Buy a pump or splurge on a new skimmer?

[Dave VG]

Ok folks my fully modded ASM 2 skimmer has been down sense just before I tore down the 90. The pump fried. So sense I set up the 40B I have been using a corellife 125 which is very hard to adjust and just kind of sucks in general. So heres my dilemma"¦ do I buy a new pump at $100 dollars or just splurge and put another $100 or so with that and get a new skimmer altogether. Any advice from you guys would be greatly appreciated. Really liked it and it skimmed like crazy. It will reside in my 40B sump so room is no problem.

 

[reefboarder]

I was faced with a similar situation and ended up with thisssss!

Sent from the 4.

 

[Dave VG]

What model is that rb?

 

[reefboarder]

Nwb250 it is a monster and pics just don't do it any justice, it pulls some serious skimmate but it's a bit over your original quoted budget if this helps this pic is in a standard 48x14x18 55 gallon tank turned sump

Sent from the 4.

 

[reefboarder]

wow that iphone post got all whacky^^^

 

[Dave VG]

wow that iphone post got all whacky^^^

Thats ok it gives a good visual of the size. And no budget really just thew a number out there. If I were buying for a bigger setup I would definitly think about this skimmer but maybe the same model just a size or two down.

 

[reefboarder]

I was just saying it was a bit more than you had originally said, not a suggestion about your budget just to keep the air clear. I noticed how it came across after the option to edit was gone. But yeah the skimmer Is huge I was almost ready to send it back for a smaller model just because I didn't realize how huge it was going to be. I had to redesign my whole sump on the fly just to get it in there. The return pump is in the same chamber as the skimmer and that happens to be on the side after the bubble traps, so now occasionally I have some microbubbles but I've moved the skimmer as far away from my return as possible, and pointed the skimmer discharge away from it as well.


Sent from the 4.

 

[Dave VG]

No problem RB it’s all good. I am surprised that there are 92 views and so little input though. Thanks for yours appreciate it.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

every system is different

every system is different

more info needed on this system in order to give any meaningful advice

how often and what percentage water changes do you regularly perform?

if the main pump on my system died I would slap my skimmer pump on it and run skimmerless until I could get a (main) replacement pump.

in other system's, running a skimmer might be more important than running a main pump... it all depends.

generally speaking, IMO it's important to have good independent pumps for both skimmer and mains

 

[Dave VG]

Thanks for the reply Gary hope all is going well for you. The pump that burned out was the ASM skimmer pump not the main system pump that's why I had to resort to using the sucky corellife 125 skimmer when I set up the 40B. Never could get it dialed in. So today I tried to rig up a Quiet One 4000 to the ASM but it did not perform any where near as good as the needle wheel sedra pump that originally came with it. Tried to mod the Quiet One with enkamat but wouldn't stay running with it attached to the impeller. So I have decided to buy a new pump being there is absolutely nothing wrong with the rest of the skimmer and besides before the pump went it was a skimming beast with the gate and enkamat mod. I un-modded the pump and left the ASM in the sump as it still out performs the corellife 125 at this point.

 

[tmz]

I've heard only good reports about the octopus skimmers . However, I've been using two asms:a 4xx and a 4x for over 5 years;replaced 1 impeller. I guess my sedra pumps are runing on overtime. . They do a great job, unmoded ,even with vodka and vinegar dosing. Pull out lot's of stuff. Personally ,since I'm old, I don't like to discard old useful things; so, I'd get the pump

 

[Dave VG]

Personally ,since I'm old, I don't like to discard old useful things; so, I'd get the pump

^^^^^Tom you sound like me or I sound like you lol and thats just what I plan to do new pump^^^^^.

My pump fried because of the lack of maintenance on my part. Was dosing lime water and got lazy and let it go for awhile without cleaning it"¦ bang seized. I to have heard good things about octopus skimmers but just reluctant to shell out that much money as now I'm thinking about changing things up and switching to two part dosing eliminating that problem in the future thus my other post on aqua lifters. If you have any info on aqua lifters please post it there good or bad would love to hear it. So between getting things to start two part and upgrading a few other things I think I'm going to spend a buck or three. So RB I officially put myself on a budget but most likely will blow it lol. Usually do.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Loved my ASM. I would have kept it if I was doing another basement sump. If you can get a new pump and get the G2 running again, on the cheap, that gets my vote.

 

[Dave VG]

Thanks for the input Capt. Thats the way I'm heading at this point.

 

[Capt_Cully]

This hobby is too expensive already. There's so much to keeping a quality aquarium, most notably, due diligence, which is FREE. A quality skimmer is just part of the equation. If you've got a quality one already, which I would call the G2, no need to spend more IMO.

BUT, if you've got some fetty burnin' a hole in yer pocket, I'm accepting donations for my light bulb fund

 

[Dave VG]

This hobby is too expensive already. There's so much to keeping a quality aquarium, most notably, due diligence, which is FREE. A quality skimmer is just part of the equation. If you've got a quality one already, which I would call the G2, no need to spend more IMO.

I hear yea cully and I'm bad at maintenance like water changes cleaning etc. That's why I'm changing over skimmers and getting away from kalk to hopefully help prolong time between maintenance and the skimmer to compensate for lack of water changes. Now keep in mind I have one fish so very little bio load. And for those about to come down on me for it I know I know water changes are essential to keeping a good healthy reef.

BUT, if you've got some fetty burnin' a hole in yer pocket, I'm accepting donations for my light bulb fund

Yea ok thats on my list as well so tapped out sorry. Had to go back to the 175 10K yuck. But thats another post soon.

 

[tmz]

I have several aqua lifters. I used them with so called continuous siphon overflows years ago. The marketing neglected to note the overflow would be over the side of the tank. After mopping the basement floor a few times, those overflows found an appropriate home in a can by the side of the road. I did find a use for one as a floss holder used in lanthanum chloride dosing.
The pumps are fine and useful for moving small amounts of water such as for a seahorse fry set up. I'm not sure how constant /predictable the flow rate is or whether they will hold up with kalk dosing. Seems a multi position timer or shut off valve would be needed in that application.

There are a number of posts from folks using them with kalk on the reef chemistry forum and a quick search under aqualifter will give you plenty to read.

Here is one:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1928321&highlight=aqualifter

 

[Dave VG]

Thanks Tom I was going to do a search but being that things are so slow as of late around here figured I would liven it up with a few posts.

 

[Dave VG]

Well ordered the new pump and some O rings. Stoked to get the Quiet One off and get the Sedra on and get this beast back up to snuff.