Octopus Skimmer Mods
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
- Status
JCTewks
In Memoriam
Really though, for all of you wondering "To Mod, or not to Mod" If you think the skimmer is performing well, leave it alone :lol: You can always get more air, finer bubbles, or whatever out of these skimmers...but there is definitely a point where you mod so far that the performance of the skimmer is no longer increasing.
Try one mod at a time...wait...evaluate the performance and proceed thinking about whats next. Start with the small mods that don't involve the pump...Venturi mods, opening up the plumbing on the skimmer body a little, gate valve, things like that.
If you want to start modding the pump...GET A KILL-A-WATT...they are cheap and can be used for all sorts of things around the house. I would hate to see someone melt a pump, wipe out a tank, or worse, start a fire because they were too cheap to buy a $30 gizmo. You need to keep the pumps within their factory operating specs with regard to watts/VA...and try and keep the PF as high as you can. Air meters are not a neccesity for safety, but can be helpful to guage if a mod is actually producing more air or not...Louder is NOT always more air. I've done some mods that mad the airline sound like a jet...but the air draw was low and pulsing.
Off of the rant!! Just please be safe.
Try one mod at a time...wait...evaluate the performance and proceed thinking about whats next. Start with the small mods that don't involve the pump...Venturi mods, opening up the plumbing on the skimmer body a little, gate valve, things like that.
If you want to start modding the pump...GET A KILL-A-WATT...they are cheap and can be used for all sorts of things around the house. I would hate to see someone melt a pump, wipe out a tank, or worse, start a fire because they were too cheap to buy a $30 gizmo. You need to keep the pumps within their factory operating specs with regard to watts/VA...and try and keep the PF as high as you can. Air meters are not a neccesity for safety, but can be helpful to guage if a mod is actually producing more air or not...Louder is NOT always more air. I've done some mods that mad the airline sound like a jet...but the air draw was low and pulsing.
Off of the rant!! Just please be safe.
Last edited:
notenoughtanks
Member
So now i'm upset. 8 months ago I ditched my stock nw150 that worked awesome for a nw200 cause I thought I needed a bigger skimmer. the nw200 still doesnt skim for crap. The slight mods I posted before( drilled out the venturi a little, bored out the elbow) now a couple weeks later, the thing is skimming worse than it did stock. Isn't something wrong if I need the riser tube above the halfway point of the union to produce any skimmate? Should I bore out the venturi more or what?
skimmy
T3am Zissou
so has any one ordered one of the new ones and modded it at all??
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=34_398_399&products_id=2169
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=34_398_399&products_id=2169
JCTewks
In Memoriam
Nah...that's not a skimmer....look at these 
http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22_48
http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22_48
notenoughtanks
Member
bored the venturi a little bigger, now it's even worse. there is a steady fizz right at the base of the collection cup, seems to be too turbulant to produce any foam. Should I be doing anything the the water intake part of the venturi, it seems very restrictive, but I assume that is needed to cut down on turbulence. ABsolutely no skimmate production now.
skimmy
T3am Zissou
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11302190#post11302190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JCTewks
Nah...that's not a skimmer....look at these
http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22_48
those are cool, and so much cheaper than ati...
we are going to have both the new ones in the store i work at.
has anyone even bought one of the new models??
daytonreefRob
New member
They are not available yet, however, we keep inching closer to them being available.
I have an DNW 110 recirc and have done the following mods: 2 layers of GG w/one row of the original needles, bored out the elbow, bored out the pump intake, and bored out the volute. The skimmer seems to run pretty well, I don't get a ton of gunk but I have a very light bioload in my tank. I finally pick up a meter and the pump recommended at 32w is running at 44w. From what I've read the watts should have gone the other way, anyone have any suggestions on what I might have done wrong.
JCTewks
In Memoriam
Sound like one of two things....
1) The GG is too large in diameter or rubbing. Check to make sure that the GG is the same diameter as the NW, and that it is not rubbing on the volute cover.
2) The pump is getting too much water/not enough air. The Watts will go up when the pump is working too hard (duh?)...If you bored out the elbow a lot and didn't add any new restriction (ie the 1/4" barb fitting going into the elbow (reference my pics on pg4)) the pump could just be pulling too much water.
