Octopus Skimmer Mods

[Roland Jacques]

Spazz,
I got 2 questions for you and anybody else.
I’ve been battling wet skimmate. While I prefer my skimmate wet I would like to no why it does not get dry. I thought it was residual oils (im still not convinced its not). So I threw 1 poly filter in. the foam was able to be very dry for 5 days. Now it back the same type of wet foam, it probably splatters as much waste over the top than pushing foam over (at least 50/50). I don’t think it is neck turbulence, my water level is below the neck since the last mod, bubbles barly move in the lowest sections of the neck. Any thoughts?

2. As I continue to try to improve my air flow I notice that the water / air ratio stays about the same (in-sump model). I’m thinking that while my air has gone up over 100 %, the actual benefit is a little minimal (without the recirc mod). i second thought, i'm prossesing twice as much water as before, so theirs the benift . It almost directly pulls in just as much water/air ratio. At 8-9 scfh it moved 250 GPH. At 18 SCFH it moved 500 gph. I need to check it now, I suspect it is around 600 gph after the impeller mod. Is that just the nature of the beast? I’m thinking that at this point I should try a more water restrictive venture as I play with the impeller. I want to maximize the pumps air/water ratio before I do the recirc mod. Any tips in this area & what do you think?

 

[Roland Jacques]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7995789#post7995789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by danskim
Roland, do you think it's worth it to bore out the pipe like you did?
Or was the benefit not worth the trouble?
Did you use a dremel or dremel type tool?

yeah, it the easiest thing to do. on my NW200 nothing eles would make that much differance if i did not do that first. i dont no if all models were as small ID as mine were. my air went from 8-9 to 12 SCFH. i used a drill and a 11/16" sand stone or a rotory file in reverse (page 1 or 2)
the bigest differance things that i noticed
1. the pump work
2. the elbow work
3 or 4. the clear tube, tappering the edges in the union
4. or 3. the venture, tappering edge up to the air hole
#? impeller? (still playing with this)

 

[Avast Marine]

"I should try a more water restrictive venture as I play with the impeller"

or you could wait til you recirc it and leave room for a gate valve on the input.

 

[Roland Jacques]

this is what my foam looks like at 20 scfh nw-200. light Bioload 7 fish only 60 lbs base rock, 150 gallons hospital/isolation system. what do you think?

 

[Ereefic]

Is that with or without polyfilter? How long has the skimmer been on to get that foam?

 

[Roland Jacques]

Poly filter is still in the sump but I pretty sure it is s exhausted by now. 7 days. That about 10-20 minutes after adjusting the height.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7989753#post7989753 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wjhuie
I think he has 1" all the way to the skimmer body but not into the body.Im pretty sure that the union on the side of the skimmer has be replaced with a 1" union.

I replaced the part of the pump that the plumbing screws into with 1" PVC. I put a 1" union on that. Off of the 1" union is a 1" elbow, with a 1" to 3/4" bushing attached. The bushing is pretty much the same size as the flange part of the union that attaches to the body. I bored out the bushing too. I can't go any bigger on the plumbing without drilling out the union attached tot he body.

At this point, the air draw is plenty high (anywhere from 18-22 scfh on the body), but I need to get the air/water ratio up, as like Roland, I think I'm moving 500+ gph now. I think a more restrictive venturi may help on that, or, just recircing the thing. I'm hesitant to recirc it right now, because if I do,theres a certain way I want to do it, and that involves ordering some 1" NPT taps, etc, and I really dont feel like doing that right now.



Roland, I'm also having some trouble getting dry skimmate. Adjusting the skimmer up seems to just increase quantity though, without any decrease in quality. IE its still green tea, but I can get half the collection cup each day. Part of me thinks its related to the fact that I have 7 fish, and am running a skimmer designed for 200+ gallons on a 58, and part of me thinks its related to the fact that I basically used a full stick of epoxy on the pump, and I'm still seeing crazy-epoxy-skimmer syndrome.

 

[RichConley]

Spazz, this is more your area of expertise, but lightening up the wheel woudl decrease wattage draw, correct?

What I've been thinking about is the ATI bubble master type wheel, IE the brillo pad looking thing. Now, you've been using sheet PVC (or acrylic I think) for making your needlewheels for the sequence/tiny might, and I understand that, the rigidity is needed for mounting pins, etc. What i've been thinking about is those really thin plastic food storage containers (the black take-out ones, with the clear lids) They have a really thin, flimsy plastic. I think we could use some of this stuff for just a flat disk, adn mount mesh on it, and be fine. I think the mesh itself would make the disk rigid enough to work, and from what i've heard, its almost impossible to cavitate one of these thread-wheel type skimmers. I think we could get the wattage draw WAY down, and get more air (because we could use much more restrictive venturis without worrying about cavitation)

Any ideas?

 

[Roland Jacques]

Had to step up not only the flow meter, but the air hose and fittings, the venture will also have to be worked on also to allow more air. The pump attached to the skimmer 21-22 was the max like what rich has found out. As long as the as the water/bubble has to go thru the clear tube... that skimmer is not getting anymore air in that body.

The pump today got 28 SCFH, and with venture work im expecting low 30s. With some housing work like Rich did, "well forget about it." rich I bet the brillo stuff will get the same results, but I think guttergaurd will not require monthly cleaning. We will see.

