ETSS Skimmer Club!

[ostrow]

Hello, how many bio balls should be in the towers of my ETSS 1400XR? After setting it up and it being horrably loud, I took it apart and cleaned it. Lost a few of the balls. Want to set it up one more time.

Thanks for any help. Zach

Noise? Well, these skimmers are not living room friendly for sure. It will make noise from the massive air intake to the rumbling of the water in the tower. People who use these use them externally and in a remote fish room. Hopefully, that is your situation. The skimmer you have requires an Iwaki 100 or equivalent, which is also not silent. Assuming all of this is in order...

The 48" towers take 40 large bioballs each. I'd start with 38 each and see how it performs and then add one to each tower until you get the tiny bubbles that start to stack. Make sure first that both towers are in fact empty. I take a long piece of wood to root around and unstuck the bioballs that tend to clump badly at the bottom.

 

[zachrabbit15]

Noise? Well, these skimmers are not living room friendly for sure. It will make noise from the massive air intake to the rumbling of the water in the tower. People who use these use them externally and in a remote fish room. Hopefully, that is your situation. The skimmer you have requires an Iwaki 100 or equivalent, which is also not silent. Assuming all of this is in order...

The 48" towers take 40 large bioballs each. I'd start with 38 each and see how it performs and then add one to each tower until you get the tiny bubbles that start to stack. Make sure first that both towers are in fact empty. I take a long piece of wood to root around and unstuck the bioballs that tend to clump badly at the bottom.

Haha thanks for the reply, I just switched to a ETSS 800 on my 240 and it is almost silent. This made me think something is up with the 1400. One of the air bleeds had some crud in it and ended up with a uneven number off balls when I cleaned it. Looks like it's going to be replaced with a 1800 soon. Lol

One other question, does he return plumbing have to be higher than the water level in the sump?

By the way the new tank is 450 gallons, 70 gallon refugium, and a 100 gallon sump. So let's say 600 gallons total. It's coming together.

 

[ostrow]

The 1400 ought to be more than enough for that.

 

[007Bond]

Noise? Well, these skimmers are not living room friendly for sure. It will make noise from the massive air intake to the rumbling of the water in the tower. People who use these use them externally and in a remote fish room. Hopefully, that is your situation. The skimmer you have requires an Iwaki 100 or equivalent, which is also not silent. Assuming all of this is in order...

The 48" towers take 40 large bioballs each. I'd start with 38 each and see how it performs and then add one to each tower until you get the tiny bubbles that start to stack. Make sure first that both towers are in fact empty. I take a long piece of wood to root around and unstuck the bioballs that tend to clump badly at the bottom.

spot on ! and the pump dose not need to be above the sump water.

 

[Pokerman11]

WOW - Glad there is hope and friends in the ETSS world in finding this thread!!!

I have had my ETSS 700 for ~20 years now. I have a basement sump so no worries on space. I do have issues with pump noise. Was running an Gen-X PCX 40 but now looking for something else that is NOT AS loud.

Any suggestions?

 

[harryreef]

I have an ETSS 600 for years and it skims great. I have it under cabinet of a 105 gallon DSA tank. It is running on Gen-X pump and the pump is quite loud. I was considering switching it to a Waveline DC pump, anyone tried this or have any thoughts on this pump working on a drowndratft skimmer?

 

[bif24701]

I have an ETSS 600 for years and it skims great. I have it under cabinet of a 105 gallon DSA tank. It is running on Gen-X pump and the pump is quite loud. I was considering switching it to a Waveline DC pump, anyone tried this or have any thoughts on this pump working on a drowndratft skimmer?

ETSS skimmers need powerful pressure rated puns to perform the best. My advice is to get the largest most powerful DC pump you can. If it's too much can be turned down. I think if you find a pump big enough it will work great! And quiet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ostrow]

ETSS skimmers need powerful pressure rated puns to perform the best. My advice is to get the largest most powerful DC pump you can. If it's too much can be turned down. I think if you find a pump big enough it will work great! And quiet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Large" and "big" are not the key words in that otherwise correct answer. The pump needs to be a) pressure rated, and b) move water in sufficient quantity for your skimmer and system. So, you need to find a pressure-rated pump that moves water at least at the rate of whatever Gen-X pump you have.

