Octopus Skimmer Mods - Page 15

JCTewks · 04/19/2007, 10:45 AM

ppurcell: the otp3000 willeasily do 15-20 lpm. you'll need to remove one or both of the nw's to get the watts down. what you are doing is just adding weight to an already heavy impeller. if you remove the NWs and add the mesh, you'll def get lower numbers for the wattage, and highernumbers of air. i'm getting 10 lpm out of my OTP1000 pump, the impeller is a bottom layer of needlepointers mesh, 4 layers of P4, and a top layer of GG. all of that is sewed together fairly snug with 10# fishing line. this is on an impeller with no NWs on it...for what we are doing with the mesh, the nw's are more a hinderence than a help...they just add weight without performance. more weight=more drag=more slip=more watts!!

thorsky · 04/19/2007, 10:56 AM

JC, how did you secure the mesh assembly to the impeller?

poopsko24 · 04/19/2007, 07:26 PM

ppurcell, thanx for the help. I have a euroreef 6-2, with a Sedra 5000 on my reef.....hoping this will be quite an improvement. If this works out all good I might consider putting one on my 220 FOWLR..........think it'll be enough skimmer for that ?

JCTewks · 04/19/2007, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thorsky
JC, how did you secure the mesh assembly to the impeller?

I just used super glue to attach the needlepointers mesh to the impeller and sewed everything to that using fishing line. i used a standard paddle impeller that i had and cut all of the paddles off. i would have used my NW impeller if i did not have the other. i got decent results with the NW impeller using only 1 NW and turning it upside down and doing this:

GG
Mesh
mesh
mesh
NW with teeth pointing down
Mesh
GG

it seems like a lot to fi ton the impeller. but i am doing it pretty compact...sewing it tightly with the fishing line. i am doing it so tight because keeping it flufy i could only get 2 layers of mesh in the volute. the air with only 2 layers wasn't that impressive.

reefez · 04/20/2007, 04:33 AM

So I'm getting the 3000 today and am thinking the gg mod is mandatory as well as running in a vinegar bath for a few hrs. any other mandatory mods before I put this bad boy to work? Do you all reccomend feeding it from the overflow? I have a 125gal. tank that is fed through the sump by a Iwaki 40 rlt with dual overflows. Should I just plumb one of the lines to feed the skimmer or just get a maxijet to feed it from the sump?

cato · 04/20/2007, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JCTewks
Here you go chirocato

this is on the page befor this...#13

Thanks a ton guys.

doonan75 · 04/20/2007, 12:12 PM

I don't know if any one posted this yet. The 3/4 inch screw adapter that comes with the rio pumps has a larger opening than the stock venturi adapter and it screws right in to the pump. I had one laying around. I drilled a venturi hole and it works pretty well. I don't have an airflow meter but the foam is def thicker, I also used fishing line on the impeller(didn't have any mesh).

kroe · 04/20/2007, 07:11 PM

If you have done an outlet mod to the OTP-3000 or other OTP/OceanRunner pump please comment: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1103180

reefez · 04/21/2007, 08:36 AM

Just got mine plumbed last night after a 4 hr. vinegar bath and the GG Mod. I cut off the top row of Needle wheels and used zip ties to secure 4 layers of gutter guard. Man I can't tell you how happy I am with the bubble size and build quality of the 3000. I'm feeding it with a Penguin 1140 that rates @ 300gph so I know I need less delivery to the skimmer. I have some turblance in the top of the neck but not too bad.

poopsko24 · 04/23/2007, 12:46 AM

anyone got any mesh i could get ?

ppurcell · 04/23/2007, 06:17 AM

doing a search for "Enkamat" on ebay showed me four auctions for $5.00 for a 4"x6" or $6.50 for 8"x8" including shipping.

I think someone posted something similar not long ago.

ppurcell · 04/23/2007, 06:26 AM

JC, after a week of break-in using my un-modded needle wheel with 4 layers of Enkamat wiretied to it I am now getting 15 lpm (31.8 scfh) and the watts have dropped to about 73-74.

