berlin skimmer mods
- Thread starter rope33
- Start date
fat-tony
Active member
Berlin needlewheel
A 3/4" MPT into the skimmer, 1x45º, 1x90º and I epoxied a 3/4x1" bushing onto the pump outlet to make it mate up. It's an octo nw pump i got from diyreef a while back. NOt the prettiest thing in the world, but it works fairly well as a rig job for playing
A 3/4" MPT into the skimmer, 1x45º, 1x90º and I epoxied a 3/4x1" bushing onto the pump outlet to make it mate up. It's an octo nw pump i got from diyreef a while back. NOt the prettiest thing in the world, but it works fairly well as a rig job for playing
FirstContact
Active member
Hello rope33,
Yes, there are several things you can do to improve performance:
1) get the most expensive and most powerful needle wheel pump
with a venturi for air tubing
2) cap the factory air tubing
3) remove the factory venturi cone
4) cap the two pointy things at the top ( I used 1/4" air tubing
with plastic micro valves in the closed position)
Mine works pretty good now. Not saying it works like a $600 skimmer, but it pulls out a decent amount of skimmate. Performance is pretty awesome as compared to before. Currently, I'm trying mods on the length of air line tubing to my venturi. I also tried different modifications inside the cylinger with different pvc attachments (tees and 45 degree elbow) and inner cylinder heights. Haven't found an efficient alternative to the factory provided inner cylinder. Plan on testing some homemade bubble plates out of plastic coffee containers before trying more expensive acrylic bubble plate mods. All of this is more of a learning experience for me to know why things work the way they do. Plus, it's fun. This is a hobby! As far as my next skimmer, I'm looking at Reeflo, the new Warner Marine cone skimmers coming out in the spring, and ETSS. Of course, if money were no object, I'd get one of the above yesterday! The Berlin is a quality cylindrical piece of acrylic tubing. Seems like a lot of other options aren't. This was the best I felt I could afford when I entered the hobby a couple of years ago, and I needed something that was HOB at the time. I currently have it plumbed externally from my sump.
Good Luck!
All the Best,
FirstContact :rollface:
Yes, there are several things you can do to improve performance:
1) get the most expensive and most powerful needle wheel pump
with a venturi for air tubing
2) cap the factory air tubing
3) remove the factory venturi cone
4) cap the two pointy things at the top ( I used 1/4" air tubing
with plastic micro valves in the closed position)
Mine works pretty good now. Not saying it works like a $600 skimmer, but it pulls out a decent amount of skimmate. Performance is pretty awesome as compared to before. Currently, I'm trying mods on the length of air line tubing to my venturi. I also tried different modifications inside the cylinger with different pvc attachments (tees and 45 degree elbow) and inner cylinder heights. Haven't found an efficient alternative to the factory provided inner cylinder. Plan on testing some homemade bubble plates out of plastic coffee containers before trying more expensive acrylic bubble plate mods. All of this is more of a learning experience for me to know why things work the way they do. Plus, it's fun. This is a hobby! As far as my next skimmer, I'm looking at Reeflo, the new Warner Marine cone skimmers coming out in the spring, and ETSS. Of course, if money were no object, I'd get one of the above yesterday! The Berlin is a quality cylindrical piece of acrylic tubing. Seems like a lot of other options aren't. This was the best I felt I could afford when I entered the hobby a couple of years ago, and I needed something that was HOB at the time. I currently have it plumbed externally from my sump.
Good Luck!
All the Best,
FirstContact :rollface:
FirstContact
Active member
Holy Cow dngspot,
That is inventive!
Thanks for posting. :rollface:
That is inventive!
Thanks for posting. :rollface:
