The end of the Beckett as we know it.

Actually, I really think multi-pump skimmers are where it's at, efficiency-wise anyway. Using one circulation-style pump to move a large volume of water through a large skimmer, and a second pressure-style pump using something like a mazzei, beckett, eductor injection to mix a large volume of air into the mix via recirculation within the chamber. I'm no skimmer expert, but I would think you would always want your liquid moving counter-current to your air, any injection method other than say, an airstone, doesn't really give you a true counter-current design. Using two pumps, circulation pump driving the top, exiting the bottom in true countercurrent style, and your pressure injecting air at the bottom of the chamber (don't know where it would be best to take the water from, top, middle, or bottom of the chamber.

jb
 
Here is what I'm talking about, obviously not to scale but it seems to illustrate what I mean.. Like I said, nothing revolutionary here, it's probably been done before. The nice thing about this one is it has the possibility of being driven by an overflow given the right circumstances. With all the buzz around here about bare-bottom high flow tanks to keep detritus suspended, maybe running something like this directly from the tank overflow would ensure that everything you would want to get skimmed from the tank gets skimmed, because it's got to pass through the skimmer on its trip to the sump and back. Only issue here is how to locate what will probably be a very tall skimmer below the tank. Just throwing out some ideas..

Jim
 

Attachments

  • multipumpeductor.jpg
    multipumpeductor.jpg
    28.6 KB · Views: 1
Has everyone forgotten abou Mazzei injectors? I'ver never used one myself, but have always heard they SMOKE the becketts.

Kev
 
I have a 1/2" mazzei here, played around with it as an upgrade to another skimmer with a 1/2 venturi. Never got it to work quite right, but I was trying mag drive pumps, just looking at the thing its obvious it needs a serious pressure pump (Mag 7 and Rio 2100 didn't barely even made the thing suck air in). In comparison, I can get my Beckett to skim (not all that great) with a Mag 7 (With a Mag 12 it flies). Never tested the Mazzei with the Mag 12, would probably work..

jb
 
Last edited:
As you all DIY'ers, this is bad news. But, someone or somebody will come up with another idea. I guess we allhave to back in square one AGAIN.......got ideas???? So we can copy it =)

arjay96
 
ReefRat- That's good news- I'll keep my eyes open for them. Maybe someone else will pick up the US market.

1234- That is a neat setup. It appears to use a method similar to both ETSS (Downdraft) and HSA (High Speed Aerator). I would be concerned about patent issues there.

Grim- I like the multi-pump re-circulating setups too, although I have not built one yet. I don't like the power-head style pumps though. I feel they are louder, less efficient, and perhaps have a shorter lifespan than a (more expensive) external pump like a Sequence or Iwakii.

No reason you could not run a small Iwakii on a re-circulating loop, but if you need it plus a feeder pump, the total cost of ownership (TCO) goes up. Maybe this would be a good place for the new cheaper Sequence pumps (Valuflow) with the translucent bells.

Kevin- I have a Mazzei, they are one of the best venturi, but I feel a Beckett pulls in far more air. The Beckett has four air inputs, compared to the single one on the Mazzei. I don't have tests to prove the air flow though, that would make a good weekend project for someone with a flow meter.


Zeph
 
I don't know what you guys are worried about.

Becket stopped making them because there are so many knock-offs on the market. There will always be fountain heads exactly like those, just not the Becket brand.
 
While looking at replacements for the Beckett based skimmers I tried the Mazzei injector also. I tried the 3/4" model as well as the 1" model. My test pump was an Iwaki 70RLT with a ball valve on the output of the pump. The one drawback to the Beckett based skimmers is that they require a large pressure rated pump and I have had many customers state this.

Overall, I felt the beckett still performed better than the mazzei injector. The Mazzei did produce finer bubbles than the beckett did but the Beckett produced many more bubbles.

I feel that to get comparable skimming from a Mazzei skimmer, it would need to be larger(taller) than the beckett.

HTH,
Greg
 
I have been thinking about this before I heard about the end of the becketts. I wanted to try one of these They are suposed to suck in a tremendous amount of water, but I wonder if it can be caged off to suck air instead. I may get one just to give it a try. All it will require is to modify a housing but first just see how they work. Just a thought.
Jeff
 
Well I hear good things about the mazzei too. Dont know much about the beckett....

I did some research and all mazzei are not equal. They differ greatly on the INSIDE...

I called and talked to Richard at Mazzei and he says to first determine the PUMP you want to use and get the proper flow from the gph (psi) THEN that will determine wich Maszzei you should use... They said to call in with pump tables and they will tell you wich mazzei will work.
 
Has anyone built this mazzei skimmer with pictures to follow? I cant seem to find a thread about mazzei and how it actually works.

arjay96
 
the oase nozzle looks just like the the injector cheapreef posted. I think you can find them for about 10.00 on line
 
this was the part number, I cant pull it up on line now >NPFH3
they may have stopped making these as well
 
geo said:
the oase nozzle looks just like the the injector cheapreef posted. I think you can find them for about 10.00 on line
Click to expand...

The one i posted is a brand called Wetlands, i'll see if i can get some info on them today. I'll post what i find out tonight.

Clinton
 
Geo: do you happen to have the website for it? $10.00 sound pretty reasonable price.

cheepreef: i did try to find nozzle in wetlands website but, i came up empty handed. So if you can find it, let us know. Thanks....

About the Mazzei nozzle: I see that LifeReef use them and the way i look at it, the mazzei nozzle is longer than the picture from LifeReef Skimmers photos.


arjay96
 
The eductor looks promising, but having it described as sounding like a jet taking off is a REALLY big draw back. A plus is that it can be made out of PVC so the complicated injector housing is a thing of the past.
 
mazzis are nice but $$$$. the website I had no longer has them available. I treid searching on the part number and couldnt find it either. so it may be a dead deal as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Help with Overflow Design Issue
Replies
0
Views
67
SFMAquariums
S
M
Calling UK reefers – help shape the future of smart aquarium care
Replies
0
Views
270
Millsc
M
Paul B
How Fish are Different from most of us
Replies
1
Views
1K
Paul B
Paul B
S
Why do oversized protein skimmers not adequately remove protein from a tank?
Replies
17
Views
3K
Guygettnby
Guygettnby
Paul B
The Benefit of Parasites
Replies
4
Views
1K
kelly_12
K
Back
Top