While I have not looked in a while and am not familiar with newer models, I don't recall any DC pumps on the market that were pressure-rated pumps.

 

[azjohnny]

Abyzz makes a pressure rated DC rated pump but are pricey ( start around $1300)

 

[bif24701]

"Large" and "big" are not the key words in that otherwise correct answer. The pump needs to be a) pressure rated, and b) move water in sufficient quantity for your skimmer and system. So, you need to find a pressure-rated pump that moves water at least at the rate of whatever Gen-X pump you have.



While I have not looked in a while and am not familiar with newer models, I don't recall any DC pumps on the market that were pressure-rated pumps.

True, however the differences in a pressure rated pump is the head pressure compared to flow. I might be wrong sure but I think you can make up for the head loss with a larger size pump with similar pressure ratings to the old pump. It's just harder to do so.

External pumps are really the go to here for application. A Japanese motor pressure rated Iwaki would be awesome and cost less than a good DC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[2smokes]

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.

ETSS is the best design of a saltwater protein skimmer so far.Its verry simple to understand why is soo performant,because unlike otther skimmers that mix the air into the water this one mix the water into air in the bioballs chamber.Its a simple design that simply cant be beat .You might think this is an old technology that will be forgotten but all the new fresh water protein skimmers (much stronger skimmers than the saltwater ones) make the foam by using same principle of mixing the water into lots of air not by mixing the air into the water.All freshwater protein skimmers use bioballs just like the ETSS.My favourite design of a protein skimmer ,simple and efficient is the ,,ethanator,,.Fresh water is less dense than saltwater and is 10 times harder to separate the proteins by foam fractioning freshwater than the saltwater.

 

[criticalencore]

Reeflo startwd making 2 new pressure pumps about a year ago. I use the Suntail i think its called but i ended up modding my etss and put a needlewheel on the pump and made a venturi and ditched the bioballs.

Sent from my SM-G935R4 using Tapatalk

 

[Ed Kazz]

I have a ETSS 600 that has been running for about 11years. It seems lately that the foam decreased a lot. Running a IWAKI WMD-40RLT pump. Thinking of replacing the pump (cost too much to rebuild). Anyway should I stay with the same pump or is there a better (DC maybe) option? Also does anyone sell the ETSS 600 Skimming Tower Extenders ?
Skimmer just underrated on a 180 gal (bio-load).

Thank You
Ed

 

[ostrow]

You won't find the extenders for sale but any good plastic fabricator can make one real easy. I had a local do.a repair on my tower (1000) and he did a fantastic job....made it better.

 

[Ed Kazz]

You won't find the extenders for sale but any good plastic fabricator can make one real easy. I had a local do.a repair on my tower (1000) and he did a fantastic job....made it better.

Thanks for the reply...How long should they be and # of bio-balls used ?

 

[bif24701]

Thanks for the reply...How long should they be and # of bio-balls used ?

Depends on the pump you use, higher pressure and flow the higher you can extend and more balls needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ed Kazz]

Depends on the pump you use, higher pressure and flow the higher you can extend and more balls needed.

Any recommendations for a ETSS 600 skimmer that someone modified ? (tube length and pump size ) Running a 180 gal with 125 gal refugium...heavy stocked.
I have to replace pump (old) so now is a good time. Also, anyone know who can make ext. tubes ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ostrow]

What bif24701 was saying is we need details..
Post a photo and measurements and tell us what pressure pump you are using or will use. Then answers will be possible.

 

[cs78]

I picked up an etss 800 xr skimmer for $40 I know I need to run a blue line 55hd pump that draws 180 watts trying to figure out if it will be worth using this skimmer or just ditch the etss and go with and eshopps skimmer will before a 210 mixed reef tank just collecting items for the build any thoughts and are people still running these skimmers and what bio balls would work


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Green Chromis]

I picked up an etss 800 xr skimmer for $40 I know I need to run a blue line 55hd pump that draws 180 watts trying to figure out if it will be worth using this skimmer or just ditch the etss and go with and eshopps skimmer will before a 210 mixed reef tank just collecting items for the build any thoughts and are people still running these skimmers and what bio balls would work


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

:fish1: Hi, the ETSS is a far superior skimmer to the Eshopps skimmer, yes you need a high pressure pump, but this is what makes the skimmer so good. :fish1: