ETSS Skimmer Club! - Page 21

jjk_reef00 · 10/05/2009, 12:18 AM

No offense at all, and I hope I didn't offend you. I just want to make sure people know the best way to run the skimmer, and I'm glad that you agree. I didn't know if the previous user knew because he was taking bio-balls out and running it with improper water line.

My girlfriend doesn't live with me yet so I've had the fortunate to set up this ridiculous arrangement without receiving too much of a beating

She has seen the stand but she hasn't heard the 1.5 hp pump yet so we'll see...

I never even thought about the kids adjusting the skimmer

I'll post some pics of what I've set up later this week, and I'm sure you will get a kick out of it.

C-21 USAF · 10/05/2009, 06:41 AM

Understood guys...since I can't raise it any higher, I'll have to sell it...Thanks!

menace78 · 10/06/2009, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C-21 USAF

Understood guys...since I can't raise it any higher, I'll have to sell it...Thanks!

So there's no posability of lowering the water level in you'r sumps section that it returnes too?

cnaegler · 10/06/2009, 01:19 PM

Hey everyone,
I've been running an ETSS 1000 for a couple of years now with a Panworld 200PS (1750 GPH). I love the performance of this skimmer but i'll be upgrading from a 180 to a 280 soon and I'm curious as to what difference running a bigger pump, such as a Panworld 250PS or Iwaki 100RLT, would do for performance of this thing. Also, upgrading pumps increases the wattage by another 100 watts or so....how much do ya'll think that'll increase the powerbill/ monthly? I would imagine not too horribly much? I don't care ...i'll pay the added expense but i was just curious to know.

cnaegler · 10/11/2009, 09:03 AM

^^^

ostrow · 10/11/2009, 10:04 AM

I know someone who got the extra riser to make the skimmer a 1500. You could do that. But I'm not sure you need to change anything, to be honest.

cnaegler · 10/11/2009, 01:34 PM

I just found an Iwaki 100RLT at a good price...but if it's not going to make that big of a difference then i could always spend my money on something more worthwhile. It just seems that another 150- 200 GPH isn't gonna make it or break it. I mean, this sucker skims great...it would be hard to imagine it skimming any better. I originally thought about adding the riser tube to make it a 1500 but i didn't want to ship it to Gary though.

jjk_reef00 · 10/11/2009, 02:51 PM

I had the 1500 a while back and I liked the skimmer but 150-200 gph isn't going to make a big difference. I think the Iwaki 100 is a 1/3 hp pump. Maybe if you upgraded to a 1/2 hp pump, then you might see a difference.

cnaegler · 10/11/2009, 02:57 PM

That's what i figured. I'm already running a 1750 GPH pressure rated pump so moving up to a 1900 GPH pressure rated pump didn't make sense...just wanted everyone's opinion on that first though. Thanks everyone for their input!

saltydog1 · 10/13/2009, 02:21 PM

Does anyone know why the bio balls in a downdraft skimmer need to changed yearly? I mean, what advantages would new ones have over the older ones? I just can't see what the difference is in new ones vs. old clean ones.

I tried searching for answer first, but no luck.

Thanks

jjk_reef00 · 10/13/2009, 02:30 PM

I also was confused by that. It's not like the water decomposes the plastic or anything.

saltydog1 · 10/13/2009, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk_reef00

I also was confused by that. It's not like the water decomposes the plastic or anything.

Maybe there is someone out there that knows why. But as far as looking at the old ones, I see no wear and tear at all. The ones that came in my 10+ year old reef devil still look new to me.
I did email Gary at AETech and asked him that same question and also about what pumps he recommends for my old retired skimmer. He said I needed new bio balls and said to give him a call to discuss it. I may call him in a day or two. I don't wanna pay $10 for shipping some bio balls like someone posted earlier. Gary probably has a good reason for changing them, I just can't figure for the life of me what changes them over time

suthrnmn · 10/14/2009, 02:10 PM

anybody here running a model 2000 and if so what is your pump??

rigleautomotive · 10/14/2009, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltydog1

Maybe there is someone out there that knows why. But as far as looking at the old ones, I see no wear and tear at all. The ones that came in my 10+ year old reef devil still look new to me.
I did email Gary at AETech and asked him that same question and also about what pumps he recommends for my old retired skimmer. He said I needed new bio balls and said to give him a call to discuss it. I may call him in a day or two. I don't wanna pay $10 for shipping some bio balls like someone posted earlier. Gary probably has a good reason for changing them, I just can't figure for the life of me what changes them over time

