Octopus Skimmer Mods

Roland Jacques · 08/02/2006, 03:24 PM

Please post your mods. The more the better. Nothing is to small.

Please include photos, and where you buy the parts for your Mod.

THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR MODIFICATIONS!
If you have skimmer questions (not about the mods) go to.

New Reef Octupus Skimmer Thread (Pacific Coast Imports)http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...98#post7863198

So i guess ill start. here's a easy one.

gasket mod
the short venture comes with a gasket that blocks some of the air hole lowes sells a pack of O-rings #18 in the plumbig dept 1-3/16 od x 15/16 id. under $2.00. at Lowes

Roland Jacques · 08/02/2006, 04:09 PM

water out-put mod
i put this NW-200 in a 10 gallon tank/sump the water output would spell/ splash over the sides.

1 i cut 2" off the black water overflow tube / outlet (because the wye make your spellway about 2" taller)

i got a 1-1/2" abs pipe and a wye & a 90 at lowes about $9.00 total
i glued the wye onto about 3" of pipe, in the and then just pressed th other pieces together.
i put silicone on the base of the wye and the some on the 3" piece . and stuck it inside the org tube.

it works great no splashing. their was a slight gurgle sound very slight. i put a air line hose (yellow in photo) into the top of the wye opening and the sound was gone.

advena · 08/02/2006, 04:36 PM

This is for the DNW-200 (RPS-3000)...
-- I THINK THIS WORKS FOR THE 150/2000 AS WELL--

to convert your handy metric outlet plumbing to US do one of the following:

Best:
get a 1.5" true union & slightly grind down the edges of the insert... pull the metric insert out of the skimmer's union, put the new trimmed insert in & plumb with 1.5" after that. WOOT!!

A bit lower on the Mohs scale of goodness:
take a 1.25" coupler and glue it into the metric union. Perfect fit. Plumb with 1.25" after that.

Even less good on the Mohs scale:
take a rubber sewer converter (the rubber sleeve that comes with 2 stainless steel "screw clamps") that will fit over the metric pipe (basically 2") and whatever US plumbing you use after it.

all this stuff is easy to get at the local hardware store...

have fun!

-scott

KillaReef · 08/02/2006, 08:39 PM

anyone got anything on making a NW150 into a recirc ?

Abengochea · 08/02/2006, 10:27 PM

does the oring change make a difference? I was thinking of just not using any gasket

advena · 08/02/2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KillaReef
anyone got anything on making a NW150 into a recirc ?

nobody i know has done it... mainly due to the difficulity of making it not leak... if you dont care about leakage it should be quite easy...
the mod would depend on the NW you were gonna mod it with.

-scott

advena · 08/02/2006, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Abengochea
does the oring change make a difference? I was thinking of just not using any gasket

as far as air intake, yes it matters... it sounds like the newer models dont have the issues that the older versions had, but on mine the gasket blocked a fair portion of the venturi... once i reamed that gasket out there was a definite difference in bubble density.

i also must say that i didnt exchange the gasket with an o-ring. i put a dab of supa-glue on the gasket, seated it correctly, let it dry for a sec, then cored out whatever rubber covered the venturi hole using a flex-shaft (basically an expensive jewelry "dremel").

if you dont care about leaking, you prolly dont need the gasket, however if you do (out of sump installation) i would suggest it... its super easy to do, so i would do it no matter if its run dry or wet.

-scott

danskim · 08/02/2006, 10:38 PM

Yes, if you don't use the gasket, I imagine that you will lose some pressure and flow.

Roland Jacques · 08/03/2006, 05:53 PM

NW_200 elbow mod.
The skimmer I got came with a restrictive 90 degree elbow attached to the union.
The output hole size of the pump is .72" and the attaching 90 hole was .54" (A bottle neck).

