ETSS Skimmer Club!

[jdieck]

Hmmm I just checked and I'm using 1" PVC piping inlet and 1" hose outlet so u want me to change to a 1 1/2" inlet and out let?

Yes, 1" is too restrictive specially on the inlet. That may even create cavitation in the pump that can increase vibration and reduce the life of the pump.
Also make the inlet as short as possible and try eliminating any elbows or unnecessary fittings and insure the water level is higher than the pump inlet. The higher the better.
I was running an ETS 1500 skimmer with an RLT 70 but the water level at the inlet was 25" higher so a 100 should be good enough if your water level is 6 to 8" above the inlet.

 

[yudruln8]

Yes, 1" is too restrictive specially on the inlet. That may even create cavitation in the pump that can increase vibration and reduce the life of the pump.
Also make the inlet as short as possible and try eliminating any elbows or unnecessary fittings and insure the water level is higher than the pump inlet. The higher the better.
I was running an ETS 1500 skimmer with an RLT 70 but the water level at the inlet was 25" higher so a 100 should be good enough if your water level is 6 to 8" above the inlet.

I fixed the problem I had a 90 on the pumps outlet then to a 1 inch hose the 90 was restricting it so I changed it to a straight fitting and 1 inch hose and its back to working like a champ same 1 inch inlet pvc piping

 

[ostrow]

Wow Jose didn't expect to find you here. If you have the time and patience for a numbskull like me can you give me a ring sometime? I need another set of brains to ponder my continuing declining tank, which features an underperforming Skimmer right now for no obvious reason.

 

[dedvalson]

Hi all,

I recently purchased an Aquavim aquarium (180 gallon), cabinet and sump system. Got an incredible deal on it all so I couldn't turn it down. It included an ETSS Sump Buddy 40 protein skimmer. I had planned on getting rid of it because it looked seriously undersized and I had never heard of ETSS skmmers. However, on this thread I find many people who seriously like them.

So now I have second thoughts. Is the Sump Buddy 40 a serious skimmer? Is it adequate for 180 with medium bio load? I had been thinking of replacing it with a Tunze 9410.

Any thoughts?

Don

 

[Green Chromis]

:fish1: Hi Ded, all ETSS skimmers are serious skimmers, I used the ETSS Gemini 800 on my 180, and it was overkill. I since upgraded to a ETSS 1500 on my current system, and am totally pleased with the way it removes waste from my tank. :fish1:

 

[Upstate GTI]

Hi all,

I recently purchased an Aquavim aquarium (180 gallon), cabinet and sump system. Got an incredible deal on it all so I couldn't turn it down. It included an ETSS Sump Buddy 40 protein skimmer. I had planned on getting rid of it because it looked seriously undersized and I had never heard of ETSS skmmers. However, on this thread I find many people who seriously like them.

So now I have second thoughts. Is the Sump Buddy 40 a serious skimmer? Is it adequate for 180 with medium bio load? I had been thinking of replacing it with a Tunze 9410.

Any thoughts?

Congratulations on the new tank. I have their Moonview 110 bowfront and I love it! The SB40 is a great little skimmer and there is nothing with near the same footprint that can beat it for sure skimming power, but may not be adequate for your 180. The other problems with it is you have to use a good pressure rated pump to power it (read heat) and it is loud. What model tank did you get? Did you get their sump? If so what size? Mine is the 25" and the main problem I have is that there are not many skimmers that will fit in the skimmer box they provide (7x11.5"). I have a RLSS r6i and I am not quite sure it is the best skimmer for this tank but my choices are limited by size and I am sure it wouldn't be enough for your tank. If my tank were any bigger with this sump I would definitely have put up with the SB40. I am sort of stuck until I make a custom sump which I will do when I come up with a configuration I like and the time to do it. Then I can make it to fit a different skimmer. (One of the brilliant features of the aquarium tanks is that you can actually change the sump without tearing down the whole tank. I am planning on letting as much water out as I can though before I do it.) If noise and heat aren't a problem for you I would stick with the SB40 since you have it and see how it goes. If your area for your skimmer is larger than mine you might want to look at other options as I think it is a bit undersized for your tank, if heat is a problem or noise.

PS. I don't think the 9410 will serve you better than the SB40. If given the choice between the two I'd take the sump buddy.