Its like water running over rocks in a creek bed,there is erosion that occurs over time and this makes the bio balls not create as much foam as new ones.The balls edges get smoother and cause less turbulence which makes less foam and air intake.I also think the balls get coated with calcium and alkalinity deposits that effect this but this alone is not the factor.I have soaked the old balls in a weak acid and they never work as good as new ones even when very clean

jjk_reef00 · 10/14/2009, 03:55 PM

So do you replace them every year?
And how do you prevent them from getting clogged together?

rigleautomotive · 10/14/2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk_reef00

So do you replace them every year?
And how do you prevent them from getting clogged together?

I do replace them.i wont say once a year but when the skimmer seems to not be kicking like usual i will change them.that may be 6 or 8 months for my tank.It will vary,for instance,If you use kalk ,they may need replacing more often then a guy that runs a cal rx.The calcium deposits will greatly effect the performance on old balls.

jjk_reef00 · 10/14/2009, 06:32 PM

rigleautomotive, have you ever had an issue with the bio balls clogging up and reducing performance?

What skimmer do you have?
I had a lot of trouble with my etss 1500. I was using the old style bio-balls. I've heard they have a newer style. I posted a while back about a fix for this...
The only reason I ask is I'm trying to figure out if I can just order new bio-balls from ETSS or if I should go with my pin-style bio balls.

saltydog1 · 10/14/2009, 08:16 PM

Thanks, rigleautomotive. That makes sense. I guess they sorta get polished over time and the naked eye can't see the minute changes. Guess I'll be ordering some more, just don't know whether to buy from AETECH or somewhere else for a better price. Do you get yours from AETECH?

Appreciate the reply!

rigleautomotive · 10/14/2009, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjk_reef00

rigleautomotive, have you ever had an issue with the bio balls clogging up and reducing performance?

What skimmer do you have?
I had a lot of trouble with my etss 1500. I was using the old style bio-balls. I've heard they have a newer style. I posted a while back about a fix for this...
The only reason I ask is I'm trying to figure out if I can just order new bio-balls from ETSS or if I should go with my pin-style bio balls.

I have had them get a bit compacted over a long period of time but i really like to clean them at least once a month by shaking them around in a container of real hot water.when i put them in the tower,i try to make sure one lays to one side and the next lays to the other side sort a like a Z pattern as they go up the tower.

I have used the large lee regular bio balls as well as the ones gary sells and have not really seen much of a difference.

I have had a quite a few different models and run a 600 pro and a evoloution 500 currently.

If you are having issues with performance with your skimmer i would just spend the extra couple bucks and get the balls from ETSS.Your skimmer should be able to overskim your tank easily when working properly.They are very under rated compared to some other similar skimmers

rigleautomotive · 10/14/2009, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltydog1

Thanks, rigleautomotive. That makes sense. I guess they sorta get polished over time and the naked eye can't see the minute changes. Guess I'll be ordering some more, just don't know whether to buy from AETECH or somewhere else for a better price. Do you get yours from AETECH?

Appreciate the reply!

I really would just spend the extra couple bucks and get the balls from ETSS.Get a large bag and they will last you years.There are balls exactly like the ones ETSS sells out there but for the few bucks extra to get the right ones,IMO,its well worth it.

saltydog1 · 10/14/2009, 10:06 PM

Thanks, rigleautomotive

jjk_reef00 · 10/15/2009, 10:08 PM

Has anyone tried to make a bubble plate for their riser?
All of the newer style skimmers use it to reduce turbulence:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1719157
I love my ETSS skimmer but there is a ton of turbulence in the riser.

C-21 USAF · 10/18/2009, 07:27 AM

I don't want to sell it but I got an Evolution 750 for sale in the classifieds:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...3#post15874393

jrmx635 · 10/18/2009, 08:25 AM

turbulance doesn't matter on downdraft skimmers.

needlewheels rely on the fine bubbles gently bringing the crap to the top,downdrafts use the bubbles to throw the crap out the top.
thats why high pressure is used.
if you put a bubble plate in a downdraft ,you may lose production.

