New Reef Octupus Skimmer Thread (Pacific Coast Imports)
- Thread starter Psionicdragon
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The RPS-3000 is the closest match to the ASM G4x. www.reeftanksupply.com carries them for $399. For the small price difference you get better construction (IMO) and a recirculating skimmer.
trmiv
Active member
Some people have said they are cutting the gasket that blocks the air intake. For those that have done it, how are you doing it? Just a notch out of it? Or do you reduce the inside of the gasket all the way around? If just a notch, how do you make sure it lines up with the hole?
trmiv
Active member
I went ahead and ordered the adapter from McMaster-Carr too. $27 shipped. OUCH!! That's a lot for some PVC, but if it works, that will be nice. Anyway, we'll see what gets here first, the McMaster-Carr order or the plumbing from PCI. I sent PCI my info and didn't hear anything back, so I don't know if they actually sent the stuff out or not.
trmiv
Active member
OK, I got this thing hooked up. Took some creative plumbing to be able to use it until I get the stuff I need from PCI and McMaster. It doesn't look great because I put it on my 37 until my new 90 is ready. So I have it sitting next to the tank in a storage bin to protect the floor if it overflows, and then on top of two overturned buckets to raise it up. LOL 
Looks like crap, but it works.
Anyway here are some shots:
Here you can see what I did to hook the skimmer up. That's a rubber 1.5" PVC to 1.25" PVC adapter.
Looks like crap, but it works. Anyway here are some shots:
Here you can see what I did to hook the skimmer up. That's a rubber 1.5" PVC to 1.25" PVC adapter.
scubaduderon
Member
What about if you are setting it up in sump?
What about if you are setting it up in sump?
Would you need all of the pluming?
I have never had a skimmer like this before so I know nothing about how it is set up.
Thanks,
Ron
What about if you are setting it up in sump?
Would you need all of the pluming?
I have never had a skimmer like this before so I know nothing about how it is set up.
Thanks,
Ron
OK, I just got back to Phoenix this morning at 1:30 am from working in Lancaster, CA. i missed tons of posts.
Trmiv, welcome to the PCS club. give it a day or 2 and watch your ORP rise. I got home and found 2/3's less green growth on the glass that normally when i leave for a week. My wife is pretty good bout adding water but using the magnet to clean the glass....ha yeah right.
I found that a 1 1/4 inch pvc fitting fits SWEET into the outlet of the 50mm RPS-3000 and i simply press fit it.
trmiv looks like you did a fine job of field engineering.
Well its 11am Phoenix time and iam off for anotehr bloody mary, It is Saturday btw.
Trmiv, welcome to the PCS club. give it a day or 2 and watch your ORP rise. I got home and found 2/3's less green growth on the glass that normally when i leave for a week. My wife is pretty good bout adding water but using the magnet to clean the glass....ha yeah right.
I found that a 1 1/4 inch pvc fitting fits SWEET into the outlet of the 50mm RPS-3000 and i simply press fit it.
trmiv looks like you did a fine job of field engineering.
Well its 11am Phoenix time and iam off for anotehr bloody mary, It is Saturday btw.
trmiv
Active member
Thanks. I just went to the hardware store and starting fitting stuff together until I found something that worked. What I didn't show was the other side. That 1.25" PVC leads to a 1.25" slip to thread adapter, then I have a 1.25" barb connection in there. The barb was just a little too small for the pool hose I wanted to use, so I wrapped the barb end in teflon tape until I had the thickness I wanted. Then I put the pool hose on and tightened. Seems to work perfectly. Good enough that I canceled the order for the 40mm to 1.25" adapter I ordered.
Only thing I'm noticing about the skimmer so far is, I really don't like the ball valve that much. My ASM G1X has the gate valve modification, and that gate valve allows very precise level control. I can't get that same kind of control with the ball valve. A tiny turn of the valve results in a big level change. If someone can either find a metric gate valve, or get a 1.25" gate valve on this thing, it would be awesome.
Only thing I'm noticing about the skimmer so far is, I really don't like the ball valve that much. My ASM G1X has the gate valve modification, and that gate valve allows very precise level control. I can't get that same kind of control with the ball valve. A tiny turn of the valve results in a big level change. If someone can either find a metric gate valve, or get a 1.25" gate valve on this thing, it would be awesome.
scubaduderon
Member
Ball valves aren't that hard to adjust...
Ball valves aren't that hard to adjust...
you just need a little extension. Leverage to move the valve very small amounts. A wrench that fits and gives you length, so you can make very small adjustments easily is what you need. That is what I used when I built my Beckett skimmer. It can work. It's like anything, if there's a will, there's a way.
Best of luck and thanks for sharing,
Ron
Ball valves aren't that hard to adjust...
you just need a little extension. Leverage to move the valve very small amounts. A wrench that fits and gives you length, so you can make very small adjustments easily is what you need. That is what I used when I built my Beckett skimmer. It can work. It's like anything, if there's a will, there's a way.
Best of luck and thanks for sharing,
Ron
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