AquaC CLUB!

[Rickyrooz1]

Do you have pics on how to set up the needle valve?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14293845#post14293845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CaptainCoral
Hello all my fellow AquaC users.

I haven't posted in the thread in a while, but I'm still a member and wanted to share my updates.

Some time ago, I added a 4.75" extension to the foam tower of my ev180 which resulted in it's needing a mag12 to run, kind of defeating my reasoning for modifying the skimmer. I was looking for maximum performance with less air valve sensitivity with the use of a mag9.
The skimmer spent some time in my closet after that and my ev400 was used during that time.

Having missed the difference in noise between the two (aquarium is in my bedroom), I adjusted the height of the foam tower on the ev180 again. The foam tower is now 6" high.

I'm also still using the needle valve. It's been so much nicer and easier to dial in and the level of precision is impossible without it.

I also have the mag9 on a very short hose direct to the injector. This caused the water line to be too high, even with the gate removed from the exit pipe. I made my own exit plumbing which I can turn up or down and drop the water line in the box even with the plumbing overloaded.

 

[gman107]

ackee......where are those pictures? that sounds like a good idea

 

[CaptainCoral]

Rickyrooz1....
I don't think I have a better picture of how to set up the needle valve. There is a version of the same valve with a John Guest fitting which is a better buy for anyone wanting to try it out. I don't remember the sizes now, but but it's the largest one they have. It still isn't large enough to be used alone, so It would still have to be set up like the pic above.

FWIW, All my tanks are running skimmerless for the summer months. I'm using refugiums and turf scrubbers both (just the 180, refuge only on the others) which are doing a fantastic job and may not need the skimmers unless an emergency pops up. (like the massive spawning of corals which occured last month in my 75 gallon tank)

I'll still pop in every now and then to follow the thread and I still consider myself in "the club"!


edit....
FWIW, that pic above looks more confusing than it really is. I just have a "T" fitting before the valves, with the original on one end and the needle on the other. All the other hoses above that just serve to join the two lines again so that I could attach it all to the 3/4" flex pvc tubing which was bringing in fresh air from outside.

 

[MatthewLaw]

i just put a mag 9.5 onto by aqua c ev120 with a ball valve and it is doing extremely well.

my water level is at the bottom of the foam tower and after about a week the wall's of the foam tower itself are getting dirty with fish poo too.

the collection cup has a pipe to allow skimate to drain out of it once it reaches a certain level. does anyone know where I can purchase the aqua c separate skimate collection cup for that excess wet skim? at this point i have a pvc tube that drains to a bucket.

 

[gman107]

how are peoples 180's working out? i run an eheim 1262 on my 180 and was wondering if i should upgrade the injector ?what do you guys think?

 

[jtma508]

I've been running a 180 with a Mag 9.5 for about 18mos. It's been stable and certainly does the job No complaints here at all.

 

[gman107]

mines working good but as usual i would like to see more performance from this and if the injector would boost it then i would do it.

 

[ROBLOW]

What is that clear thing in the fiting?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9806377#post9806377 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wuelfman
I just got a reducer out of PVC pipe 3/4 threaded on one side 1 inch slip on the other side any osh ,homedepot or lowes will carry it its a basic part. the 3/4 threaded goes right in where your injector goes on the box. i took the plastic part off the injector and sanded the inside of the pvc and glued it in.
I have to say I just now feel that the skimmer is working up to its full potenial.it has been a work in progress.
here is a picture. the clear part is what i took out andd glued in the pvc pipe. i had 2 extra

 

[Wheel of Time]

I have the EV-400 and have had a real hard time fine-tuning it to skim consistently. I run it on the iwaki md55-rlt. Well, I just switched back from the 1" fitting to the old 3/4" and PRESTO. It works like a GEM!!! Cant quite figure it out why -- but boy am I glad I went back. I now have to choke back the air 1/4 to 1/3. Awesome!

In this shot I cleaned the skimmer before bed -- and woke up to this nice skimmate:
http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx351/Miller0530/IMG_3118.jpg

 

[MatthewLaw]

Wheel of Time- is that ALL foam in the middle chamber? Also how often do you need to clean the middle chambe? I find with my ev-120 the gunk accumulates at the top of the middle chamber and i need to clean it out or a lot less foam gets to the top of the chamber and into the collection cup.

