MRC Club
- Thread starter JohnL
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hurleycr
Member
I'm looking for information here. I plan on ordering a new skimmer and am exploring the options of a beckett. I've never been a fan of NW's. Granted I did undersize both that I had at the time. I've owned two Aqua C's and I actually like them but the tank out grew them quickly.
So this time i've changed my system around big time, and have learned quite a lot in the past two months. So I'm going to describe what I'm looking for and at for a skimmer and anyone with the experience to help me please do so.
My newly upgraded system is going to be SPS dominated with a huge bioload. I'm talking around fish, mostly small anthia's, chromi's, and the like. With the exception of two to three tangs.
I just upgraded to a 220 gallon system, which will have around a 60 gallon sump. It will be BB and a massive amount of flow by the time i'm done. I want to feed the skimmer via the overflow's, which means I may have to talk to andy about this. The return from the skimmer will be underwater however from what I have read their will be no surging effect because that chamber will be built to have the same water level at all times.
I'm looking to turn over around 800-1000gph through the skimmer I think. I have no technical data to back that up yet. I'm looking to power the skimmer by the most effcient Sequence pump or BL pump I can find. Whatever has the least amount of watts to power the skimmer.
The skimmer I'm looking at will be the MR-4R or the MR-3R Dual R. The latter is the one I really want just because it looks freakin cool, and I like nice things.
I know the latter (MR3-RDual R) is more than overkill but I really want this skimmer to process as much tank water as freaking possible because I will be extremlly over feeding this tank. I will be counting on the skimmer to really rip the nutrients out of the water. I also want it to be able to handle a larger system years down the road.
I know everyone says becketts are loud, and waste power. Uhm... OK that's fine. However I need to know exactly how loud are they. What is loud about them, the pump? air intake? return? mysterious gurgling?
What can you compare that sound to so that I have an idea of how loud it is. I've heard people say this is too loud and when I hear it, well its more than acceptable.
Any help, does anyone actually own that monster skimmer?
So this time i've changed my system around big time, and have learned quite a lot in the past two months. So I'm going to describe what I'm looking for and at for a skimmer and anyone with the experience to help me please do so.
My newly upgraded system is going to be SPS dominated with a huge bioload. I'm talking around fish, mostly small anthia's, chromi's, and the like. With the exception of two to three tangs.
I just upgraded to a 220 gallon system, which will have around a 60 gallon sump. It will be BB and a massive amount of flow by the time i'm done. I want to feed the skimmer via the overflow's, which means I may have to talk to andy about this. The return from the skimmer will be underwater however from what I have read their will be no surging effect because that chamber will be built to have the same water level at all times.
I'm looking to turn over around 800-1000gph through the skimmer I think. I have no technical data to back that up yet. I'm looking to power the skimmer by the most effcient Sequence pump or BL pump I can find. Whatever has the least amount of watts to power the skimmer.
The skimmer I'm looking at will be the MR-4R or the MR-3R Dual R. The latter is the one I really want just because it looks freakin cool, and I like nice things.
I know the latter (MR3-RDual R) is more than overkill but I really want this skimmer to process as much tank water as freaking possible because I will be extremlly over feeding this tank. I will be counting on the skimmer to really rip the nutrients out of the water. I also want it to be able to handle a larger system years down the road.
I know everyone says becketts are loud, and waste power. Uhm... OK that's fine. However I need to know exactly how loud are they. What is loud about them, the pump? air intake? return? mysterious gurgling?
What can you compare that sound to so that I have an idea of how loud it is. I've heard people say this is too loud and when I hear it, well its more than acceptable.