I was going to tear my impeller apart yesterday so I could put it together the way you described yours, but decided that it is doing just about what I had hoped for all along. The only downside I see right now, is that A) I might be able to reduce the power draw but to go from 73 watts to 60 watts would result in a savings of 69 cents per month so I'm not going to sweat that too much. B) I imagine that I might be able to increase the air input to 16+ or more lpm as you said should be possible in your post.

JCTewks · 04/23/2007, 10:45 AM

yeah..but those few watts could lower the heat and increase the life of your pump! personally, i just like taking things as far as they'll go, you can always go back if you don't like it

reefez · 04/23/2007, 06:53 PM

I need Enkamat too if anyone has any? I am happy witht he GG mod but I think I want to experiment with the Enkamat. I am now feeding the skimmer with one of my overflow lines. Is their a downside to only useing 1 overflow hose to feed the skimmer or should I try and connect the two and have them both run into the skimmer? As it is I had to put a shut off valve en-route to the skimmer to reduce the flow to the desired flow of 150 gph. I also drilled out the venturi straight down, and reamed out the 90 degree hole a bit too. I don't have a meter to see how much air it is pulling, but I know it is more then it was out of the box. The air line now sticks to my finger without falling off LOL.

I love this skimmer! It is only on it's 3rd day and in 24 hrs. on it's second day it pumped out 1 cup of mud.

poopsko24 · 04/23/2007, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ppurcell
doing a search for "Enkamat" on ebay showed me four auctions for $5.00 for a 4"x6" or $6.50 for 8"x8" including shipping.

I think someone posted something similar not long ago.

thanx, just got some. So, I got the NW 200, I'll just take off 1 layer of the original NW stuff thats on the impeller, and put on 4 layers of the enkamat.

ReefLurker · 04/25/2007, 02:22 AM

Would someone point me in the direction of where I could purchase an air flow meter? Thanks, Jeff

ppurcell · 04/25/2007, 06:00 AM

http://www.dwyer-inst.com/htdocs/flow/SeriesRMPrice.cfm

Probably look to these models: (or comparible w/ss valve)
2" - RMA-7, RMA-22, RMA-23 ($24)
5" - RMB-52, RMB-52D, RMB-53D ($36)
10" - RMC-101, RMC-102 ($70)

Personally, I would lean towards thr RMB-53D keeping in mind that small pumps may only draw 5 lpm or less out of the box which is the bottom of the scale. The 2" scale is probably too small and others have said that the 10" scale is more stable, but it is quite a bit more expensive too.

Here is a page that can be used to convert different units of measure:

http://www.flowlineoptions.com/tools.html

A(nother) quick search on eBay showed me a RMB-52D-SSV for $35, a RMB-52 for $30, two RMB-53's for $15

ReefLurker · 04/25/2007, 06:19 AM

Thanks!

reefez · 04/25/2007, 02:19 PM

Hey I'm modding my pump further tomorrow. I am gojng to basically do all of them. What is the black air thingy that connects to the end of the venturi line? And are all of you useing it? I had left mine off, but found it skims a little better with it on. Seems like it get's more air which I don't understand because the other hole that the air is sucked through is smaller then the actual venturi line.

hounddog01 · 04/25/2007, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefez
Hey I'm modding my pump further tomorrow. I am gojng to basically do all of them. What is the black air thingy that connects to the end of the venturi line? And are all of you useing it? I had left mine off, but found it skims a little better with it on. Seems like it get's more air which I don't understand because the other hole that the air is sucked through is smaller then the actual venturi line.

Sometimes the pump is not pulling enough water to create the maximum suction of air. By reducing the amount of air, this increases the amount of water, which increases the amount of air.

I know it does not make much sence but it does work.

reefez · 04/25/2007, 05:20 PM

So by boaring out the intake and valute output you increase the water flow through the pump. Then if you do the venturi mod and throw some gutter guard or mesh on the impeller you increase the air. So now you have more of both. Water flow, and air suction. Bot if it's pulling too much air you restrict it by putting the black thing on the end of the venturi right?