TomToro · 10/18/2009, 09:24 AM

I just happened on this thread and it's great. I have three etss skimmers.
Two 800's and a 1400. I'm running the 800's with Iwaki 55rlts and the 1400 with a Panworld 250ps. The 1400 really kicks some butt on my big system, but the 800's aren't the greatest. I'm going to end up selling one of the 800 setups and have bought an Iwaki 70rlt that I'm going to try on the other one.

I'm not happy with the collection cup drain either and haven't come up with a solution yet. The hose always pinches at the base and probably hinders performance.

10/06/2009, 01:19 PM	#504
cnaegler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sylva, NC-Western North Carolina Posts: 960	Hey everyone, I've been running an ETSS 1000 for a couple of years now with a Panworld 200PS (1750 GPH). I love the performance of this skimmer but i'll be upgrading from a 180 to a 280 soon and I'm curious as to what difference running a bigger pump, such as a Panworld 250PS or Iwaki 100RLT, would do for performance of this thing. Also, upgrading pumps increases the wattage by another 100 watts or so....how much do ya'll think that'll increase the powerbill/ monthly? I would imagine not too horribly much? I don't care ...i'll pay the added expense but i was just curious to know. __________________ Craig _________________________ ATL "Superman" acro, Vivid's Rainbow Delight acro wanted You can want in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first!! Save the reefs! Buy captive bred fish and aquacultured corals! Current Tank Info: Downsizing to a 120 BB SPS tank, 6205 &6305 Tunze on 7095 controller, Current USA extreme 8 x 54 fixture

10/11/2009, 09:03 AM	#505
cnaegler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sylva, NC-Western North Carolina Posts: 960	^^^ __________________ Craig _________________________ ATL "Superman" acro, Vivid's Rainbow Delight acro wanted You can want in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first!! Save the reefs! Buy captive bred fish and aquacultured corals! Current Tank Info: Downsizing to a 120 BB SPS tank, 6205 &6305 Tunze on 7095 controller, Current USA extreme 8 x 54 fixture

10/11/2009, 10:04 AM	#506
ostrow It's Dr. Goodluck Himself Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Oak Park, IL Posts: 11,654	I know someone who got the extra riser to make the skimmer a 1500. You could do that. But I'm not sure you need to change anything, to be honest. __________________ It's the return of Dr. Goodluck Himself. fml! Current Tank Info: 156G "brick", 150 sump and 75 fuge replaces Fire, Destruction, Sad :(

10/11/2009, 01:34 PM	#507
cnaegler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sylva, NC-Western North Carolina Posts: 960	I just found an Iwaki 100RLT at a good price...but if it's not going to make that big of a difference then i could always spend my money on something more worthwhile. It just seems that another 150- 200 GPH isn't gonna make it or break it. I mean, this sucker skims great...it would be hard to imagine it skimming any better. I originally thought about adding the riser tube to make it a 1500 but i didn't want to ship it to Gary though. __________________ Craig _________________________ ATL "Superman" acro, Vivid's Rainbow Delight acro wanted You can want in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first!! Save the reefs! Buy captive bred fish and aquacultured corals! Current Tank Info: Downsizing to a 120 BB SPS tank, 6205 &6305 Tunze on 7095 controller, Current USA extreme 8 x 54 fixture

10/11/2009, 02:57 PM	#509
cnaegler Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sylva, NC-Western North Carolina Posts: 960	That's what i figured. I'm already running a 1750 GPH pressure rated pump so moving up to a 1900 GPH pressure rated pump didn't make sense...just wanted everyone's opinion on that first though. Thanks everyone for their input! __________________ Craig _________________________ ATL "Superman" acro, Vivid's Rainbow Delight acro wanted You can want in one hand and crap in the other and see which one fills up first!! Save the reefs! Buy captive bred fish and aquacultured corals! Current Tank Info: Downsizing to a 120 BB SPS tank, 6205 &6305 Tunze on 7095 controller, Current USA extreme 8 x 54 fixture

10/05/2009, 12:18 AM	#501
jjk_reef00 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,476	No offense at all, and I hope I didn't offend you. I just want to make sure people know the best way to run the skimmer, and I'm glad that you agree. I didn't know if the previous user knew because he was taking bio-balls out and running it with improper water line. My girlfriend doesn't live with me yet so I've had the fortunate to set up this ridiculous arrangement without receiving too much of a beating She has seen the stand but she hasn't heard the 1.5 hp pump yet so we'll see... I never even thought about the kids adjusting the skimmer I'll post some pics of what I've set up later this week, and I'm sure you will get a kick out of it.