Any help, does anyone actually own that monster skimmer?
you're going to be powering that skimmer with one massive pump, that's loud. and you'll have another pump on the recirc loop. the beckett itself isn't terribly loud, i'm used to the sound i guess. my friend's euroreef is so quiet you don't even know it's running.
i don't know how well it will work with the return going underwater, that adversely affects my wee little MR-1. my return's on a 90 fitting halfway submerged, when something happens to raise the sump level (i.e. durso air intakes clog with salt and drains surge) my skimmer does not function well at all. it may be that the change in pressure on the return is what's causing the problem, and not the fact that it's above the water line.
i don't know how well it will work with the return going underwater, that adversely affects my wee little MR-1. my return's on a 90 fitting halfway submerged, when something happens to raise the sump level (i.e. durso air intakes clog with salt and drains surge) my skimmer does not function well at all. it may be that the change in pressure on the return is what's causing the problem, and not the fact that it's above the water line.
How do you get the MR2 skimmer tuned in? Everytime I think I got it, it either over flows or the bubble are too low. I am running an Iwaki 55 pump on it. How low should the bubbles be? Is there certain setup I should take to get it tuned in? I took out the cotton should I use it?
Rouselb
New member
I am looking to install a MR-2R skimmer. I would like to feed it directly from my main tank, which is located upstairs. I have a 80 gal refug, thats feed by (3) 1" pvc pipes. One of these is a siphon pipe, i was thinking of using this one and Teeing it off. MRC believes i might have potential issues with larger bubbles in the unit, is anyone running this kind of setup? Please advise. Thanks.
it takes a while for the skimmer to get broken in and for you to figure out how to work it. i hate to say read this thread, but "read this thread". there's a lot of good information in it. andy is very helpful at MRC, you can send him mail and he will respond.
whenever i fire up my skimmer after cleaning it, i have the air valve turned off all the way. i have the water level set just below the becket, imagine the dongle thing inside floating in the air, below that. after the water level settles in and i know the water output valve doesn't need adjustment, i turn on the air, a half turn. wait a while (like 15 minutes), then another half turn. for my system it typically starts making a useful foam around a turn and a half to a turn and three quarters. when the skimmer is clean and the sludge tube is not blocked, there's about 1/2 turn of air adjustment i can make after it starts making useful foam.
starting off with no air after each cleaning, getting the water level stable just below the injector, and slowly turning the air up was the advice from this thread that helped me the most.
this is just my experience. there is a lot more captured in this thread, you need to figure out how your skimmer is going to work on your system with your maintenance routines, physical setup, pump, sludge collection system, etc. you also need to learn how it reacts to things like feeding your fish, putting your hands in the tank, stirring up the sand, using epoxy.
i use the cotton, and put a fresh ball in each week when i clean the skimmer.
uhuru
New member
I talked to Andy @ MRC about this today and he actually recommended the MR3R (not the dual R) on a 100g system because I wanted to set it up the same way as you (also BB system overflow going directly into skimmer). He said ideally yes you would want all of the overflow going directly to the skimmer but most likely you will have issues with larger bubbles because your overflow isn't going to flow as consistently as a pressure pump, and it can suck in more air. Your return pump from your sump would have to be tuned perfectly to your skimmer to make it work. You are better off teeing off the overflow and only feeding 2-3x's the volume/hr into the skimmer. He is running an MR3R on a 120g tank and says he likes the performance more than the MR2R on that tank.
Rouselb
New member
Im sure that the extra 6 inches of column height give more contact time, and therefore is capable of skimming more. Do you need more capacity for a 120g tank @ an extra $90? I was under the impression that you could add to the height of the second chamber at any time to get added skimming. I would like to Tee off one of my lines and try running the MR2R on that supply line. One of my supply lines to my refug is pulling water from under the water surface. If it creates to much turbulence in the skimmer, i will use a pressure pump to supply. I have a mag 24 pump just laying around, and i was thinking about using that for the recirculating pump.
hurleycr
Member
Yes on a 120 or so this will be for 210 with 50 gallon sump. If I could run the overflows to feed the skimmer I will only have one pump. I already run a Sequence Hammerhead and two other sequence 750's 4300's they really are not that loud at all. IF the beckett is quiter than the pumps then I'm golden.
