Octopus Skimmer Mods

[Malifluous]

lynxdevlopment
I think u will have to take it apart to fix the leak properly. I would remove the leaking peice and wipe some silicone grease on the
O-ring

Jef, I forgot about the middle where the shaft goes still needs to remain untouched, but grinding around it should make some more room in there. I will do the venturi mod before I start grinding that part down. Did u enlarge the existing venturi or made a completely new hole ?

 

[Malifluous]

Hey Jeff, Thanks for the tips! I added another 1/4" ID venturi on the opposite end of the the stock venturi. Drilled a hole and tapped it, screwed in a 3/16" barbed fitting. Im pulling about 18 scfh. My bubble / water line is at the point where water enters the skimmer from the tank. Cant get any lower than that!. The only mods i have done are
1. mesh wheel
2. reamed out the area where the water leaves the volute to make a smooother ride.
3. Larger venturi.

 

[JCTewks]

Malifilous, I actually bored out that entire piece where the existing venturi hole comes in. it comes stock at about 3/8" ID and I bored it out as large as I could, about 13/16 or so. I'v thought about adding a second airlineto the other side of the venturi, but, like i've said....I can't handle any more air. Is your foam just pouring into the collection cup uncontrollably??? if not yet....watch out....you'll be needing a neck extension like mine.


Here is mine before I had the air meter at what i would guess to be 17-18 SCFH

Jeff

 

[Malifluous]

I was afraid to mess with the stock venturi so I did a separate one that I could close up if I messed up. No uncontrollable foam yet. I experimented with the skimmer mods on a 10 gallon with no bioload. In the 10 gal I had foam like crazy but not uncontrolable as long as I kept the effluent valve open all the way. I just hooked it up to my main tank and glued one part and the foam is very minimal. I think this is from the glue. Hopefully I am around when it gets rid of the glue and breaks in so It doesnt make a mess.

 

[Malifluous]

5 minutes later............yes the foam is out of control. Its uncontollably Great!!!!!

 

[BLockamon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9384531#post9384531 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lynxdevlopment
I can't get my octo 400 to stop leaking from around one of the pump intakes, the black part of the pump that comes off if I turn it a 1/4 turn and the impeller is inside of. Also of course it's full of twenty or so gal's of water any suggestions how to fix it with out taking apart.

As the previous poster said, silicone grease might work. It didn't work for me; the leak was too large. I eventually put a bead of silicone sealant around the volute. Rather annoying because 1) I have to let it cure overnight before putting the pump back on and 2) I have to use pliers to get the volute back off.

 

[Roland Jacques]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9388566#post9388566 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JCTewks
Malifilous, I actually bored out that entire piece where the existing venturi hole comes in. it comes stock at about 3/8" ID and I bored it out as large as I could, about 13/16 or so. I'v thought about adding a second airlineto the other side of the venturi, but, like i've said....I can't handle any more air. Is your foam just pouring into the collection cup uncontrollably??? if not yet....watch out....you'll be needing a neck extension like mine.


Here is mine before I had the air meter at what i would guess to be 17-18 SCFH

Jeff

jeff is that a 150 or 110? where did you find the metric union?

 

[Malifluous]

Its a 110

 

[Malifluous]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9370540#post9370540 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mr Bojangles
well I just took a idea from my other modded skimmer and used it on the octo, I drilled the stock on out and put a notch in it so the ro tubing can go straight down, cut it on a angle, a zip tie to keep it upright and wallah! This is seeming to pull more than just the regular drill out and shove a tube in. I get my air meeter any day now and I will let you know what I am getting.

I also tried this with the same type of semi rigid tube cut at an angle. I got the same results with no tube inserted . I made the venturi the same diameter of the hose you are using and it pullled the same. Let us know when u get the flow meter

 

[KH971]

Yeah where did he get the metric union????

 

[ebayes11]

On a recirculating model (DNW-200) using a feed pump rather than direct feed, would you mesh mod both pump's impellers?

