Need help upgrading berlin skimmer

[PLNelson]

I have a berlin skimmer that I want to buy a new pump/venturi for and was wondering what pumps/venturies would make good upgrades for this skimmer.

Thanks

 

[wenszoo]

buy a octopus it would be better

 

[PLNelson]

That's all well and good, but funds dictate otherwise for now.

 

[wenszoo]

check this one out. the price ain't that bad and it is working Great on my 90 gallon
http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=750

 

[coyoteseven]

Maybe try a Bioball/Needlewheel Mod on the pump (go about a third of the way down the page for pics)?

Would only cost a few pennies (I got a couple of bioballs from a friend with a cichlid tank for free ) and help you save for a better skimmer in the future.

I did this with an old Jebo180 I had when I first got into this hobby... went from making microbubbles to nanobubbles and IMO, improved the efficiency of the skimmer 100%.

 

[slandis3]

something i did was unscrew the stock venture and i bought a kent venture. i dont remember where i got it but i did work alot better.

 

[Worldwithin]

Is this a Red Sea Berlin Turbo skimmer you have that you want to upgrade?? If so, I will tag along with this to see what people come up with..

:fish1::hammer:

 

[PLNelson]

Slandis, was yours a turbo, or not? I'm not sure where I would attach a venture to it.

 

[PLNelson]

World, yes. I have two of them. One i'm trying to upgrade, the other I will try to "remake" into a standard type recirc skimmer.

 

[Worldwithin]

Cool PL.. I will follow along this to see if anyone comes up with anything.. I am getting kinda tired of the lack performance of my turbo right now.

:fish1::hammer:

 

[bobafet1]

I hate to say it but the red sea berlin skimmer always makes the "do not buy" list or "piece of crap" list..there are a few mods for the skimmer...change the venturi/better pump but the best thing would be to chuck it and get a new one...I know you don't want to hear that but you wont get good skimate out of that skimmer. It took me one day with a becket skimmer to get a cup full of skimmate versus 8 months with the berlin...most other skimmers are better than the berlin. They should stop selling the darn thing..

 

[Worldwithin]

I have had the thing for so many years at this point - well before my RC days - so, I will admit that it wasn't the best purchase in the world. I am in the market for a Euro-Reef right now, but in the meantime I have this Berlin one and I might as well see if anyone can do something with it.

:fish1::hammer:

 

[bobafet1]

I think with even doing a mod it is still an inefficient skimmer. the output of the skimmer is next to the area where the foam is...most skimmers have the output on the bottom to allow the foam to build up and exit out the collection cup. the berlin skimmer is a major design flaw in my opinion...if your really set on doing a mod then try the kent venturi instead of the stock one and add a strong pump to it...this will help it skim a cup full in 7.5 months versus 8....just messing..I couldn't hold back...

 

[fat-tony]

I have one that I just setup because everyone did say it was such crap.....

I replaced the venturi with a 3/4" mazzei (bored out the air inlet as big as it would allow). I then put a mag 7 on it. Here's production

5 minutes.... (lol, the paper plate was because I couldn't find the darn top when I did finally set it up)

16 hours later....

Seems OK for what I'm using it for (125 with 20gallon sump)

 

[PLNelson]

Bobafet, the output is not right next to the where the foam is. That is in a seperate chamber inside the main body.

To me, the theory behind the Berlin skimmer is very inteligent, and I have a feeling that the bad rap that the red sea berlin has is more to do with a company trying to maximize profits, rather than produce a high quality piece of equipment. To me, Red Sea just doesn't seem like the high end type of company. Just my $0.02.

I'll be posting pictures of a "remake" of a berlin that I will be working on in the near future. I have an extra one that I can disect.

 

[conchead]

I went with the turbo upgrade for my berlin hang on (it's in sump), I don't know why someone would say it takes 8 months to get a cup full of skimmate. Unless they don't know how to use it. I get a 1/4 of collection cup full every 4 days. And that's running fairly dry. Of course if money is no object, there are better skimmers out there, but i'm good with mine. There are reef tanks out there that run $1,000.00, and there are tanks that cost 10's of thousands to set up and run.