gen-x pump model pcx55 any good?
- Thread starter Plan>B
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nsamouroux
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It's a pressure pump, so it works pretty well for downdraft or beckett skimmers. I had one of them in use with my ETSS 600 skimmer and it worked pretty well. It was fairly noisy (about the same or perhaps slightly louder than a comparable Iwaki), but that may have been the specific pump I was using so don't take it as gospel 
. Is there a reason you need a pressure pump for your return? Do you have a remote sump or something a bit away from your tank?
. Is there a reason you need a pressure pump for your return? Do you have a remote sump or something a bit away from your tank?
Plan>B
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15714403#post15714403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nsamouroux
It's a pressure pump, so it works pretty well for downdraft or beckett skimmers. I had one of them in use with my ETSS 600 skimmer and it worked pretty well. It was fairly noisy (about the same or perhaps slightly louder than a comparable Iwaki), but that may have been the specific pump I was using so don't take it as gospel
I will have a remote sump and I have a beckett skimmer that I need a pump, but I don't know what size of beckett I have. I was thinking of maybe using it on my beckett, but don't want to get it if it is too small for the skimmer.
The beckett I got was given to me, and they had no clue what size it is, as some renters left it behind. How could I find what size of skimmer I have to see if this pump would work.
What size/type of pump you running now?
nsamouroux
New member
For my ETSS skimmer I'm using an equivalent pan-world pump. Once I finish setting up my 360g display I'll have my sump / equipment room in my basement with the tank on the main floor. I'll be using a Dolphin Ampmaster ES5500 pump, which is 5500 gph at 5' head (roughly 6500 gph at 0') used as a return. I'll probably split this return to run my downdraft skimmer depending on if I re-use my ETSS on the new system or not.
Perhaps post a picture of your beckett skimmer, and someone might be able to identify it? There aren't too many commercial manufacturers of the becketts to pick from, but it might be a DIY job or a small scale shop who built it. I would guess that a 1200gph pressure pump would be the bare minimum to run a moderate sized beckett skimmer for something like a 150g system since the becketts have so much more back-pressure on the pump than even an equivalent downdraft style skimmer (like the ETSS). While I can use a 1200gph pressure pump on my downdraft skimmer to handle a 300g tank, I doubt the same pump would run a beckett skimmer sized for the same system.
Perhaps post a picture of your beckett skimmer, and someone might be able to identify it? There aren't too many commercial manufacturers of the becketts to pick from, but it might be a DIY job or a small scale shop who built it. I would guess that a 1200gph pressure pump would be the bare minimum to run a moderate sized beckett skimmer for something like a 150g system since the becketts have so much more back-pressure on the pump than even an equivalent downdraft style skimmer (like the ETSS). While I can use a 1200gph pressure pump on my downdraft skimmer to handle a 300g tank, I doubt the same pump would run a beckett skimmer sized for the same system.