At ace hardware I got a cone shape "abrasives" rotary stone "MPC14 540223" 11/16" Diameter. $2.39

at Lowes I got a #15 o-ring kit comes in a pack of 15 or so $2.00

take the stone in a drill motor and use it to ream out the hole a little at a time removing the shaving as you go.
(My concern was going to big and breaking the elbow 11/16" worked out perfect.. if you would rather be safer go 5/8" I use a rotary file with that OD and drilled backwards is safer and the flow increase was the same with both sizes. I may upgrade the pump at a latter time so I went with the max 11/16")

the results was a 30% increase in air flow to my skimmer when i was using the short venture (the one you see the most)

scubaduderon · 08/03/2006, 06:16 PM

Exactly what surface did you change?

Thank you,
Ron

s=&postid=7874000#post7874000 target=_blank>Originally posted by Roland Jacques [/i]
NW_200 elbow mod.
The skimmer I got came with a restrictive 90 degree elbow attached to the union.
The output hole size of the pump is .72" and the attaching 90 hole was .54" (A bottle neck).

At ace hardware I got a cone shape "abrasives" rotary stone "MPC14 540223" 11/16" Diameter. $2.39

at Lowes I got a #15 o-ring kit comes in a pack of 15 or so $2.00

take the stone in a drill motor and use it to ream out the hole a little at a time removing the shaving as you go.
(My concern was going to big and breaking the elbow 11/16" worked out perfect.. if you would rather be safer go 5/8" I use a rotary file with that OD and drilled backwards is safer and the flow increase was the same with both sizes. I may upgrade the pump at a latter time so I went with the max 11/16")

the results was a 30% increase in air flow to my skimmer when i was using the short venture (the one you see the most) [/QUOTE]

Roland Jacques · 08/03/2006, 06:23 PM

I made the hole larger. On the 90 that attaches to the pump.

i should of just said that in the first place

tm613 · 08/03/2006, 07:10 PM

note the gasket mod is only for the recirc models...no gasket is needed for the non-recirc

scaryperson27 · 08/04/2006, 07:06 AM

I performed the gasket mod then the nipple where you put the air pipe on the venturi broke off. So i just shoved the air pipe in the intake. Workes just as good with less flow restriction

scaryperson27 · 08/04/2006, 08:05 PM

I tried my hand at the recirculation mod... Well, it was a failure. I
was drilling a 3/4" hole in the side of the body when the acrylic snap
crackeled poped and left me with a 3" hole. I have this duct tape that
is like 12" wide and used that and some plastic to seal it up for the
time being. I am so mad at myself. If anyone wants a oceanrunner 2700
for a price just send me a PM. I am planning to buy another nw-150 and
replace the old NOW MODDED

one. The thing is only like 3 weeks
old so if there are any other parts also you would like for a price just
send a PM. If you are going to try the recirc mod, an extra pump would
be usable hint hint.

Will
sell MY pump for $50

Man I'm steamed.

Mike

Ereefic · 08/04/2006, 08:23 PM

Ugh! That sucks scaryperson27.

Maybe those thinking of modding the NW skimmers to make them recirc., should think about just buying the recirc right off the bat. Might be cheaper than buying 1, breaking it and then buying another.

D-Rod · 08/04/2006, 08:49 PM

Scaryperson27,
What is that little grey tube that you have in th first pic.
and what is it used for? i have one but i don't know where to put it.

Roland Jacques · 08/04/2006, 08:59 PM

sorry to hear about your skimmer cracking. drilling plastic is a touchy thing. i would try to run the drill backwards on thin or small things pieces, bring careful not melt things.

isnt that pump the OTP 2000 it is probably not identical to the OR2700. FWIW i think your not supose to try and sell stuff in these threads.

KEstep · 08/04/2006, 09:06 PM

Ouch that sucks man. I have (fortunately) drilled 5 superskimmers (10 holes) and have not cracked a thing.. You have to go sloooooooooowwwwww when drilling acrylic and let the drill do its thing.

scaryperson27 · 08/04/2006, 09:52 PM

Yep, I think I found that out the hard way. Well I'm looking into some new skimmers

I could not post in the seller forums because I have not been a member for more than 90 days. I didn't mean to sound like a chinese supermarket.

I thought It was the same as the 2700. Meh whatever. It is a good pump thats less than a month old that what it is.

Roland Jacques · 08/05/2006, 08:05 AM

scaryperson27
i just found out that i could blow up your pictures. what kind of drill bit were you using to drill that hole?

