com/diy/seaclone_modifications.htm)

If you have a newer model Seaclone, a lot of the modifications are already done, such as shortening the inner tube.

Probably the best mod is to replace the air injector with a proper venturi that works reliably and allows more air in.

[Eric c]

nice link. i'm going to try it out on my seaclone 150 as my 100 works much better than my 150

[Grey Legion]

I have a Jebo 180 ( same thing ) and took the sponge off the intake, I actually modded it to go on the output to stop almost 99% of the bubbles that used to drive me crazy. I have done a few other mods to the skimmer and find it actually to do a pretty good job for a $50.00 skimmer.