 

[mwb32]

ded, ETSS made some skimmers that were state of the art for their time. What happened to ETSS skimmers was they needed to be driven by a high pressure pump and those type pumps are noisy and use a lot of Watts. When it comes to just spitting out a wet foam nothing will match an ETSS on the right pump. With that I have a couple of ETSS skimmers and am currently running a sump buddy 40 on an 100 gallon tank. I have run the skimmer on a mag 9 and it was good, I have run the skimmer on a Blueline HP 30 external pump and it roared, would produce a quart of wet skim a day. Now I am running it on a PanWorld 20 HP external pump and it still is a foam making machine with not as much noise and less watts used. Again the problem with ETSS skimmers is noise and Watts consumed. My SB 40 is so effective I do only run it 12 hours a day on my lightly stocked 100 gallon. In conclusion can that skimmer handle your tank you bet but it will need at least a PanWorld 20 or equal external pump. Looked up the Tunze and it uses 15 watts but have no idea if it will ever perform like the SB40 with the right pump. :hmm5:

 

[S2minute]

ETSS Skimmer Club! Reply to Thread

ETSS Skimmer Club! Reply to Thread

:fish1: I also have the 1500XR on a 600 gal. system using a Iwaki 100 RLT to run it, I keep the water about an inch or so above the black box in the riser tube and it produces a very thick foam. These are the best skimmers on the market, it's to bad they went out of business. :fish1:

+1 on that :beer: I have a 400+ gal multi-tank system and also run a 1500XR with an Iwaki 100 RLT. Yes, sadly Gary retired,(and prob moved to a warmer location). In the end he was back in his basement working alone so... The 1500 i bought from him was one of his last. Yup, if you have the room, these tall downdraft skimmers are hard to beat. Some folks lucked out and got one of the sump models. Love to know of anyone that owns an under tank Quad version. Those will run a 70 or 100 Iwaki as well.

 

[dedvalson]

Congratulations on the new tank. I have their Moonview 110 bowfront and I love it! The SB40 is a great little skimmer and there is nothing with near the same footprint that can beat it for sure skimming power, but may not be adequate for your 180. The other problems with it is you have to use a good pressure rated pump to power it (read heat) and it is loud. What model tank did you get? Did you get their sump? If so what size? Mine is the 25" and the main problem I have is that there are not many skimmers that will fit in the skimmer box they provide (7x11.5"). I have a RLSS r6i and I am not quite sure it is the best skimmer for this tank but my choices are limited by size and I am sure it wouldn't be enough for your tank. If my tank were any bigger with this sump I would definitely have put up with the SB40. I am sort of stuck until I make a custom sump which I will do when I come up with a configuration I like and the time to do it. Then I can make it to fit a different skimmer. (One of the brilliant features of the aquarium tanks is that you can actually change the sump without tearing down the whole tank. I am planning on letting as much water out as I can though before I do it.) If noise and heat aren't a problem for you I would stick with the SB40 since you have it and see how it goes. If your area for your skimmer is larger than mine you might want to look at other options as I think it is a bit undersized for your tank, if heat is a problem or noise.

PS. I don't think the 9410 will serve you better than the SB40. If given the choice between the two I'd take the sump buddy.

Hi,

I got a custom sized OceanView that they had made for someone and then the deal fell through, so I got it cheap. It is between the normal 170 and the 180. Yes, I did get their sump, and it also appears to be custom sized. It is a little larger than the normal 36 inch model. The skimmer chamber is 10x14 so it is big enough to accommodate many of the skimmers where the pump is under the skimmer.

You mentioned that the skimmer is loud. Is the skimmer itself loud, or did you mean that the big pump to drive the skimmer is loud?

I am still undecided on the skimmer. Aquavim suggested I run it from a tap off of the return pump, but I am not too excited about that idea. I was thinking about running it on a Jebao DC-600, which appears to be about the right size (they recommend 900 gph). If I don't use this skimmer, I was looking at the Tunze I mentioned before or perhaps a Vertex Omega. I could fit the 180i in the space for sure, I might be able to squeeze in a 200i. Also considered a Reef Octopus Regal 200SSS.

Thanks,

Don

 

[Upstate GTI]

Hey Don!

I should have also asked if you have the standard boxes or the dragon flow. With the ocean view series height may also be an issue. With my Moon View I have more room under the tank but it is taken up by the dragon flow being right in the center of the sump so my skimmer barely fits. It is right up against the return pipe.

As for the sump buddy being loud the answer is both, however the water jetting into the skimmer is the loudest noise. You can mask this somewhat by putting a silencer on the air intake of the skimmer. I don't think you will be able to run the SB40 effectively t'd off your return pump unless your pump is huge and you have it valved down already. Also on the pump end, gph isn't important, head pressure is. If you must go with the dc route I would go with the Waveline DC6000 It has half again the head pressure of the Jeboa. A Waveline DC10000II would be better. Something along the lines of a Magdrive 7 or better yet a 9.5 with a valve is another, cheaper option. I mention the magdrives because they are cheap and can be picked up on craigslist but I would suggest a better pump than the magdrives with the same specs because of the heat issues.