Do you have any pics of the venturi/elbow mod that you did? If so, post them so we can see what might be wrong.
1) The GG is too large in diameter or rubbing. Check to make sure that the GG is the same diameter as the NW, and that it is not rubbing on the volute cover.
2) The pump is getting too much water/not enough air. The Watts will go up when the pump is working too hard (duh?)...If you bored out the elbow a lot and didn't add any new restriction (ie the 1/4" barb fitting going into the elbow (reference my pics on pg4)) the pump could just be pulling too much water.
Do you have any pics of the venturi/elbow mod that you did? If so, post them so we can see what might be wrong.
skimmy
T3am Zissou
yes, they are available, at least these ones, not the extreme's
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=34_398
skimmy
T3am Zissou
well, that new body design is vastly superior to the old, and imo well worth the added cost. especially after modding the venturi/impellar/plumbing.
but yes, the octo extreme w/sicce pump is definately the best bang for the buck to be certain, but i'd be happy with the other ones compared to any of the old stye octo's.
im suprised they didnt use the qo3000 instead of the sicce pumps, i think they must have got a good deal on the sicce's.
but yes, the octo extreme w/sicce pump is definately the best bang for the buck to be certain, but i'd be happy with the other ones compared to any of the old stye octo's.
im suprised they didnt use the qo3000 instead of the sicce pumps, i think they must have got a good deal on the sicce's.
luke33
In Memoriam
I think the sicce's seem to start up better than the QO's imo. As for the body design being much better how so? The octo3000 pump isn't over turbulent for the octo200 body, just like the 150 to the 2000 and so on. So imo the bubble plate isnt going to make much of a difference at all. Sure it looks more like the BM, but the body is identical in size, same pump, same neck. I'd rather have an old body as i can use all the reaction chamber instead of 1/2 of it. The only thing i see that is a positive is the fact there won't be if any micro problems, but i didn't think that was a problem before.
skimmy
T3am Zissou
the things i really like about the new design of even the regular pump octo is;
1.water/air injected at very bottom of skimmer at an angle so as to spin before going up.
2. the ati style bubble plate,
3. the h&s style quick lock neck,
4. the ati style outlet that exits from the middle of the skimmer instead of the bottom (although i would definately mod with gate valve).
5. and finally, my favorite thig i like on the new style???
the fact that even on the smallest model, there's enough room on the inlet post to cut off the octo pump adapter, and ziptie a hose on the outside of the input, and add the quality pump of your choice :smokin:
i think the qo3000 would probably be perfect for that new octo 200, but the price for now is so cheap that you have no reason not to buy the models with the sicce pumps. but give it a few months...
1.water/air injected at very bottom of skimmer at an angle so as to spin before going up.
2. the ati style bubble plate,
3. the h&s style quick lock neck,
4. the ati style outlet that exits from the middle of the skimmer instead of the bottom (although i would definately mod with gate valve).
5. and finally, my favorite thig i like on the new style???
the fact that even on the smallest model, there's enough room on the inlet post to cut off the octo pump adapter, and ziptie a hose on the outside of the input, and add the quality pump of your choice :smokin:
i think the qo3000 would probably be perfect for that new octo 200, but the price for now is so cheap that you have no reason not to buy the models with the sicce pumps. but give it a few months...
luke33
In Memoriam
Yep, a QO300 for 40 + the 275 and your right at the 325 for the real octo extreme. Koral i see your points, just sayin if they really wanted to make a better skimmer they should have enlarged the neck and added a different pump. So they added a bubble plate (they didn't need) and turned the octo pump on its side ; ) I do love these skimmers though. The real mod imo would be to slap on another pump and recirc it using the output as the output but puting the inlet of the pump right above the bubble plate, would work great......but there's that darn 3.5" neck.......errrr
Vili_Shark
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11325293#post11325293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JCTewks
IMO the new coralvue octopus won;t hold a candle to the SWC Xtreme that Marine solutions is getting in.
The Xtreme will be a FAR superior skimmer than LOTS of skimmers on the market that are 2x-4x the price. Time will tell....these should be here by christmas
any pic?
- Status
