Sicce PSK1000 on Octopus Extreme 160?

G

gonpostal

Member
I have an older style Octopus Extreme 160 with a Sicce PSK2500 on it. The skimmer does a great job, but the pump is starting get a little louder and has always had the startup issue. The new Octo Extreme 160s come with the Sicce PSK600, but I'm wondering if I can put a PSK1000 on mine and get better performance. Does anyone know if the 600 performs as well as the 2500? Is the 1000 much better than the 2500? Also, are the 600 and the 1000 the same physical size? I'm assuming the base of the new model Octo is the same height as the old model, and the 600 is the same size as the 2500. There isn't much clearance under the pump.
Thanks in advance.
 
I can't speak to whether you would get better perfomance. I just know that most manufacturers worth their salt have done extensive R&D to determine which pump performs best with which skimmer. If the skimmer dimensions between the old 160 and the new 160, then I would stick with the pump SRO is selling with them. Just my opinion.
 
Thanks, I did consider that. I was originally thinking about getting a bigger skimmer but was wondering if I could get a little more out of this one with the bigger pump. I feel like I may be pushing the limits of this skimmer with my 120g tank with a medium bioload. I also asked this question on the Skimmer Q&A Thread, and mojo also thinks the 1000 may be too much pump for the skimmer body. I guess I'll be looking for a new skimmer after all.
 
I know they have made some pump changes, I would email them directly to check for compatability between those pumps.
FWIW my extreme 160 that was on my 150g was close to all I needed IMO w/ a fairly heavy bioload, but having anthias that are fed often I bumped to the extreme 200.
On a 120g that should be all the skimmer you need.
 
Thanks davocean. I originally bought the Extreme 160 for a 90 gallon tank, but I've since upgraded to the 120. It's done a great job so far, but I'd like to have a little extra breathing room in case I add to the bioload or upgrade tanks again.
 
I have read a few threads on the PSK 600 to replace a psk 2500 and they felt the 600 was quieter but seems to have a lot less air draw to them . I think one of the person's guess was less than 540 lph of air .
I would think the 1000 would be a better replacement fit without the mesh woes .I personally love my Skimz sk201 but I also have a Sm -121 Eden 2000 and I can tell you that this pump is a chatter box . The 121 and octo extreme 160 are similar in design . I am also looking for a replacement pump for it .
 
Last edited:
I think skimmers seem to be rated more realistically than some from the older days.
I would consider my tank to be fairly heavy for bioload w/ my anthias feedings being so frequent.
Honestly I bumped to the 200 for the same reason, but I'm not really pulling that much more skim than my 160 did(It did add more watts and sound though!LOL)
After I did it, I wondered if I even needed to bump it.
Maybe w/ a newer pump you'll get what you want out of it.
 
Thanks guys.
mordibv, I also read that the 600 seemed weaker than the 2500, that's why I was initially looking at the 1000. I'm worried that the 1000 may be too strong. I was hoping that someone who has tried it would chime in, but no such luck. I'm still on the fence but leaning toward getting a whole new skimmer. :confused:
 
Okay, I figured I'd post a follow up on this in case anyone else was wondering. To make a long story short, I put a PSK1000 on my Extreme 160 and it works great. If you plan on doing this, keep in mind you'll have to order a fitting from CoralVue to mate the pump to the skimmer. I was running a PSK2500 with a Red Demon pinwheel on it before, and I've been running the PSK1000 for a couple of days now. Here are a couple of pictures to compare the two. You be the judge.

picture.php


picture.php
 
What is the magic fitting to mate the psk 1000 to the octopus 160? Looks like I am heading down this road as my psk 2500 stopped working.
 
I called CoralVue and ordered it over the phone, and it looks like this with a thinner wall (and no, that one won't fit into the skimmer). They charge $20 plus shipping, waaaaay overpriced for what it is.
 
samiam1975 said:
i wonder if that would work good on my 200 my pump is 2yrs old and making noise
Click to expand...
Yes, they use the PSK1000 on the new Extreme 200, and the new 160 comes with the PSK600. I only tried it because I already had a PSK1000 that came with another skimmer. The other skimmer didn't work as well as my Octopus, so I figured I'd try swapping out the pump.
 
I was able to cut the adapter off the psk 2500 with a saw and thread it onto the threads of the psk 1000 so no adapter needed. Just cleaned up the cut and matched the opening to the new pump. Just installed it so I will give it some time to make sure all stays well...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

sickman
Juwel Lido 200 - really reef tank ready all in one? Really Really?
2
Replies
39
Views
1K
Reefing102
Reefing102
T
90g + ~10g Sump + ~10g Fuge — Need new Skimmer
Replies
6
Views
711
kharmaguru
kharmaguru
Mr. Brooks
FS: Activated Carbon - ROX 0.8 from Bulk Reef Supply - Roughly two gallons $60
Replies
6
Views
1K
waterman78
W
E
Reef Octopus XL250
Replies
0
Views
616
erid
E
alpburakozbay
Dream of the Ocean
2
Replies
28
Views
3K
T Diddy
T Diddy
Back
Top