I can't tell you which skimmer is best because you either get "pulls out awesome black gunk" from the people that own them or "POS" from those that like another brand. You just can't get apples to apples comparisons. BRS has the Skimz Ovals which are intriguing to me. Especially for those of us who are stuck with rectangular areas to put our skimmers in. Whatever you get I would put in the largest you can squeeze in there. "Good for up to 200 gallons usually means 100 gallons on a normally stocked tank. Some give with low med and high bioload. I would stick with a high boiload rating of at least 180 if I were you, 200 even better. If you are going the Vertex route I would go no smaller than the 200i as the tank rating is for 94-180 for the 180i and I don't think this would cut it. Get a magdrive off craigslist run it and see how you feel about it. $60 and you are up and running instead of a $400-900 with buying a new skimmer.

Johan

 

[mwb32]

Don't over look the replacement of the bio balls . I replace mine every year . The balls get smoothed off via the high pressure water and don't create a good foam.

 

[dedvalson]

I have the standard box overflow, not the dragon flow. You are right that the height is limited, but I think I can make most of those skimmers fit. Thanks for all the good advice.

Good to know about the bio balls also, I would have never thought of that.

Don

 

[DEFCLONE80]

Anyone use a swabbie with there etss?

 

[criticalencore]

I'm having a hard time figuring out what pump to put on the etss 2500 I just got. I'm guessing an iwaki 100 would work from what I read but was considering using a Hayward pool pump. This has been the most informative thread I think I've read so far. There isn't a lot of info on these things on the Internet and most of the instruction links seem to be broken now. Thanks

 

[azjohnny]

I'm having a hard time figuring out what pump to put on the etss 2500 I just got. I'm guessing an iwaki 100 would work from what I read but was considering using a Hayward pool pump. This has been the most informative thread I think I've read so far. There isn't a lot of info on these things on the Internet and most of the instruction links seem to be broken now. Thanks

Try looking at the Iwaki MX series. Here is a link to a pump that looks right, you might want to call them and tell them what you need and they will set you up.


http://www.bphpumps.com/pd.405/iwaki-mx-250-cv-mag-drive-pump/

Data Sheet
http://www.iwakicustompumps.com/Products/MX.htm



You might try an Iwaki RLT 100, it is rated at 2100 gph @ 25 psi

Your skimmer needs 2500 gph and 10PSI. IMO pressure is more important then GPH

 

[criticalencore]

Try looking at the Iwaki MX series. Here is a link to a pump that looks right, you might want to call them and tell them what you need and they will set you up.


http://www.bphpumps.com/pd.405/iwaki-mx-250-cv-mag-drive-pump/

Ouch not sure I want to run a 3 phase pump. I had saw where it looked like some people had tried like Danner magdrives. I was wondering if a mag24 would work. I have several pumps laying around like a dolphin 6300, reeflo hammerhead, couple snapper18 but they aren't pressure rated eat I can tell. the Hayward I have is a 3/4hp but looks like it will be a power hog at 11 amps. I had saw the blue line 100 also but again not sure if that is enough.

On a side note the guy u bought it from had previously repaired it and that broke in shipping so I'm going to re-repair it today and even see if it will be usuable. I do have 2 questions.

1. what does this circle thing with the 2 barbs and pvc tube coming out do?

2. Do I hook anything to the 3/4 bulkhead on the base connected to the pvc with the holes going up the skimmer body?

Thanks

 

[azjohnny]

Mag pumps have no where the amount of pressure needed. Try one of the pumps you have and see how that works out. You can get a 1 phase version of the MX pump, you just have to buy the pump and motor separately

http://www.shoppumps.com/Iwaki-MX-250CV-6-Magnetic-Drive-Pump-p/mx-250cv-6.htm


Blueline 100 is comparable to an Iwaki 100 but about $100 cheaper. The top engineer with Iwaki left and formed Blueline

Do you have a pic of the skimmer? The barbs should be where the water enters and the bulkhead at the base should be the skimmer output

 

[criticalencore]

I'm on tapatalk at work and not sure how to embed them from my phone but here is a pic of the round thing with the bulkheads and the smaller bulkhead on the black box. I have the gate valve on the bigger bulkhead. Thanks for the help

 

[007Bond]

Wow you definitely have some repair. Here is a pic of a 2500 or so that what they say it is,...but it looks like my 1400 http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/ETSS-Protein-Skimmers-ETSS-2500-XR_259826640.html
I'm not sure where that part is attached in your hand...kind of looks like the waste overflow but only has 1" pvc intake? Also not sure what the extra 1" bulkhead fitting is for on the base?...maybe some kind of extra flow control/
My Iwaki 100 attaches at the top the gatevalve is at the base and I have a hose on the barbed connection of the top waste collection that goes to a drain.
Don't know if I told you anything helpful or not.---Rick

 

[criticalencore]

This is the full pic of it. I'm hoping weldon 16 is up to the challenge. I was wondering if the collection cup thing hosed to this piece that feeds the downpipe because the barbs look the same size. Thanks for the help so far