 

[Roland Jacques]

Got 30 schf when I enlarged the clear rigid air tube on the stock venture. The coolest thing is no cavitations. If I restrict the water in line the air flow just goes down. And not as much as you might think. Man this is sweet. The other thought I had is you could also super charge this easier. If you super change it ill bet your wattage will go way down.

 

[DeLiBoY]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7994980#post7994980 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChemE
I just emailed Rob at Marine Solutions. So far, he's been an extremely nice and helpful guy. We'll see if he can sell us the impellers and if so for what price. I'll post his response as soon as I get it.

I am starting to get very unhappy with them. I first spoke with them over 3 weeks ago about a broken part on my skimmer and they told me it was being shipped the next day. Here we are and numerous emails later I still do not have the part. Now I am getting no response from them.

 

[RichConley]

Roland, pics of the wheel please. Still not sure what you're doing.

 

[Roland Jacques]

Rich the funny thing is it does not start up with the double threaded nipple out of the body. Why???? So this version probably won’t work in your pump. You will probably have to alter the pattern a little. Lots of room for custom tailoring.

Stupid Modded Impeller. I separated the 2 paddle/spoke wheels. (Be careful doing this I used an exactor knife to break away all the super glue/weld-on and separate the paddle/spoke wheels) remove 1 of the wheels. The remaining one still on the magnet. Then I cut out 4 circles of plastic gutter guard same dia as spoke wheel and zip tied them to the single spoke wheel. Presto. We might find that 2 work better than 4 or alternate sizes. 1 full size disk and 1 half size to give some space in between them. I think that might work better with your bigger outlet.

The hard start with the bigger outlet very interesting. If I put my thumb over the outlet it started but did not pull as much air like 18-24 scfh and erratic go figure.

 

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7999569#post7999569 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DeLiBoY
I am starting to get very unhappy with them. I first spoke with them over 3 weeks ago about a broken part on my skimmer and they told me it was being shipped the next day. Here we are and numerous emails later I still do not have the part. Now I am getting no response from them.

That's weird. I got 3 responses from Rob today. He says that he will be getting replacement impellers and pumps on his next order and that they were surprisingly inexpensive. He also assured me that he would pass the cheap prices on to us; so let's hope he is true to his word. He also told me that he is looking into getting replacement collection cups and lids.

 

[DeLiBoY]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8001090#post8001090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChemE
That's weird. I got 3 responses from Rob today. He says that he will be getting replacement impellers and pumps on his next order and that they were surprisingly inexpensive. He also assured me that he would pass the cheap prices on to us; so let's hope he is true to his word. He also told me that he is looking into getting replacement collection cups and lids.

What you said is kinda funny also...when I did get ahold of them they told me they had tons of the pumps laying around, now they are telling you that they are on order. Something is fishy with them. I am getting really unhappy.

 

[clkwrk]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7989657#post7989657 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Roland Jacques
spazz

i belive this OTP3000 is the same housing as the OR3500 if that helps.

i clean up the hosuing transistion areaas much as i could even went thru . got the flow up to 18-19 scfh with a little venture work.

heres the elbow mod. i also went in their from both sides and opened it up the shape 90 with a round rotary file. the pump pulls the same mounted to the skimmer or unattached at 21 scfh.

You can bore that more Those threads can be sanded gone . That piece comes out of the pump as seen in my pics a page back or so . I am sure that will help more since you only need the outside threads.

 

[Robert Patterso]

What tool did you use to open the hole up in the elbow. I used the same stone as Roland did on first page of this thrd. I didn't notice any heat while grinding and yes I went slowly and checked for heat and just when I was almost through the black insert melted completely in too. Luckily I'm a machinist and had some solid pvc stock in the shop, so was able to machine a new piece. I bored it to .660 and was able to adjust the hieght of tube. I when I connect my pump to skimmer body it caused it to tilt because pump set up of the floor to much. My skimmer has the elbow in so I drilled it in four places to relieve some back pressure. Also chamfered acrylic tue going into skimmer body hopefully for better transition, also ground venture area in pump.

 

[Roland Jacques]

clkwrk
your talking about th upper photo? if so those are the threads for the double ended male nipple. so i cant sand those out with out trying to epoxy something (a union) to the outside of the pump.
The other thing is that my new impeller wont run right without the double ended nipple in place go figure that one.

Buy the way. The new impeller on my NW-200 skimmer is pulling 24-25 SCFH now. and the coolest thing is my water flow is is way down, under 400 gph.

 

[Roland Jacques]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8008799#post8008799 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Robert Patterso
What tool did you use to open the hole up in the elbow. I used the same stone as Roland did on first page of this thrd. I didn't notice any heat while grinding and yes I went slowly and checked for heat and just when I was almost through the black insert melted completely in too. Luckily I'm a machinist and had some solid pvc stock in the shop, so was able to machine a new piece. I bored it to .660 and was able to adjust the hieght of tube. I when I connect my pump to skimmer body it caused it to tilt because pump set up of the floor to much. My skimmer has the elbow in so I drilled it in four places to relieve some back pressure. Also chamfered acrylic tue going into skimmer body hopefully for better transition, also ground venture area in pump.

I was afraid that might happen. When I reamed mine I did 1/8" at a time 1/8" pulled it out 4 seconds or so then repeated. That’s why I said 5/8" dia. would be safer. Im glad you’re a machinist.

Any way you sounds like you’ve done some good work on it. How much air do you want it to flow? My Impeller mod is working AWESOME!!! But you will have to lower your output tube a little.

 

[clkwrk]

Sorry I mean this inner ring which you can feel a ridge in this piece.