Avast Marine · 08/05/2006, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by scaryperson27

Will
sell MY pump for $50

Man I'm steamed.

Mike

This can be fixed. It may seem bad now and it will never look pretty, but it is not impossible. I'd come over there and help you out but it's a little far

. If you want to give it a shot let me know and I (and others I'm sure) would walk you through the process. Otherwise send me a PM for the whole kitten kaboodle to 22301 and I'll fix it and give it to a club member who needs a skimmer and doesn't care how it looks.

scaryperson27 · 08/05/2006, 07:07 PM

I bought another body from Aquacave. Hopefully it will get here soon in one piece. I need to get a skimmer back on my system. Thankfully right now it had a very low bioload and will do okay without a skimmer for a week or so but I don't sleep easy at night not knowing the waterquality my tank is used to is not there. Stupid move on my part. I was using your average joe 3/4" drill bit but not on reverse and not slow. I was thinking "ahh this will be a sinch to drill".. Well... yeah.

hahnmeister · 08/05/2006, 07:14 PM

I was thinking that the riser assembly, cup, etc could be taken off, and the body swapped out for a piece of acrylic/PVC pipe... easier to drill some new unions then... and then away you go...

Or heck, you could even do a prug style jug skimmer with the collection cup and pump... all you ruined its the body... not that big a deal...

I think the main reason nobody has bothered with modding is because its not that much more to just buy one that is recirculating in the first place...

Avast Marine · 08/05/2006, 07:14 PM

Thats good they were able to sell you just the body. Glad to hear you'll be up and running soon. I couldn't sleep for the last 2 weeks with no skimmer on my system so I know how you feel.

greenstarman · 08/05/2006, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by D-Rod
Scaryperson27,
What is that little grey tube that you have in th first pic.
and what is it used for? i have one but i don't know where to put it.

That goes on the air intake. It's their method of a silencer.

08/02/2006, 04:09 PM	#2
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	water out-put mod i put this NW-200 in a 10 gallon tank/sump the water output would spell/ splash over the sides. 1 i cut 2" off the black water overflow tube / outlet (because the wye make your spellway about 2" taller) i got a 1-1/2" abs pipe and a wye & a 90 at lowes about $9.00 total i glued the wye onto about 3" of pipe, in the and then just pressed th other pieces together. i put silicone on the base of the wye and the some on the 3" piece . and stuck it inside the org tube. it works great no splashing. their was a slight gurgle sound very slight. i put a air line hose (yellow in photo) into the top of the wye opening and the sound was gone. __________________ Roland

08/02/2006, 04:36 PM	#3
advena Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: denver Posts: 189	Metric to US conversions This is for the DNW-200 (RPS-3000)... -- I THINK THIS WORKS FOR THE 150/2000 AS WELL-- to convert your handy metric outlet plumbing to US do one of the following: Best: get a 1.5" true union & slightly grind down the edges of the insert... pull the metric insert out of the skimmer's union, put the new trimmed insert in & plumb with 1.5" after that. WOOT!! A bit lower on the Mohs scale of goodness: take a 1.25" coupler and glue it into the metric union. Perfect fit. Plumb with 1.25" after that. Even less good on the Mohs scale: take a rubber sewer converter (the rubber sleeve that comes with 2 stainless steel "screw clamps") that will fit over the metric pipe (basically 2") and whatever US plumbing you use after it. all this stuff is easy to get at the local hardware store... have fun! -scott __________________ <<i'm on the moon... with steeeve.>> Current Tank Info: reef: 150gal eurobraced acrylic (DSB)>30gal 'fuge (gravity return)>80gal sump>Iwaki 30RLXT>ReefOctopus DNW-200 recirc skimmer>Reefkeeper2>Tunze wavebox>Herbie's overflow>MH 250w (phoenix): 14k (x2) 10k (x1)>LED moonlight

08/02/2006, 10:27 PM	#5
Abengochea Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 670	does the oring change make a difference? I was thinking of just not using any gasket __________________ Armando Current Tank Info: 29 Biocube

