ETSS Skimmer Club!

[reef_only]

I have not seen thread on this and thought of created one. This is only skimmer I've been using and mine is similar to below. I also have a spare ETSS reef devil deluxe skimmer in case there is need. I have a feeling that not many people like ETSS skimmer, but I know there are still people using those. For me I like it because it does its job and has externally small footprint. How about yours? please share your experiences whether you like it or not.

 

[saveafish]

Well most dont like them due to the amount of electricty they use. I use a spray injected, becketts, and downdrafts. But I have a couple why's. One these type of skimmers or made for big tanks. and downdrafts, spray injected, becketts are proven to remove phos. It is like this to me if you want to save gas drive a geo metro. If you want to get there fast and win drive a AAA dragister.
A lot want to run their tanks with little electric cost. Though this is life support. and life support is not cheap..

 

[scooter86]

been using a 900 for 2.5 years and like it very much. I use an Iwaki 55 to power it. Can't compare to any others, since this is the only skimmer I have ever had.

 

[ksfa10]

ETSS

ETSS

On the job for 3 years.

 

[ReefEnabler]

My ETSS 800 XR

thats a bit of an older pic, its now hooked up to the waste collector.

Theres nothing in my tank yet so nothing to skim, so I'm not sure about its performance. My system is around ~350g, and the skimmer is fed by an Iwaki 55.

I put a filter sock on the outlet, but it seems microbubbles are still shooting out backwards out of the sock.

This was not my original skimmer of course (got it by accident, due to a company going bankrupt and losing my correct skimmer), but I am going to give it a chance to break in and see how it works.

Ryan

 

[reef_only]

It should be able to handle your 350G system. You only need to tune up to give the right amount of waste. About your skimmer intake, looks like it got modified. Did you do it on purpose to fit in your sump? it doesn't seem to be balanced of water comming in between the 2 bio-ball chammbers. This seems to reduce the effective of the bio-balls somewhat like having 1.5 of column of bio-balls instead of fully 2 column IMO.

 

[ReefEnabler]

do you mean how the skimmer inlet is off to the left, rather than centered between the towers?

I noticed this too, it looks different from what is on the AEtech website, but that is how I got it.

the only thing I changed was removed the 1" hose barb and replaced with a male thread adapter.

I also had to replace the barb on the waste collection cup, since it was poorly installed too close to the riser and my hose was getting a kink, shutting off the airflow.

 

[reef_only]

Yes it is off to the left. If you didn't modify it for some reason, then you can easily change it back to the original, as in the original pictures, by using 6 elbow(3 on left and 3 on right) and 1 Tee connectors in the back.

 

[ReefEnabler]

you think its really worth it? if AETech is making them that way then it must work ok.

 

[jdieck]

I have been using a 1500 in my system for 7 years, I would not change it for anything else. They are simple, strong, easy to clean and very very low maintenance. If I wanted to switch for a needle wheel one, at this capacity I have calculated that the power used by the many recirculation pumps equals the one single HP pump I am using not counting on the maintenance nightmere of taking care of four needlewheels.
I have never had a needlewheel based one but people who own needlewheels and have seen mine in operations say they whish they had a downdraft.

 

[reef_only]

I don't know if it worth it as this skimmer can produce almost any amount of skimmate you want anyway. I still think it is after market modification but I could be wrong too.

 

[ReefEnabler]

I thought so too but I have seen alot of images from online vendors that are identical to mine:

 

[reef_only]

oh ic. I didn't see it before. Let us know your experience when have it up and running. Most people who have used these skimmers like them, most of people who don't like these skimmers have never used them.

 

[jimroth]

I'm in the process of setting up my custom 220G reef, and I'm using an ETSS1000 I bought from somebody who never set it up. It's the original design, but I got a new inlet (sprayer?) for it from ETSS.
My impression is that it's powerful but tricky to adjust. I managed to get around 10G of saltwater onto the garage floor during the break-in period. (I made a home made waste-collector from a bucket, but the skimmer overwhelmed my shut-off valve!) Now I "get it" a little more and I am generating consistent dry foam. Reading the instructions helped.
I am running a used Iwaki 100RLT as the pump, and I have control valves on the pump output, the air inlet, and of course the skimmer drain.
This skimmer has something of a bad rep in my club, I'm the fourth owner! The original owner said it "batch skims," ie, it will produce nothing for days and then suddenly crank out a quart of dark skimmate, has anyone else found that?
I'm trying to build a better waste collector, failing that I will buy one.

 

[ReefEnabler]

I find that also.

When I very first added water and salt to my 220/400 system, I fired up my ETSS 800.

Instantly it built a full head of foam (not really fine bubbles or anything, just foam with lots of large bubbles, some small). It skimmed about a quart of greyish liquid that was mostly just filled with dust, hair etc. Must have been all the dust that was collecting in the 6 tanks that are on my plumbing loop. Thats alot of surface area.


but since then it hasn't skimmed anything, it won't even build bubbles anymore. I have liverock in the sump and I've been adding cyclopeeze every day and so far nothing.

my water is probably just too clean, or the load I have is way to small for 400g. No living animals in the system yet besides some liverock. Still waiting on other things to progress first.


but I definitely get the impression that this skimmer has to reach "critical mass" before it even starts working.

 

[ReefEnabler]

and I am having the hardest time getting the collection cup waste-line to be a downward slope to the waste collector.

I have my skimmer raised ~4" off the ground, but even so the waste outlet is only about 1" higher than the inlet of the waste collector.

The waste tube runs about 30" horizontal and 1" vertical.

I spent about 45 minutes with a heat gun trying to form the tube to be a nice slope, but it always goes back to sticking up too much..

its because I couldn't find the Small waste collector like I wanted. So I had to get the large one and I hate it. I am thinking of cutting the waste collector thing in half and regluing it together so I can have a proper downward slope on the waste line.

 

[jimroth]

Mine is on the top of a bench, but it's so tall I had to make a little cockpit for it to sit in, or it wouldn't clear the ceiling!.
You might try the more fleixble clear vinyl tubing. I have the stiffer "pond tubing" and it twists the fitting on the collection cup, causing leaks. I think since it's a low-pressure hose, anything that will pass the air output should be OK. So I'm switching it.

 

[barfish]

i have an etss 750 evolution that i bought used to put on my 210 that i am currently putting together. I have an iwaki 30rlxt, and a blueline 40 for pumps. will either one of these work or do i have to go with the iwaki 40 or 55. Any advice or tips on hook up. I may run the etss external and then a euro reef internal.kind of a fast skim slow skim thing.does this make any sense?

 

[ReefEnabler]

Jimroth...

I tried that first actually, and the flexible vinyl didn't work either. the pipe sagged on the horizontal slope, its too soft to keep a real form.

also, I had to replace the crappy barb fitting that my skimmer came with. I cannot believe the skimmer came like this. It was unusable so I had to replace that fitting with a JG style fitting, and then sand it down to fit:

Before (stock retail):

Notice the tube is kinked because they didn't think to leave enough space for the pipe.

My mod:

heres the JG fitting before sanding down to fit. notice height difference:

Unfortuantely its the only fitting I could make work, and flexible tubing does not work well with JG. It is possible to get the tubing to seal, but often it just kinks up inside the fitting without getting into the o-ring.

 

[jimroth]

I switched to a grey barb fitting from home depot. The threaded end still fits but the barb is skinnier and fits 5/8" black tubing. It's a little better now.