etss reef devil deluxe

joncat24

Member
I am considering ordering one of the reef devil deluxes for my 180. The new models now come with a ca2200 pump and have a 20% increase in power and bigger downdraft tower....any opinions welcome. by the way comes with pump for $289 shipped
 
I have an etss 800 dual draft and have never been able to get it to skim wet. I've tinkered with it endlessly, asked for advice and put a larger pump on it and I am still not happy with it.
I would look at a needle wheel recirculating skimmer. That's what I will buy next when I to a major system move.
 
i know a guy with an 800 and it skims like crazy...one of the reasons I wanted to get one. I cant find anything in that price range any better that I can see. I have a ss 220 now , and it just is not up to the task.
 
I have older reef delvil and love it. Just adjust 1/4 turn to get the foam higher in the colum to get a weter skimate. It may take a few adjustments to get it the way you want it but then you will never have to touch again. They do like to be kept clean though.
I can adjust mine to a wet or very dry skimate.
Highly recomend it for the price, the efficiency and performance.
 
I purchased a Reef Devil Deluxe appx. 4 weeks ago. I must say that it took 2 weeks to break-in (expected time) but man it is pulling some serious (smelly) crap out of the water now. I will be picking up a new refugium from them (A&E Tech) in this morning (6 hrs. from now). I don't have any experience with the others but I am satisfied...

Peace
 
Thats the thing with ETSS downdraft skimmers no matter wich model and pump size. They pull out the darkest ,smelliest crap out of the water than any skimmer I have seen in action. My local fish store has multiple tanks with different skimmers, aqua c, a few diff needle wheels( kent, euro reef). Those other skimmers work good and pull more of a tea color out , but the ETSS all pull out a black smelly crap that would choke a Komoto dragon.
The needle wheels are the rage now, but I dont need any other skimmer than my ETSS reef devil!
 
Well I guess I should be happy with my dry incrusting skimmate. I can get very little wet skimmate, its all or nothing, either overflowing the collection container or just encrusting the collection cup. I've had it for 18 months and I'am still trying to dial it in. I took out some bioballs on someone's suggestion and waiting to see the results. I wish I could get one of you over to adjust it for me. Maybe I'm just dense.
 
pfish the guys at A&E Tech are really helpful. Give them a call. That skimmer is to good not to be working right. The phone number is 845-838-9044. I have not called in a while but that the # I have.
 
I'm running a pan world 200ps. I've talked to the AE people and I've always felt that they gave me short shift. I feel like they think I should be happy with the performance I'm getting, dry foam and little or no skimmate. They have never suggested I remove or alter the bioball arrangement in any way and they insist that the gate valve is best wide open. I've just begun to alter the amount of bioballs and am hoping this will allow me to get a wetter and darker skimmate, but my patience is about out and maybe selling this skimmer that has been highly recommend here for a very reasonable price.
I appreiciate any suggetion for better performace.
Thank you
 
I dont know much about that pump. I know the recomended pumps or pump flows in the ETSS users manual for the 800 are 5 MDQ-SC by little giant, 55RLT Iwaki, Gen-X and MAK 4. I have a MAK 4 and is one of my all time favorite external pumps. All these pumps have serious flow rates.

Try setting it with water level in the skimmer 1-2 inches above the black sump box in the neck. Do this by closing the drain valve on the skimmer until it's at that level.That is what they recomend to start. See how that works for a while. Then from there turn clockwise 1/4 turn (close drain valve 1/4 turn). See how that skimms for a day. I would do this until you get the skimmate you desire. You want the foam in the neck higher for a weter skimmate. Im surprised they told you to keep it open all the way. Is it possible your pump is underpowered?

Give this a try. This would be driving me crazy too! Let us know how you make out. Good luck.
 
Hate to bud in ...but has anyone noticed the posters in favor are from NY????? HMMMMMM. Interesting.

I have a Reef Devil with a mag 7 on it. Had it for about 18 months also. I too can never fill the collection cup. Nothing wet...just dry. Which means no skimmate. I do not constantly adjust....I let it run. I do think it is a good skimmer, but It does not pull out the super nasty sh** smelling stuff. It does work well. Just not as good as I would like it. It on a 65gl mixed reef.

Next skimmer will be needle wheel H&S or Euro or Deltec. Those guys have serious fans. I thought about getting another ETSS, maybe the 800 for my new system.
However when you purchase the $289.00 pump needed to power it, you are still paying Deltec price, so whats the point. yea the skimmer is only $700 but the pump brings it up there!!
 
No problems for me!

No problems for me!

I have an etss 800 dual draft and have never been able to get it to skim wet. I've tinkered with it endlessly, asked for advice and put a larger pump on it and I am still not happy with it.
Yikes never a problem with mine! Never ever-skims the crap out of my 240 sps dominated. wet or dry np.55RLT Iwaki
IMG_2357.jpg
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I do think it is a good skimmer, but It does not pull out the super nasty sh** smelling stuff. It does work well. Just not as good as I would like it. It on a 65gl mixed reef.
I believe its a great skimmer best ive had if u dont mind the extra $ for the pump and electricty. Anyways dialed in theres nothing better-and i've played with needles and beckets just my opinion.
 
Re: No problems for me!

Re: No problems for me!

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9446683#post9446683 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
Yikes never a problem with mine! Never ever-skims the crap out of my 240 sps dominated. wet or dry np.55RLT Iwaki
IMG_2357.jpg
[/IMG]
My skimmer does the same thing....looks nasty and collects mud on the inner cuop and neck, but nothing really in the cup.

Looks awesome, but it probably took it atleast 6-7 to look like that. only thing IMO would be the fact that even in your collection cup........it looks empty.
 
Roger that , nothing in the collection cup. I'm trying my last adjustments before I get rid of this skimmer. Any help would be appreciated. I've removed 2 bioballs from each column and so for I have a wetter skimmate but it is too wet, filling the collection chamber, ( which hold 1/2 gallon ) in a couple of hours . I'm still messing with it and have'nt given up. You have to ask is this really what you are looking for in a skimmer? Still adjusting after a year? I don't think so, there are much better skimmers out there.
The pump I'm using is well over rated for the skimmer and is throttled way back. The ilwaki 70 rlt that was recommended was wide open and allowed no adjustment.
I just can't recommend this skimmer.
 
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And Yes , I live in New York.
 
Re: etss reef devil deluxe

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9429458#post9429458 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joncat24
I am considering ordering one of the reef devil deluxes for my 180. The new models now come with a ca2200 pump and have a 20% increase in power and bigger downdraft tower....any opinions welcome. by the way comes with pump for $289 shipped

mkay, first, that skimmer is not big enough for a 180g, i dont care what AEtech says...
second, dont ever EVER run these skimmers with the prescribed catalina pumps, they are utter and complete garbage!!
a mag 7 or mag 9 w/ a valve, or eheim 1262 w/ a valve are waaay better to run this skimmer, better still to use an external iwaki or other high pressure low gph(700-800gph) pump.
third, etss work better if you throttle back the air a bit, it stops the "burping" of larger air bubbles, and decreases the bubble size in general.

fourth, look at other skimmers for your 180g, etss skimmers are mediocre, and dont perform well unless you get the larger models and overpower them, hence costing you much more money than their performance is worth.

if it was me i'd cough up the $500 for a ATI bm200,
uses 20 watts,
injects 1,100 lph of air,
pulls tons of skimmate every day,
super quiet.

just my humble skimmer opinion
 
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