ETSS Skimmer Club!

[rigleautomotive]

Originally Posted by btb72

ok thanks man, I appreciate all the help.

No Problem,I will take a frag of that chalice in your avatar,lol.just kidding.glad to help

[btb72]

haha wouldnt everyone! What size skimmer do you have?

[rigleautomotive]

Originally Posted by btb72

haha wouldnt everyone! What size skimmer do you have?

right now i run a etss 600 pro and a evoloution 500,but i have had and tested quite a few .

[popper231]

Originally Posted by rigleautomotive

Is there something possibly blocking the air intake or the collection cup drain

checked tubes, it's clear and the bioballs are clean

[diverdick]

Has anyone with a 1400 tried the tube extender's?

[ronhjr]

For sale: ETSS 600XR Protein Skimmer ( 1 yr Old ) complete w/ Auto Shutoff Waste Container and 1 extra unused Carbon Filter. For Sale: $375.00
Located Near Philadelphia PA. Ship Fee: $30.00

Pictures upon request. Please send me private message for pictures.

Thxs, Ron

[popper231]

anybody use a mag18 with an etss800? think it'll work?

[jjk_reef00]

Originally Posted by diverdick

Has anyone with a 1400 tried the tube extender's?

I had an etss 1500 and upgraded to a 5000 which has much taller tubes. You will definitely see more foam because the water will have to go through more bio-balls. I don't know for sure but you may need a stronger pump to really see the benefits because I'm guessing the water will not be pumped as fast because of the added head pressure.

I would call etss and ask them. They are good over the phone but don't really respond to email...

[popper231]

so now I got a 800 hook to a quietone 6000...it's working great!!!!

[Jamesurq]

Finally getting around to selling my ETS skimmer

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1810442

[Argentiner]

Am I really underusing my ETSS 800 skimmer running it with a turbosea 1270? I've been running it for about 2 years with this pump as I bought them together and never really looked into it. My skimmer only puts out about a cup of skimmate a week for a heavy loaded 175gal. I've never liked the pump as it uses a lot of power and is loud. Anyone recommend a good pump? The Iwaki 55 is what the website recommends for this skimmer.

[rigleautomotive]

Originally Posted by Argentiner

Am I really underusing my ETSS 800 skimmer running it with a turbosea 1270? I've been running it for about 2 years with this pump as I bought them together and never really looked into it. My skimmer only puts out about a cup of skimmate a week for a heavy loaded 175gal. I've never liked the pump as it uses a lot of power and is loud. Anyone recommend a good pump? The Iwaki 55 is what the website recommends for this skimmer.

I like the Blue Line pumps.It would be a HD 55 in blue Line

[popper231]

i removed the quiet6000, plug the etss800 to a mag18 and wow, does the beast skim!!!

[Chernobyl]

I have a 125 gallon tank I'm setting up with a 40 breeder sump in my stand. The inner cabinet is has 28 inches of vertical clearance.
What ETSS model should i be looking at? I really want as deep of water as i can get, around 10 inches or so. I don't have much vertical height to play with sadly. Talked to Gary at AE Tech, he pointed me towards his sump buddy 60. I don't see how i could fit and larger model internally and still have the water volume I'm looking for. Any ideas? Or am i fine with a sump buddy 60?

[rigleautomotive]

Originally Posted by Chernobyl

I have a 125 gallon tank I'm setting up with a 40 breeder sump in my stand. The inner cabinet is has 28 inches of vertical clearance.
What ETSS model should i be looking at? I really want as deep of water as i can get, around 10 inches or so. I don't have much vertical height to play with sadly. Talked to Gary at AE Tech, he pointed me towards his sump buddy 60. I don't see how i could fit and larger model internally and still have the water volume I'm looking for. Any ideas? Or am i fine with a sump buddy 60?

The 600 would be optimal but a sump buddy 60 would work nicely also.The evo 500 is another choice and I think its made a bit more on the commercial side compared to the SB models i have seen. 10 inches of water is the problem,It will cut down on the efficiency a bit,I would rather see it operating in about 6 to 7 inches to get the max out of either of these skimmers.

[Chernobyl]

Has the 700 "refugium" model gone by the wayside?
http://www.superskimmer.com/ETSS%20700%20Ref.htm

Its listed as *new* on their website, but it would seem no one has it. That one might be a good compromise.

[rigleautomotive]

Originally Posted by Chernobyl

Has the 700 "refugium" model gone by the wayside?
http://www.superskimmer.com/ETSS%20700%20Ref.htm

Its listed as *new* on their website, but it would seem no one has it. That one might be a good compromise.