I don't see how you are getting a surge from your overflows. Mine has always been quite consitent as far as I can tell.
Why do you think I would need to run two pumps?
The becketts would function from the sequence pump not the overflows. So the pressure rated pump would be running the becketts. The overflow would just be feeding it water. I'm thinking that I would be able to process the full amount of overflow water with no restriction from the gate valve and be able to tune the skimmer using the air valve. This is what I did whne I ran the aqua C's. Never had an issue with them.
I don't see how you are getting a surge from your overflows. Mine has always been quite consitent as far as I can tell.
Why do you think I would need to run two pumps?
The becketts would function from the sequence pump not the overflows. So the pressure rated pump would be running the becketts. The overflow would just be feeding it water. I'm thinking that I would be able to process the full amount of overflow water with no restriction from the gate valve and be able to tune the skimmer using the air valve. This is what I did whne I ran the aqua C's. Never had an issue with them.
hurleycr
Member
what happened to all the guru's that use to be on this thread?
Ok if I go with the beckett my electrical cost would be around 12.00 per month to run it. So i'm willing to do that. However, I'm still looking for some answers.
Andy said that the Dual Stack is def. the way I want to go due to the amount of water i'm wanting to run through it.
However he said not to Feed both overflows entirely through it, due to air getting into the skimmer and making larger bubbles. So how do you plumb them then using gravity. I must eliminate the feed pump, and do not want to cut into the supply line. I want it to see the dirtiest water possible.
So any comments on the return going into the sump underwater, for as long as that return compartment in sump has a constant level of water in it?
Ok if I go with the beckett my electrical cost would be around 12.00 per month to run it. So i'm willing to do that. However, I'm still looking for some answers.
Andy said that the Dual Stack is def. the way I want to go due to the amount of water i'm wanting to run through it.
However he said not to Feed both overflows entirely through it, due to air getting into the skimmer and making larger bubbles. So how do you plumb them then using gravity. I must eliminate the feed pump, and do not want to cut into the supply line. I want it to see the dirtiest water possible.
So any comments on the return going into the sump underwater, for as long as that return compartment in sump has a constant level of water in it?
orangekush4
New member
They are cheap, but don't come with a pump.
Rouselb
New member
I Took one of my over flow returns and shortened it up, so this return is full of water and very minimal air. Then I put a Tee right before the skimmer. When you install the Tee, make sure the center leg is the one going to the sump. You want the water from your overflow to pass through the Tee as if there was no Tee.
Iammatt219
Member
which of these pumps would you suggest
A velocity T4, A gen-x pcx-30, or a panworld 100px-x
for a dual becket Mr-2 on a 125 gallon tank with 2 overflows. ( which i will likely use the gen-x for as it is the lowest flow)
TIA
A velocity T4, A gen-x pcx-30, or a panworld 100px-x
for a dual becket Mr-2 on a 125 gallon tank with 2 overflows. ( which i will likely use the gen-x for as it is the lowest flow)
TIA
A couple quick questions:
1. Is there a way to search this big ol' thread for what I need before asking?
2. If not, can people show me how they have ozone hooked up to their MRC skimmer? I just got a GenX ozonizer and the ozone port from Andy at MRC. Also, I'd like to see how you run the air exhaust from the waste collector through carbon, as well as the water outlet through carbon. My skimmer sits level with my sump, so I think I'm going to have to run the water up through carbon? But ideas/pictures would be great. Thanks.
1. Is there a way to search this big ol' thread for what I need before asking?
2. If not, can people show me how they have ozone hooked up to their MRC skimmer? I just got a GenX ozonizer and the ozone port from Andy at MRC. Also, I'd like to see how you run the air exhaust from the waste collector through carbon, as well as the water outlet through carbon. My skimmer sits level with my sump, so I think I'm going to have to run the water up through carbon? But ideas/pictures would be great. Thanks.