 

[Wheel of Time]

Yeah, I have the same problem with the gunk. have to clean it every few days -- usually 3 days or else performance slips.

That is all foam in the middle. Ive played a lot with water levels amd having it comer to the top of the black box to slightly in the tower gets the best foaming head and tower for me. I want no turbulence in the clear middle-- if I see that I know the water is too high. It is now in set-it-an-fogret-it mode. niw I only change the blue knob for air.

 

[plugpitch]

it must be those 5 lb weights on top of the skimmer that makes it works so much better!

 

[Wheel of Time]

LOL. Yeah, that is my mad scientist idea of making sure the seal is tight!

 

[Matthewe]

ev-180 mod

ev-180 mod

For a year my ev-180 has been lackluster using the recommended mag 7. Finally I upgraded to a mag 9.5 with a flow restricting ball value on prior to the water getting to my ev-180. I have it attached to 3/4 pipe with a one inch ball valve and a one inch injector from Steve. I did this mod today. The foam is at the top at all times. I have tweaked the entrance ball valve and waited several times. It isn't dialed in, yet. Its nice to see the skimmer working so well. I'd guess the ball valve is restricting 20% right now. I wish I did this a long time ago. I am eager to see how this goes over the next few days. Previously, I would get 1/4 cup of dark skimmate a week if I am lucky out of my 125 gal mixed reef tank that I have. I recommend upgrading to the 9.5 with a ball valve. I tried without it and it would flood the skimmer immediately. Never saw that with the mag 7. The project took only one hour. The recommended mag 7 is too weak. Just my 0.02.

Matt

 

[gibson981]

Why does Tom Neely have that white T on the output? Also, someone mentioned taking the clear plastic thing out of the injector. Why? Also, on my EV 180 should I put in a bigger injector and remove the plastic thing? I do run a Mag 9.5 with a ball valve between it and the skimmer.

 

[gman107]

the clear plastic thing is what makes this skimmer work . thats the injector and the black fitting is just the housing for it

 

[Wheel of Time]

Mathewe, nice job getting it to work. It takes a while to get these skimmers dialed in, but when they are -- the aqua-c is a champ.

gibson981 -- I have a similar Tee on the output... these skimmers wont work well if there is any backpressure on the output. The Tee will reduce backpresssure plus if you have another pipe going down into the sumps water and then drill an end cap with a few holes it works like a Durso to reduce noise. It is a nice mod to do. Very easy.

 

[rsaha]

Thanks for all the information

Thanks for all the information

Hi,

I've read a bunch of this thread and hope that I too can get my EV-120 to perform.

Last night I cleaned out the injector (I was wise to salt in the airvalve at least) and gave the whole thing a vinegar bath. I replaced the impeller in my Mag 5 with the Mag 7 impeller (I have read on RC that this turns a 5 into a 7) and set everything up this morning. Water level is right to the top of the black box and air is choked back to around 1/3. I am hoping to see some decent skimmate when I get home tonight.

I have a few questions about the water diverting (noise reducing) rig on page 34 of this thread.

Is the outlet valve on the EV-120 the same size as the EV-180? I am concerned that with the stronger pump if I thread something into the outlet valve it will reduce flow to the point that I get my water level above the black box. I suppose I could throttle back the pump but that seems counter productive.

What is the point of the threaded cap with the hole drilled in it (why threaded)?

If you could get a 1.5" male slip to 1" male threaded would this work in conjunction with the T (i.e. only two pieces plus the cap)?

I also saw that somebody just slipped a big T over their outlet. What size would that be.

Again thanks to everyone for making this thread a great (long) read.

 

[arredondojason]

double posted my bad:uzi:

 

[arredondojason]

i have a aquac EV 240 and am running a Mag 18 pump on it and it has a 1" inlet. i am deployed right now and set my tank up like 7 months ago when i went home for 2 weeks the lights are off right now with nothing in the tank i adjusted it as the instructions said and my wife said after a week it pulled gunk out like crazy and now it is not doing that much at all just wondering if i am thinking right. I am thinking it pulled everything it could then just eased down and there is not really anything left in the water to pull out.
am i right in this thinking or dead wrong?