DIY Red Dragon Pumps, gathering ideas.
- Thread starter hahnmeister
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hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Yes, the Euroreef RS 250 uses one and does just over 1000lph with a needlewheel. The 4100 does about the same though, and with a meshmod it does well over 1000lph (42scfh I think?), which makes it a better candidate for modding than the 6000. The 6000 is a large pump (1200gph?) with alot of watts and heat.
Just to clarify, these pumps are doing well over 1000lph (2-3x the air output, even at 30" of depth with the same wattage as a Gen-X 6000), if not 2000 and 3000lph, I was just joking because Klaus said that the ceramic shafts werent enough: that over 1000lph the ceramic shafts arent strong enough. Well... so far, so good... although we dont have any long term tests.
Prugs, you should put a 5000 on your bottle skimmer and see it blow the top off!!! The pump is only about $100 in the end (5000 on sale at azponds.com, then get the newer impeller).
The only drawback of these pumps is that they arent threaded or anything for hard-plumbing. Maybe Askoll could be convinced to make the inlets/outlets threaded for external use though...
Just to clarify, these pumps are doing well over 1000lph (2-3x the air output, even at 30" of depth with the same wattage as a Gen-X 6000), if not 2000 and 3000lph, I was just joking because Klaus said that the ceramic shafts werent enough: that over 1000lph the ceramic shafts arent strong enough. Well... so far, so good... although we dont have any long term tests.
Prugs, you should put a 5000 on your bottle skimmer and see it blow the top off!!! The pump is only about $100 in the end (5000 on sale at azponds.com, then get the newer impeller).
The only drawback of these pumps is that they arent threaded or anything for hard-plumbing. Maybe Askoll could be convinced to make the inlets/outlets threaded for external use though...
Wel the laguna's are still pretty turbulent. As for the sicci's getting 2 parts air to 1 part of water, I think i see the opposite here. I would be willing to bet the laguna's atleast the way i am testing are impressive but i think still are getting too much water in. I would say 2 oparts water to 1 part air. JMO
Someone will have to test with a flow meter. I will have to hunt one down. Any recomendations?
Someone will have to test with a flow meter. I will have to hunt one down. Any recomendations?
RichConley
New member
I've got a NW 200 running a hacked OTP 3000 pulling 45scfh. The thing is damn near unusable at this point.
You're gonna need to do some serious modification to the neck.
If youre sicci, LOL
Its just a slower flow is desired because the amt of water being pushed would make it need a huge skimmer body and neck. Now if you used a 3 foot tall beckett skimmer and removed the beckett
I think it will be better suited match up.
The 5000 is pretty turbulent in a 25 gallon garbage can, Let alone in a 3-5 gallon skimmer.
Its just a slower flow is desired because the amt of water being pushed would make it need a huge skimmer body and neck. Now if you used a 3 foot tall beckett skimmer and removed the beckett
I think it will be better suited match up.The 5000 is pretty turbulent in a 25 gallon garbage can, Let alone in a 3-5 gallon skimmer.
RichConley
New member
Stile, dialing back the output would lower both air and water intake. Modifications to the ratio really need to be done at the intake side.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Stile2, you are 100% correct. The bubble plate wasnt invented as a way to further increase the performance, but rather as a way to deal with all the turbulence that such a large pump would have with such a short and fat body like a BK. Just another example of taking two steps back in the design process to get better performance. Kinda funny.
Oh, and the Sicce pump does 1500lph of water for every 1000lph of air. Its a 2:3 ratio, not 2:1 or something like that.
Oh, and the Sicce pump does 1500lph of water for every 1000lph of air. Its a 2:3 ratio, not 2:1 or something like that.
Rich: I have a modified OTP-3000 pulling 45 scfh running on my NW-200 right now. It is a lot of air, but definitely not too much, the skimmer works incredible and there is almost no turbulence in the body. Maybe I have mine flowing less water than you do (not sure how to measure that)? I didn't do anything to the neck except grind it out a tiny bit (I could grind a good bit more). I also extended the body by about 6" and recirc modded it.
If I can get a bit more air with less watts and a more durable pump I am happy. I think that I'll be able to get the air/water ratio up by creating a venturi that is restrictive to water flow but very free in air flow. I may lose some air flow in terms of raw numbers, but in my application it will be worth it.
To start I'll use the venturi I made for my OTP-3000 with the 1/2" narrow section.
If I can get a bit more air with less watts and a more durable pump I am happy. I think that I'll be able to get the air/water ratio up by creating a venturi that is restrictive to water flow but very free in air flow. I may lose some air flow in terms of raw numbers, but in my application it will be worth it.
To start I'll use the venturi I made for my OTP-3000 with the 1/2" narrow section.
Klaus Jansen
.Registered Member
...Good skimmers = less waterflow ?? ?... 1500 liter/h pulling the skimmerpump ? Better 1000 Liter/h or only 500 Liter/h ? Good skimmers have a high waterflow, many airintake and less energyconsuption and no turbulences.... good ratio is 1:1
regards.. Klaus
regards.. Klaus
RichConley
New member
Kroe, its got nothing to do with the body, and everything to do with having to set the water level well below the start of the neck. That makes it extremely hard to adjust the skimmer.
Rich: My water level is about 1/2" below where the cone part of the neck starts. Skimmer requires less adjustment now with loads of air.
Klaus: I want less water flow because I don't want my skimmer body to be turbulent. The 5000 is overkill for the skimmer body I am using it on, so I would gladly take less water flow (which may result in less air) to get a higher air/water ratio. I want about 60 scfh of air with as little water flow as possible. I think this pump is capable of more than that.
Klaus: I want less water flow because I don't want my skimmer body to be turbulent. The 5000 is overkill for the skimmer body I am using it on, so I would gladly take less water flow (which may result in less air) to get a higher air/water ratio. I want about 60 scfh of air with as little water flow as possible. I think this pump is capable of more than that.
RichConley
New member
thats about where mine is set kroe, maybe a little lower. Now that I think about it, its probably a little easier to adjust now that I'm adjusting on the flat surface of the body... when i was getting 35-40, and had to adjust along the cone, that was horriffic.
I still think the neck is way too small though.
I still think the neck is way too small though.
GTR
Active member
I wouldn't call it strickly a problem of air intake but more of a issue of how the water is entering the pump intake and so effecting the venturi.
That's an adjustable feature on the RD since IMO not each and every pump will run the exact same way. Very small adjustments on the RD will make a considerable difference in the "look" of the foam head with cup removed.
Any change in that input adjustment seems to change the amount of water but not air. Any incorrect adjustment on the BK's RD can make you think somebody took your bubble plate out.
SteveU
That's an adjustable feature on the RD since IMO not each and every pump will run the exact same way. Very small adjustments on the RD will make a considerable difference in the "look" of the foam head with cup removed.
Any change in that input adjustment seems to change the amount of water but not air. Any incorrect adjustment on the BK's RD can make you think somebody took your bubble plate out.
SteveU
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