JCTewks · 04/25/2007, 09:40 PM

I would recomend getting some sort of valve that you can adjust.

reefez · 04/25/2007, 10:05 PM

why?

JCTewks · 04/25/2007, 10:10 PM

that way you can fine tune your skimmer with the air valve. i am using a dwyer air meter with a valve on it. running it wide open A) produces too much air for my skimmer. B) make sfor larger bubbles. and C) it just doesn't perform as well without it.

Before I had the Dwyer i just used a needle valve like you'd find going to the ice maker on your fridge...worked great!

kroe · 04/25/2007, 10:13 PM

After doing a pump outlet mod (to 1" PVC) and a recirc mod on my NW-200 the wattage went through the roof - from typical 65 watts to 90. The air flow went way up, but with it went the water flow; there was lots of turbulence in the skimmer body.

After lots of tinkering and a tip from RichConley, I found the problem - the venturi! I was using a 1" pipe with a 3/4" pipe inside it with a hole drilled for a JG fitting. The inner pipe's opening was too big - I made a new venturi that tapered down from 1" to 1/2" with the air line coming in on the pump side of the venturi right where the narrow part starts to taper out wider. The air flow went up even more (not sure how much more yet, since my meter is pegged at 25 scfh - bigger one on the way), but most importantly the water flow plummetted and with it the wattage. It is now running at 58 watts and there is almost no turbulence in the skimmer body.

04/20/2007, 04:33 AM	#355
reefez Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Vancouver Wa. Posts: 845	So I'm getting the 3000 today and am thinking the gg mod is mandatory as well as running in a vinegar bath for a few hrs. any other mandatory mods before I put this bad boy to work? Do you all reccomend feeding it from the overflow? I have a 125gal. tank that is fed through the sump by a Iwaki 40 rlt with dual overflows. Should I just plumb one of the lines to feed the skimmer or just get a maxijet to feed it from the sump? __________________ So many hobbies..So little time.. Current Tank Info: 125gal. 30gal. sump Octopus 3000 skimmer. Monster sailfin tang, purple Tang, yellow tang, Copperband Butterfly, Coral Beauty, Marine Beta, Pair of Vanuatu Tomato Clowns BB With 170lbs. LR

04/21/2007, 08:36 AM	#359
reefez Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Vancouver Wa. Posts: 845	Just got mine plumbed last night after a 4 hr. vinegar bath and the GG Mod. I cut off the top row of Needle wheels and used zip ties to secure 4 layers of gutter guard. Man I can't tell you how happy I am with the bubble size and build quality of the 3000. I'm feeding it with a Penguin 1140 that rates @ 300gph so I know I need less delivery to the skimmer. I have some turblance in the top of the neck but not too bad. __________________ So many hobbies..So little time.. Current Tank Info: 125gal. 30gal. sump Octopus 3000 skimmer. Monster sailfin tang, purple Tang, yellow tang, Copperband Butterfly, Coral Beauty, Marine Beta, Pair of Vanuatu Tomato Clowns BB With 170lbs. LR

04/23/2007, 06:53 PM	#364
reefez Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Vancouver Wa. Posts: 845	I need Enkamat too if anyone has any? I am happy witht he GG mod but I think I want to experiment with the Enkamat. I am now feeding the skimmer with one of my overflow lines. Is their a downside to only useing 1 overflow hose to feed the skimmer or should I try and connect the two and have them both run into the skimmer? As it is I had to put a shut off valve en-route to the skimmer to reduce the flow to the desired flow of 150 gph. I also drilled out the venturi straight down, and reamed out the 90 degree hole a bit too. I don't have a meter to see how much air it is pulling, but I know it is more then it was out of the box. The air line now sticks to my finger without falling off LOL. I love this skimmer! It is only on it's 3rd day and in 24 hrs. on it's second day it pumped out 1 cup of mud. __________________ So many hobbies..So little time.. Current Tank Info: 125gal. 30gal. sump Octopus 3000 skimmer. Monster sailfin tang, purple Tang, yellow tang, Copperband Butterfly, Coral Beauty, Marine Beta, Pair of Vanuatu Tomato Clowns BB With 170lbs. LR

