ETSS Skimmer Club!

No offense at all, and I hope I didn't offend you. I just want to make sure people know the best way to run the skimmer, and I'm glad that you agree. I didn't know if the previous user knew because he was taking bio-balls out and running it with improper water line.

My girlfriend doesn't live with me yet so I've had the fortunate to set up this ridiculous arrangement without receiving too much of a beating :lolspin: She has seen the stand but she hasn't heard the 1.5 hp pump yet so we'll see...

I never even thought about the kids adjusting the skimmer :eek1:

I'll post some pics of what I've set up later this week, and I'm sure you will get a kick out of it.
 
Hey everyone,
I've been running an ETSS 1000 for a couple of years now with a Panworld 200PS (1750 GPH). I love the performance of this skimmer but i'll be upgrading from a 180 to a 280 soon and I'm curious as to what difference running a bigger pump, such as a Panworld 250PS or Iwaki 100RLT, would do for performance of this thing. Also, upgrading pumps increases the wattage by another 100 watts or so....how much do ya'll think that'll increase the powerbill/ monthly? I would imagine not too horribly much? I don't care ...i'll pay the added expense but i was just curious to know.
 
I know someone who got the extra riser to make the skimmer a 1500. You could do that. But I'm not sure you need to change anything, to be honest.
 
I just found an Iwaki 100RLT at a good price...but if it's not going to make that big of a difference then i could always spend my money on something more worthwhile. It just seems that another 150- 200 GPH isn't gonna make it or break it. I mean, this sucker skims great...it would be hard to imagine it skimming any better. I originally thought about adding the riser tube to make it a 1500 but i didn't want to ship it to Gary though.
 
I had the 1500 a while back and I liked the skimmer but 150-200 gph isn't going to make a big difference. I think the Iwaki 100 is a 1/3 hp pump. Maybe if you upgraded to a 1/2 hp pump, then you might see a difference.
 
That's what i figured. I'm already running a 1750 GPH pressure rated pump so moving up to a 1900 GPH pressure rated pump didn't make sense...just wanted everyone's opinion on that first though. Thanks everyone for their input!
 
Does anyone know why the bio balls in a downdraft skimmer need to changed yearly? I mean, what advantages would new ones have over the older ones? I just can't see what the difference is in new ones vs. old clean ones.

I tried searching for answer first, but no luck.

Thanks
 
jjk_reef00 said:
I also was confused by that. It's not like the water decomposes the plastic or anything.
Click to expand...
Maybe there is someone out there that knows why. But as far as looking at the old ones, I see no wear and tear at all. The ones that came in my 10+ year old reef devil still look new to me.
I did email Gary at AETech and asked him that same question and also about what pumps he recommends for my old retired skimmer. He said I needed new bio balls and said to give him a call to discuss it. I may call him in a day or two. I don't wanna pay $10 for shipping some bio balls like someone posted earlier. Gary probably has a good reason for changing them, I just can't figure for the life of me what changes them over time :confused:
 
saltydog1 said:
Maybe there is someone out there that knows why. But as far as looking at the old ones, I see no wear and tear at all. The ones that came in my 10+ year old reef devil still look new to me.
I did email Gary at AETech and asked him that same question and also about what pumps he recommends for my old retired skimmer. He said I needed new bio balls and said to give him a call to discuss it. I may call him in a day or two. I don't wanna pay $10 for shipping some bio balls like someone posted earlier. Gary probably has a good reason for changing them, I just can't figure for the life of me what changes them over time :confused:
Click to expand...

Its like water running over rocks in a creek bed,there is erosion that occurs over time and this makes the bio balls not create as much foam as new ones.The balls edges get smoother and cause less turbulence which makes less foam and air intake.I also think the balls get coated with calcium and alkalinity deposits that effect this but this alone is not the factor.I have soaked the old balls in a weak acid and they never work as good as new ones even when very clean
 
jjk_reef00 said:
So do you replace them every year?
And how do you prevent them from getting clogged together?
Click to expand...

I do replace them.i wont say once a year but when the skimmer seems to not be kicking like usual i will change them.that may be 6 or 8 months for my tank.It will vary,for instance,If you use kalk ,they may need replacing more often then a guy that runs a cal rx.The calcium deposits will greatly effect the performance on old balls.
 
rigleautomotive, have you ever had an issue with the bio balls clogging up and reducing performance?

What skimmer do you have?
I had a lot of trouble with my etss 1500. I was using the old style bio-balls. I've heard they have a newer style. I posted a while back about a fix for this...
The only reason I ask is I'm trying to figure out if I can just order new bio-balls from ETSS or if I should go with my pin-style bio balls.
 
Thanks, rigleautomotive. That makes sense. I guess they sorta get polished over time and the naked eye can't see the minute changes. Guess I'll be ordering some more, just don't know whether to buy from AETECH or somewhere else for a better price. Do you get yours from AETECH?

Appreciate the reply!
 
jjk_reef00 said:
rigleautomotive, have you ever had an issue with the bio balls clogging up and reducing performance?

What skimmer do you have?
I had a lot of trouble with my etss 1500. I was using the old style bio-balls. I've heard they have a newer style. I posted a while back about a fix for this...
The only reason I ask is I'm trying to figure out if I can just order new bio-balls from ETSS or if I should go with my pin-style bio balls.
Click to expand...

I have had them get a bit compacted over a long period of time but i really like to clean them at least once a month by shaking them around in a container of real hot water.when i put them in the tower,i try to make sure one lays to one side and the next lays to the other side sort a like a Z pattern as they go up the tower.

I have used the large lee regular bio balls as well as the ones gary sells and have not really seen much of a difference.

I have had a quite a few different models and run a 600 pro and a evoloution 500 currently.

If you are having issues with performance with your skimmer i would just spend the extra couple bucks and get the balls from ETSS.Your skimmer should be able to overskim your tank easily when working properly.They are very under rated compared to some other similar skimmers
 
saltydog1 said:
Thanks, rigleautomotive. That makes sense. I guess they sorta get polished over time and the naked eye can't see the minute changes. Guess I'll be ordering some more, just don't know whether to buy from AETECH or somewhere else for a better price. Do you get yours from AETECH?

Appreciate the reply!
Click to expand...

I really would just spend the extra couple bucks and get the balls from ETSS.Get a large bag and they will last you years.There are balls exactly like the ones ETSS sells out there but for the few bucks extra to get the right ones,IMO,its well worth it.
 
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