Need new bubble pump for Bubble King 300 External

[byronsands]

Anyone know of a replacement pump for a Bubble King 300 External that is (much) more economical that the Red Dragon pump on it? The current pump is a Red Dragon Bubble King 2000. The skimmer was purchased in ~2011 so its that vintage of skimmer.

As an alternative, does anyone know of re-manufactured RD pumps? I have not found a good place to get started on getting the skimmer functional again.

I've got no bubbles

thanks, byron

 

[byronsands]

another thought: anyone know who might overhaul Red Dragon units for the BK300 external?

It's likely repairable by someone setup to do that.

 

[gcarroll]

Might want to upgrade. Contact Royal Exclusiv and see if you can go DC.

 

[byronsands]

what is DC? not familiar...

 

[JohnnyBoyPerth]

what is DC? not familiar...

Direct Current - means you can change the speed on the pump. Its useful, but 90% of the time, you adjust it once to the desired speed and leave it like that. I suppose it is better for the pump in that you dont need a valve to reduce the flow etc.

The new DC red dragon pumps are very low wattage. Give Royal Exclusive a call and im sure they will be able to help you out.

This is the pump for BK delux 300 external. Check the US site for local pricing etc. But i would still give them a call, they are more likely to help you out a bit more knowing you already have a skimmer etc
http://royalexclusiv.net/Skimmers/B...-1000-2500-external/Bubble-King-2000::91.html

 

[naterealbig]

This skimmer should have the old Laguna block, no?. May be worth shooting an email to Scott Lief (slief on the boards). He is in charge of RE distribution this side of the pond. He is very knowledgeable, and will certainly point you in the right direction.

 

[slief]

First, there isn't a DC/RD3 pump available for the external units yet. Chances are you would need a block if anything. It's also possible that the bearing is stuck to the shaft or causing friction if you haven't cleaned it properly. I would suggest taking the pump apart including removing the bearing and soaking everything in Vinegar for about 20 minutes then giving everything a thorough cleaning. This includes scrubbing the exposed end of the impeller shaft and the bearing. Then insert the bearing. These pumps are good for 10 plus year if you clean them properly every 4-6 months. Take a look at this thread and in particular, post 2 which covers the bearing. We do have the blocks in stock here in the US. They aren't that bad considering the cost of that skimmer and there is no other pump that can replace that particular pump. It's fairly unique in the way it's built for that skimmer and it's about the best performing skimmer pump you can buy.

That said, here is a thread that covers cleaning and bearing removal/insertion. There is a dedicated Bubble King forum here which is where this thread is located:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2573406

Here is the replacement block for that skimmer.
http://royalexclusiv.com/Spare-Part...or-Bubble-King-Supermarin-1500-2500::177.html

 

[slief]

This skimmer should have the old Laguna block, no?. May be worth shooting an email to Scott Lief (slief on the boards). He is in charge of RE distribution this side of the pond. He is very knowledgeable, and will certainly point you in the right direction.

Thank you very much. Unfortunately, a Laguna block will not work for this skimmer. It's a special Askoll big block that also has the AKB (Antilime bypass).

 

[naterealbig]

No problem Scott. I had the 200 version of this skimmer and loved it. Thank you for the correction.

Nathan