04/25/2007, 06:00 AM	#367
ppurcell Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 2,911	http://www.dwyer-inst.com/htdocs/flow/SeriesRMPrice.cfm Probably look to these models: (or comparible w/ss valve) 2" - RMA-7, RMA-22, RMA-23 ($24) 5" - RMB-52, RMB-52D, RMB-53D ($36) 10" - RMC-101, RMC-102 ($70) Personally, I would lean towards thr RMB-53D keeping in mind that small pumps may only draw 5 lpm or less out of the box which is the bottom of the scale. The 2" scale is probably too small and others have said that the 10" scale is more stable, but it is quite a bit more expensive too. Here is a page that can be used to convert different units of measure: http://www.flowlineoptions.com/tools.html A(nother) quick search on eBay showed me a RMB-52D-SSV for $35, a RMB-52 for $30, two RMB-53's for $15 Last edited by ppurcell; 04/25/2007 at 06:17 AM.

04/25/2007, 02:19 PM	#369
reefez Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Vancouver Wa. Posts: 845	Hey I'm modding my pump further tomorrow. I am gojng to basically do all of them. What is the black air thingy that connects to the end of the venturi line? And are all of you useing it? I had left mine off, but found it skims a little better with it on. Seems like it get's more air which I don't understand because the other hole that the air is sucked through is smaller then the actual venturi line. __________________ So many hobbies..So little time.. Current Tank Info: 125gal. 30gal. sump Octopus 3000 skimmer. Monster sailfin tang, purple Tang, yellow tang, Copperband Butterfly, Coral Beauty, Marine Beta, Pair of Vanuatu Tomato Clowns BB With 170lbs. LR

04/19/2007, 10:45 AM	#351
JCTewks Moved On Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wilmington, Ohio Posts: 3,040	ppurcell: the otp3000 willeasily do 15-20 lpm. you'll need to remove one or both of the nw's to get the watts down. what you are doing is just adding weight to an already heavy impeller. if you remove the NWs and add the mesh, you'll def get lower numbers for the wattage, and highernumbers of air. i'm getting 10 lpm out of my OTP1000 pump, the impeller is a bottom layer of needlepointers mesh, 4 layers of P4, and a top layer of GG. all of that is sewed together fairly snug with 10# fishing line. this is on an impeller with no NWs on it...for what we are doing with the mesh, the nw's are more a hinderence than a help...they just add weight without performance. more weight=more drag=more slip=more watts!!

04/19/2007, 10:56 AM	#352
thorsky Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 407	JC, how did you secure the mesh assembly to the impeller?

04/19/2007, 07:26 PM	#353
poopsko24 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 792	ppurcell, thanx for the help. I have a euroreef 6-2, with a Sedra 5000 on my reef.....hoping this will be quite an improvement. If this works out all good I might consider putting one on my 220 FOWLR..........think it'll be enough skimmer for that ?

04/20/2007, 12:12 PM	#357
doonan75 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: North Palm Beach FL Posts: 198	I don't know if any one posted this yet. The 3/4 inch screw adapter that comes with the rio pumps has a larger opening than the stock venturi adapter and it screws right in to the pump. I had one laying around. I drilled a venturi hole and it works pretty well. I don't have an airflow meter but the foam is def thicker, I also used fishing line on the impeller(didn't have any mesh).

04/20/2007, 07:11 PM	#358
kroe Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Wallingford, CT Posts: 1,211	If you have done an outlet mod to the OTP-3000 or other OTP/OceanRunner pump please comment: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1103180

04/23/2007, 12:46 AM	#360
poopsko24 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: NW Indiana Posts: 792	anyone got any mesh i could get ?