08/02/2006, 10:38 PM	#8
danskim Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Ellicott City, MD Posts: 1,639	Yes, if you don't use the gasket, I imagine that you will lose some pressure and flow. __________________ Dan The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. -Jacques Cousteau

08/03/2006, 05:53 PM	#9
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	NW_200 elbow mod. The skimmer I got came with a restrictive 90 degree elbow attached to the union. The output hole size of the pump is .72" and the attaching 90 hole was .54" (A bottle neck). At ace hardware I got a cone shape "abrasives" rotary stone "MPC14 540223" 11/16" Diameter. $2.39 at Lowes I got a #15 o-ring kit comes in a pack of 15 or so $2.00 take the stone in a drill motor and use it to ream out the hole a little at a time removing the shaving as you go. (My concern was going to big and breaking the elbow 11/16" worked out perfect.. if you would rather be safer go 5/8" I use a rotary file with that OD and drilled backwards is safer and the flow increase was the same with both sizes. I may upgrade the pump at a latter time so I went with the max 11/16") the results was a 30% increase in air flow to my skimmer when i was using the short venture (the one you see the most) __________________ Roland

08/02/2006, 03:24 PM	#1
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	Octopus Skimmer Mods Please post your mods. The more the better. Nothing is to small. Please include photos, and where you buy the parts for your Mod. THIS THREAD IS ONLY FOR MODIFICATIONS! If you have skimmer questions (not about the mods) go to. New Reef Octupus Skimmer Thread (Pacific Coast Imports)http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...98#post7863198 So i guess ill start. here's a easy one. gasket mod the short venture comes with a gasket that blocks some of the air hole lowes sells a pack of O-rings #18 in the plumbig dept 1-3/16 od x 15/16 id. under $2.00. at Lowes __________________ Roland

08/02/2006, 08:39 PM	#4
KillaReef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 16	anyone got anything on making a NW150 into a recirc ?

08/03/2006, 06:16 PM	#10
scubaduderon Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Chicagoland (Western Burbs) Posts: 188	Don't understand what you changed... Exactly what surface did you change? Thank you, Ron s=&postid=7874000#post7874000 target=_blank>Originally posted by Roland Jacques [/i] NW_200 elbow mod. The skimmer I got came with a restrictive 90 degree elbow attached to the union. The output hole size of the pump is .72" and the attaching 90 hole was .54" (A bottle neck). At ace hardware I got a cone shape "abrasives" rotary stone "MPC14 540223" 11/16" Diameter. $2.39 at Lowes I got a #15 o-ring kit comes in a pack of 15 or so $2.00 take the stone in a drill motor and use it to ream out the hole a little at a time removing the shaving as you go. (My concern was going to big and breaking the elbow 11/16" worked out perfect.. if you would rather be safer go 5/8" I use a rotary file with that OD and drilled backwards is safer and the flow increase was the same with both sizes. I may upgrade the pump at a latter time so I went with the max 11/16") the results was a 30% increase in air flow to my skimmer when i was using the short venture (the one you see the most) [/QUOTE]

08/03/2006, 06:23 PM	#11
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	I made the hole larger. On the 90 that attaches to the pump. i should of just said that in the first place __________________ Roland

08/03/2006, 07:10 PM	#12
tm613 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fairless Hills,PA Posts: 407	note the gasket mod is only for the recirc models...no gasket is needed for the non-recirc

08/04/2006, 07:06 AM	#13
scaryperson27 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Coral, F.L. Posts: 2,106	I performed the gasket mod then the nipple where you put the air pipe on the venturi broke off. So i just shoved the air pipe in the intake. Workes just as good with less flow restriction

08/04/2006, 08:05 PM	#14
scaryperson27 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Coral, F.L. Posts: 2,106	I tried my hand at the recirculation mod... Well, it was a failure. I was drilling a 3/4" hole in the side of the body when the acrylic snap crackeled poped and left me with a 3" hole. I have this duct tape that is like 12" wide and used that and some plastic to seal it up for the time being. I am so mad at myself. If anyone wants a oceanrunner 2700 for a price just send me a PM. I am planning to buy another nw-150 and replace the old NOW MODDED one. The thing is only like 3 weeks old so if there are any other parts also you would like for a price just send a PM. If you are going to try the recirc mod, an extra pump would be usable hint hint. Will sell MY pump for $50 Man I'm steamed. Mike

08/04/2006, 08:23 PM	#15
Ereefic Moved On Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 5,821	Ugh! That sucks scaryperson27. Maybe those thinking of modding the NW skimmers to make them recirc., should think about just buying the recirc right off the bat. Might be cheaper than buying 1, breaking it and then buying another.

