Octopus Skimmer Mods
- Thread starter JohnL
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hounddog01
Active member
I do not have the recirc. My pump starts right up. It is a good thing too since I turn it off when feeding.
Malifluous
New member
Hounddog, Do U have a mesh wheel?
hounddog01
Active member
Yes I have the mesh mod. Broke off the first layer of pins and added 3 layers of mesh. I also drilled the venturi to fit RO line and drilled the 90 slightly. then notched the RO line so air could go both ways. My meter only goes to 20 and i peg it. I am looking into getting a meter that will read more air.
timrandlerv10
New member
well, after removing the entire top layer of pins and needles (lol pins and needles) i was able to zip tie 2 layers of mesh.
i also bored out the venturi (after i snapped off the connector playing with the pump...grr...) to 1/4" and put ro/di 1/4 tubing on it.
the pump now puts out a mere fraction of what it did before...but at least it runs (albeit not enough to skim anything!).
what do i need to explain/show you guys in order to give you an idea of what i did wrong?
how can i go about fixing them? (doh!)
thanks!
tim
i also bored out the venturi (after i snapped off the connector playing with the pump...grr...) to 1/4" and put ro/di 1/4 tubing on it.
the pump now puts out a mere fraction of what it did before...but at least it runs (albeit not enough to skim anything!).
what do i need to explain/show you guys in order to give you an idea of what i did wrong?
how can i go about fixing them? (doh!)
thanks!
tim
Covey
New member
Mal and for anyone else having starting problems with the mesh. First off you have to make sure the mesh isn't rubbing. Which it looked like you tried. Second and the thing that most people over look is all magnet drive pumps including these have play built into the impeller. The pump can spin the magnet freely before it hits the stopper built into the inside of pinwheel or paddle wheel.
With out this play the pump is unable to start from a dead stop. This is what is happening alot of times if it won't start. You have to trim the inside of the mesh right around where the plastic nut is. Just make sure your moded impeller still has that stock 1/3 turn of play and you should be good to go.
Covey
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9373722#post9373722 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Roland Jacques
I reversed drilled the air line hole to accommodate a RO Gusset fitting I got at lowes. (drilling is tricky not to go to deep) then threaded the fitting in firmly. I put some Fastweld on it to but it was not absolutely necessary.
Then just drilled the other hole out slightly larger than before, I can pull over 40 scfh through this venturi. (be careful drilling not to go all the way through!!!)
Sweet Roland! Thanks, I think this is how I will mod my recirc.
hounddog01
Active member
First what pump do you have. You should be able to get 3 layers of mesh on it.
When you say a mere fraction of what it did? You mean bubbles or what. When I did my mod I thought the same thing. It seemed there were less bubbles in the skimmer chamber but when you put a air meter in it it was pulling 80% more air. The next day when I got up the skimmer cup was full. I had to lower the water level over 2 inches to get the dark skimate.
Let it run for a day or two before you place judgement. Also if you have a air meter how much are you pulling. Should be close to 20 SCFM.
timrandlerv10
New member
ok. i'll wait!
when i left though, i had the black riser as far up as it would go, and water only got to the bottom of the neck. it was like as if all the bubbles were popping before they could accumulate or something.
when i left though, i had the black riser as far up as it would go, and water only got to the bottom of the neck. it was like as if all the bubbles were popping before they could accumulate or something.
JCTewks
In Memoriam
Tim, it takes a while for these to break in. I hope you don't come hoe to a house full of water. I had mine surprise me one night when I went to bed frustrated thinking "this thing sucks, I can't get it to work". I woke up the next morning and had wet skimmed about 5 gals from the tank. Once it breaks in it will take off if you've done it right.
Also Tim, PM me if you can't find those thrust washers at HD, I think I have a spare set laying around.
Jeff
Also Tim, PM me if you can't find those thrust washers at HD, I think I have a spare set laying around.
Jeff
Malifluous
New member
Covey, I hear what u are saying about the 1/3 of play on the impellor. I have seen this in other pumps.. But the impellor I have in the OTP 1000 has no play. I removed all the mesh to confirm that there is no play in the impellor. The impellor I have has white neeedles/pins on it. Is there another type of implellor that is available that has the "play ".? I think that wouls solve my frozen impellor problems.
JCTewks
In Memoriam
Mine also has no play in it. The NW impellers are a rigid design. the stardard bladed impellers have the play in them. I never had trouble starting my pump before the mesh mod. I do believe the issues are either with material rubbing the body or shaft, or that we are just adding to much weight and the pump has a hard time starting in just water. once the air is coming in they run just fine because air is easier to move than water. like i've said earlier, mine youjust have to blow in. I did have some attempts at meshwheels that i couldn't get started even by blowing in. I would pull the impeller out, trim just a little bit off of the mesh and it usually would start by blowing in it. I haven't been able to come up with a meshwheel yet that is worth a crap that I didn't have to kickstart with a lottle air. for me, if they started on their own I was only getting like 10 SCFH. Now I'm at 20 and trying to go even higher.
Jeff
Covey
New member
I guess I can't speak for the smaller Octos but the impeller on the OTP-3000 on the larger skimmers has that play built in. Also my MAG drive, maxi-jet and CAP 2200 all have it built in as well.
Are you sure you didn't get anything bound in it or glue on something in all the moding?
I tired at one point to hold the mesh down with a bed of super-glue instead of the wire ties and the glue got in the impeller assemble and seized it. With the impeller glued into one large piece I can tell you that in that form it would not start at all.
Are you sure you didn't get anything bound in it or glue on something in all the moding?
I tired at one point to hold the mesh down with a bed of super-glue instead of the wire ties and the glue got in the impeller assemble and seized it. With the impeller glued into one large piece I can tell you that in that form it would not start at all.
Mr Bojangles
New member
well I just got my air flow meter and with 2 layers of mesh on the stock NW-200 impeller and the RO tubing venturi I have 25 cfm, dose that sound about right? I am seeing less bubbles in the skimmer but the amount of skimmate looks and makes much more then before
hounddog01
Active member
That sounds about right. That is what mine is doing (i have to guess since my meter only goes up to 20 but it is peged). It takes a while for a foam head to build up (about 2 hours) but I am getting 2x the skimate now than i did and the riser tube is 2 inches lower.
I believe with these two mods this skimmer will compete with ones that cost 3x as much.
Kurt03
Active member
Is this what you are using Mr Bojangles?
Just wanna make sure you havent changed it and i missed something.
Just wanna make sure you havent changed it and i missed something.
<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.
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