04/23/2007, 06:17 AM	#361
ppurcell Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 2,911	doing a search for "Enkamat" on ebay showed me four auctions for $5.00 for a 4"x6" or $6.50 for 8"x8" including shipping. I think someone posted something similar not long ago.

04/23/2007, 06:26 AM	#362
ppurcell Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 2,911	JC, after a week of break-in using my un-modded needle wheel with 4 layers of Enkamat wiretied to it I am now getting 15 lpm (31.8 scfh) and the watts have dropped to about 73-74. I was going to tear my impeller apart yesterday so I could put it together the way you described yours, but decided that it is doing just about what I had hoped for all along. The only downside I see right now, is that A) I might be able to reduce the power draw but to go from 73 watts to 60 watts would result in a savings of 69 cents per month so I'm not going to sweat that too much. B) I imagine that I might be able to increase the air input to 16+ or more lpm as you said should be possible in your post.

04/23/2007, 10:45 AM	#363
JCTewks Moved On Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wilmington, Ohio Posts: 3,040	yeah..but those few watts could lower the heat and increase the life of your pump! personally, i just like taking things as far as they'll go, you can always go back if you don't like it

04/25/2007, 02:22 AM	#366
ReefLurker Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Elmira Posts: 151	Would someone point me in the direction of where I could purchase an air flow meter? Thanks, Jeff

04/25/2007, 06:19 AM	#368
ReefLurker Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Elmira Posts: 151	Thanks!

04/25/2007, 05:20 PM	#371
reefez Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Vancouver Wa. Posts: 845	So by boaring out the intake and valute output you increase the water flow through the pump. Then if you do the venturi mod and throw some gutter guard or mesh on the impeller you increase the air. So now you have more of both. Water flow, and air suction. Bot if it's pulling too much air you restrict it by putting the black thing on the end of the venturi right? __________________ So many hobbies..So little time.. Current Tank Info: 125gal. 30gal. sump Octopus 3000 skimmer. Monster sailfin tang, purple Tang, yellow tang, Copperband Butterfly, Coral Beauty, Marine Beta, Pair of Vanuatu Tomato Clowns BB With 170lbs. LR

04/25/2007, 09:40 PM	#372
JCTewks Moved On Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wilmington, Ohio Posts: 3,040	I would recomend getting some sort of valve that you can adjust.

04/25/2007, 10:05 PM	#373
reefez Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Vancouver Wa. Posts: 845	why? __________________ So many hobbies..So little time.. Current Tank Info: 125gal. 30gal. sump Octopus 3000 skimmer. Monster sailfin tang, purple Tang, yellow tang, Copperband Butterfly, Coral Beauty, Marine Beta, Pair of Vanuatu Tomato Clowns BB With 170lbs. LR

04/25/2007, 10:10 PM	#374
JCTewks Moved On Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Wilmington, Ohio Posts: 3,040	that way you can fine tune your skimmer with the air valve. i am using a dwyer air meter with a valve on it. running it wide open A) produces too much air for my skimmer. B) make sfor larger bubbles. and C) it just doesn't perform as well without it. Before I had the Dwyer i just used a needle valve like you'd find going to the ice maker on your fridge...worked great!

04/25/2007, 10:13 PM	#375
kroe Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Wallingford, CT Posts: 1,211	After doing a pump outlet mod (to 1" PVC) and a recirc mod on my NW-200 the wattage went through the roof - from typical 65 watts to 90. The air flow went way up, but with it went the water flow; there was lots of turbulence in the skimmer body. After lots of tinkering and a tip from RichConley, I found the problem - the venturi! I was using a 1" pipe with a 3/4" pipe inside it with a hole drilled for a JG fitting. The inner pipe's opening was too big - I made a new venturi that tapered down from 1" to 1/2" with the air line coming in on the pump side of the venturi right where the narrow part starts to taper out wider. The air flow went up even more (not sure how much more yet, since my meter is pegged at 25 scfh - bigger one on the way), but most importantly the water flow plummetted and with it the wattage. It is now running at 58 watts and there is almost no turbulence in the skimmer body.