 

[timrandlerv10]

mesh mod help: i have the otp 1000, which has to laters of rods with needles on them. i broke the first row's needles off and put three layers of mesh on. too much.

put two layers of mesh on. still too much.

broke those rods off, got smaller zip ties, put two layers of mesh on.

the pump spins, but stops randomly. you know, randomly, like when i put it in water.

help?

 

[timrandlerv10]

can you cut off both layers of needles?

how does this pump move water? it doesnt seem like needlewheels would actually move water anyway!

i've put it together and taken it apart about a dozen times now, and i cant see where it even rubs against anything...


HELP!!!

 

[JCTewks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9389801#post9389801 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Roland Jacques
jeff is that a 150 or 110? where did you find the metric union?

Roland,

that is indeed a 110....it turns out that a standard SCH 80 2"union will thread right onto the male metric union on the body. Unfortunately it did not work the other way so I had to take the union off of the collection cup and glue a standard union on. that 2"union with just little bit of grinding fit perfectly. I did remove all of that flange inside the new unions so that there weren't as many places for the foam to break on.

maybe soneone should try some american unions on some of the other models and see if they'll fit as well. I was relieved when I found out i didn't have to go cutting up the body of the skimmer.

BTW 2 1/2" Acrylic( out of my old Seaclone) fits in those unios with a little work on the union. it wasn't too big of a job, took like 30 minutes.

I would love to see Rich Conley put a 24"neck extension on his and really let that pump that will pull 60SCFH go to town

 

[JCTewks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9395371#post9395371 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by timrandlerv10
can you cut off both layers of needles?

how does this pump move water? it doesnt seem like needlewheels would actually move water anyway!

i've put it together and taken it apart about a dozen times now, and i cant see where it even rubs against anything...


HELP!!!

You don't have to cut anything off....take a knife like an exacto and just pry the NW's off. once you get the glue off of the outside they really just pull right off. make sure that you are getting the shaft into the rubber thingy when youare putting the cover back on. I actually tak that little rubber thing and put it on the shaft before I put the cover on. If you are yrying to run it with the shaft crooked it might be the problem.

Jeff

 

[fighton03]

I have the 200 recirc. The airline hooked up to the venturi is 5/16". Would I need to bore out the intake bigger than that??? Right now I have milky bubbles all the way down the body to about 2 1/2 inches from the bottom of the 19" body. I don't have an air meter, but can I expect more out of this setup? I have two layers of mesh on the stock impeller and I bored out the inside of venturi after the 90 degree turn. Trying to decide if I should bore out the entire venturi.

 

[timrandlerv10]

i pulled the 'rubber thingy' out of the cover, and put in on to make sure it was fitting properly. I also have it down to two layers of mesh, and the pump still fails to run (it actually stops) when i put it in water.

any other ideas?

 

[JCTewks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9396056#post9396056 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by timrandlerv10
i pulled the 'rubber thingy' out of the cover, and put in on to make sure it was fitting properly. I also have it down to two layers of mesh, and the pump still fails to run (it actually stops) when i put it in water.

any other ideas?

are you running it with or without air feed to it?? with out air it could freeze up. mine will not run if i block the air coming into it, if I blow into the air hose it fires up and runs like a champ. the issue is with all of this stuff we are putting into our pumps makes them heavier and a greater load on the pump. thankfully we are able to pull much more air (which is easier to move) which compensates for the extra weight. try hooking up the venturi and blowing into it.

Jeff

 

[Malifluous]

My pump some times does not start up. I found it is easier to start it up with no water inside. I also discovered that if it is not starting, turning the whole skimmer up side down starts it right. Not very conveniant but it gets it going. Im have trimmed the wheel the best i could. Blowing in the venturi does not work for mine.

 

[Malifluous]

My pump some times does not start up. I found it is easier to start it up with no water inside. I also discovered that if it is not starting, turning the whole skimmer up side down starts it right. Not very conveniant but it gets it going. Im have trimmed the wheel the best i could. Blowing in the venturi does not work for mine.