08/04/2006, 08:49 PM	#16
D-Rod Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Paso Robles, Ca Posts: 1,020	Scaryperson27, What is that little grey tube that you have in th first pic. and what is it used for? i have one but i don't know where to put it. __________________ The Vino Man - I Trade With Wine...Just Ask! Current Tank Info: Small Tank, Lights, Fish; Tangs a whole bunch, 4 False Perculas, 6 rose anemones Mixed Reef.

08/04/2006, 08:59 PM	#17
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	sorry to hear about your skimmer cracking. drilling plastic is a touchy thing. i would try to run the drill backwards on thin or small things pieces, bring careful not melt things. isnt that pump the OTP 2000 it is probably not identical to the OR2700. FWIW i think your not supose to try and sell stuff in these threads. __________________ Roland

08/04/2006, 09:06 PM	#18
KEstep Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Amarillo, TX Posts: 550	Ouch that sucks man. I have (fortunately) drilled 5 superskimmers (10 holes) and have not cracked a thing.. You have to go sloooooooooowwwwww when drilling acrylic and let the drill do its thing. __________________ A bartender is just a pharmacist with limited inventory. If you drink don't park, accidents cause people. If only closed minds came with closed mouths. Have a great day. Kris Current Tank Info: 150g. DAS Oak Aquarium, 3 250w. Reeflux 10k on Coralvue Dimmable E-ballasts, 150lbs. Live Rock, DAS EX-2 Skimmer, Remote Deep Sand Bucket, Reefkeeper 2, 10 gallon fuge, 2 Vortechs, Coralvue Dual Chamber Calcium Reactor, Coralvue Kalkwasser Reactor.

08/04/2006, 09:52 PM	#19
scaryperson27 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Coral, F.L. Posts: 2,106	Yep, I think I found that out the hard way. Well I'm looking into some new skimmers I could not post in the seller forums because I have not been a member for more than 90 days. I didn't mean to sound like a chinese supermarket. I thought It was the same as the 2700. Meh whatever. It is a good pump thats less than a month old that what it is.

08/05/2006, 08:05 AM	#20
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	scaryperson27 i just found out that i could blow up your pictures. what kind of drill bit were you using to drill that hole? __________________ Roland

08/05/2006, 07:07 PM	#22
scaryperson27 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cape Coral, F.L. Posts: 2,106	I bought another body from Aquacave. Hopefully it will get here soon in one piece. I need to get a skimmer back on my system. Thankfully right now it had a very low bioload and will do okay without a skimmer for a week or so but I don't sleep easy at night not knowing the waterquality my tank is used to is not there. Stupid move on my part. I was using your average joe 3/4" drill bit but not on reverse and not slow. I was thinking "ahh this will be a sinch to drill".. Well... yeah.

08/05/2006, 07:14 PM	#23
hahnmeister Moved On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Brew City, WI Posts: 10,156	I was thinking that the riser assembly, cup, etc could be taken off, and the body swapped out for a piece of acrylic/PVC pipe... easier to drill some new unions then... and then away you go... Or heck, you could even do a prug style jug skimmer with the collection cup and pump... all you ruined its the body... not that big a deal... I think the main reason nobody has bothered with modding is because its not that much more to just buy one that is recirculating in the first place...

08/05/2006, 07:14 PM	#24
Avast Marine RC Sponsor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northern VA Posts: 2,446	Thats good they were able to sell you just the body. Glad to hear you'll be up and running soon. I couldn't sleep for the last 2 weeks with no skimmer on my system so I know how you feel. __________________ Dan Don't rush art, you get bad art.