Unfortunately that is one model I personally have no experience with so I can't honestly say anything either way.I like the concept though

[porthios]

just wanted to +1 the 1400. i've been running mine for about a week (panworld 250) and first impressions are very good. so very easy to tune ..

anyone plumbed the air intake outside and noticed a significant ph change?

[fishoutawater]

Hi guys, I just started servicing an aquarium that runs a 1400 with an iwaki 70. The tank is about 350gal and has a pretty fair fish load. I have no experience with these skimmers and when I was working in the sump the other day I lost my foam. I am guessing the pump pulled something in that clogged a nozzle? Also, after running about 2 weeks, there was only about 2" in the remote collection container. After reading this thread, that makes me think this skimmer needs some tlc. There is an ASM in the sump hooked up to ozone, does this make sense to anybody? I am not sure what to think of it. Thanks in advance.

[Alex T.]

Fishoutawater,

Downdrafts are pretty touchy...especially when you're working near their intake. Almost any skimmer will lose its' foam head if you stick your hand in the tank. The reason you notice it on a downdraft of this size is that almost the entire riser column is foam, not bubbles like ordinary needle wheel or venturi skimmers. Leave it alone and it will reform its' foam head. It's a long way up to that collection cup again, but it will more than make up for this downtime when it starts foaming again.

Downdrafts see a huge turnover rate in water processing compared to other skimmers. Because of this, the oils from your hand are accentuated that much more, decreasing foam production for a while. After a water change and hand in the tank siphoning, my 900 goes dormant for half a day. Then I wake up in the morning and there's half a gallon of sludge in the remote collection container.

[fishoutawater]

That I understand, what I do not get, is why after two weeks there is so little skimmate collected. Or why it has another skimmer in the sump. I will try and get pics on my next visit.

[Alex T.]

Try checking the bioball tower. If the balls are clogged or jammed this can affect performance by making the water level in the skimmer surge, thereby affecting the foam output. If that doesn't work, I'd check the air nozzle. Sometimes they need to be unscrewed and swept clear of salt buildup. Personally, I blow into mine and all is good again.

I don't know why your customer has that crappy ASM in the sump. The downdraft by itself will outperform the ASM. The ASM's output may be putting microbubbles into the Iwaki 70 pump. My skimmer didn't work properly when I first set up my system. I added filter socks to the drain and then it kicked in like crazy. If air bubbles are introduced to the pump it can cause problems. I'm not too familiar with O3 so I can't comment on that, but it may just have less to skim if the ozone is doing its' job.

[fishoutawater]

Also, the air intakes have never been audible. When I open the cabinet door, I would think that I would be able to hear them pulling air. Even when I put my arm in the tank/sump and clean. No micros are getting to the iwaki intake, the output from the asm is on the other side of the sump. Anybody know how many balls should be in the towers? I am stopping to do a driveby on my way in to work tomorrow morning. How long should I expect it to take to pull it apart and check everything out? Sorry for all the noob questions. I checked with all the other techs that I work with and they don't have any experience with them either.

[Alex T.]

There really is no optimum amount of balls in the tower. If you're not hearing anything when you open that cabinet, something's wrong. Mine sounds like a hurricane 15 feet away. I've spoken to Gary (patent owner and builder of these skimmers) and he's told me that you should have as many bioballs in the tower as possible, but not enough to stop air suction. The way he explained it to me is that the bioball tower is the skimmer. Water and air mix here and cause foam to push down into the box, where it then starts collecting and bubbling up into the neck and collection cup. If the water level is too high in both the mixing tower and the bubble riser, then foam production can decrease and has a hard time pushing its way to the tower. You can also risk an overflow.

If it were me, I'd open up the top of the towers and stick a ruler down there. Many (including Gary) state that a minimum of six inch clearance is needed between the injector and the top bioball. This is to allow a proper "buffer" zone of the water backing up into the tower and lowering air suction. This can cause the skimmer to surge and never reach a consistent foam head. This happened to me. I thought he was crazy, but I tried it and it worked. In your case, it's two towers to worry about. If you have less than six inches, remove enough balls to reach this desired 6 inch measurement. After 24 hours, if that hasn't worked, open the gate valve to allow the water level in the skimmer box to drop a bit. No more than a quarter turn. Is there any Kalkwasser being dripped into the sump? If so, this affects the bioballs. The high pressure and coating nature of Kalk can strip the balls of their sharp, fine edges. Many replace their bioballs yearly and it's like a brand new skimmer again. If you need to talk to Gary at AETech, he's always the one who picks up the phone when I call. Who better to talk to than the guy who designed and built it? His number is 845-227-2812.

Hope this helps.

[fishoutawater]

That helps a lot, thank you.