10/05/2009, 06:41 AM	#502
C-21 USAF Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 316	Understood guys...since I can't raise it any higher, I'll have to sell it...Thanks!

10/11/2009, 02:51 PM	#508
jjk_reef00 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,476	I had the 1500 a while back and I liked the skimmer but 150-200 gph isn't going to make a big difference. I think the Iwaki 100 is a 1/3 hp pump. Maybe if you upgraded to a 1/2 hp pump, then you might see a difference.

10/13/2009, 02:21 PM	#510
saltydog1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Southeast, TN Posts: 214 Blog Entries: 1	Does anyone know why the bio balls in a downdraft skimmer need to changed yearly? I mean, what advantages would new ones have over the older ones? I just can't see what the difference is in new ones vs. old clean ones. I tried searching for answer first, but no luck. Thanks __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: Red Sea Reefer 350 tank , soft coral, ATI T5 6x54w lighting, Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, Tunze Osmolator, Eheim compact+ 3000 return pump, 1 Ecotech MP 40QD, Gyre 130

10/13/2009, 02:30 PM	#511
jjk_reef00 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,476	I also was confused by that. It's not like the water decomposes the plastic or anything.

10/14/2009, 02:10 PM	#513
suthrnmn Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: N.C. USA Posts: 286	anybody here running a model 2000 and if so what is your pump??

10/14/2009, 03:55 PM	#515
jjk_reef00 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,476	So do you replace them every year? And how do you prevent them from getting clogged together?

10/14/2009, 06:32 PM	#517
jjk_reef00 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,476	rigleautomotive, have you ever had an issue with the bio balls clogging up and reducing performance? What skimmer do you have? I had a lot of trouble with my etss 1500. I was using the old style bio-balls. I've heard they have a newer style. I posted a while back about a fix for this... The only reason I ask is I'm trying to figure out if I can just order new bio-balls from ETSS or if I should go with my pin-style bio balls.

10/14/2009, 08:16 PM	#518
saltydog1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Southeast, TN Posts: 214 Blog Entries: 1	Thanks, rigleautomotive. That makes sense. I guess they sorta get polished over time and the naked eye can't see the minute changes. Guess I'll be ordering some more, just don't know whether to buy from AETECH or somewhere else for a better price. Do you get yours from AETECH? Appreciate the reply! __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: Red Sea Reefer 350 tank , soft coral, ATI T5 6x54w lighting, Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, Tunze Osmolator, Eheim compact+ 3000 return pump, 1 Ecotech MP 40QD, Gyre 130

10/14/2009, 10:06 PM	#521
saltydog1 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Southeast, TN Posts: 214 Blog Entries: 1	Thanks, rigleautomotive __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: Red Sea Reefer 350 tank , soft coral, ATI T5 6x54w lighting, Vertex Omega 150 skimmer, Tunze Osmolator, Eheim compact+ 3000 return pump, 1 Ecotech MP 40QD, Gyre 130

10/15/2009, 10:08 PM	#522
jjk_reef00 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 3,476	Has anyone tried to make a bubble plate for their riser? All of the newer style skimmers use it to reduce turbulence: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1719157 I love my ETSS skimmer but there is a ton of turbulence in the riser.

10/18/2009, 07:27 AM	#523
C-21 USAF Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 316	I don't want to sell it but I got an Evolution 750 for sale in the classifieds: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...3#post15874393

10/18/2009, 08:25 AM	#524
jrmx635 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: rhode island Posts: 366	downdraft turbulance doesn't matter on downdraft skimmers. needlewheels rely on the fine bubbles gently bringing the crap to the top,downdrafts use the bubbles to throw the crap out the top. thats why high pressure is used. if you put a bubble plate in a downdraft ,you may lose production.

10/18/2009, 09:24 AM	#525
TomToro Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Milford Michigan Posts: 251	I just happened on this thread and it's great. I have three etss skimmers. Two 800's and a 1400. I'm running the 800's with Iwaki 55rlts and the 1400 with a Panworld 250ps. The 1400 really kicks some butt on my big system, but the 800's aren't the greatest. I'm going to end up selling one of the 800 setups and have bought an Iwaki 70rlt that I'm going to try on the other one. I'm not happy with the collection cup drain either and haven't come up with a solution yet. The hose always pinches at the base and probably hinders performance.