Octopus Skimmer Mods

[ChemE]

Ok, I don't mean to come across as a jerk but this has been making me crazy both in this thread and the main octopus thread...

[ChemE]

Originally posted by Robert Patterso
This is probly going to sound like a real dumb question...

Well I took out of sump to dump out the vinegar water and run it in fresh h20. Turned it on and it only makes big bubbles, no little ones at all. Since I have never run a skimmer in fresh water I'm not sure this if this is the cause. The fresh water I mean. Somebody tell me that is the reason. It's still pumping water and air like mad but no small skim bubbles.

Not a dumb question, a super common one I've seen on dozens of threads here. Fresh water has a much much higher surface tension so it won't support small bubbles as readily as salt water will. The result of which is in fresh water bubbles rapidly combine and form large bubbles. This is why a skimmer being testing on fresh water looks like its broken; it just puts a bunch of marble sized bubbles into the water.

In salt water that things will crack open a can of...

[Robert Patterso]

Originally posted by theduckster
Yep put in in salt water and it should be fine
fresh water dosent skim well

Thanks theduckster, I feel alot better, I had a feeling. Worked to many hours on it.

Robert

[Mirror Pond]

Originally posted by ChemE
Ok, I don't mean to come across as a jerk but this has been making me crazy both in this thread and the main octopus thread...

Perfect! Thank you.

[Robert Patterso]

Originally posted by Mirror Pond
Perfect! Thank you.

Hay Mirorr Ponde, Thunk ya fer da spellen leson.

Just kiddin, I just got a little smarter today!

[Robert Patterso]

I would like to thank everbody for all the info. on this thread. Everthing has worked perfectly on my 200nw. My tank thanks you too. For a $189. dollars and a couple hours worth the work this thing kicks some serious a&&. I love it. Plus it is my first skimmer mod. and I am a little smarter. Just a little mind you. And thanks for all the replies and help. Maybe I'll buy a camera and post some pics

Thanks again,
Robert

[Robert Patterso]

Originally posted by Roland Jacques
Some more detail on my impeller mod. and a link to the DIY thread cause this could work on many pumps.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...68#post8008968

I cut the gutter guard into 4 circles about the same size as the paddle wheel that it came with. I removed one of the 2 paddle wheels. I stacked all 4 and attached the 4 gutter guard wheels with 3 small zip-ties to the 1 remaining paddle wheels. Then I tested into good I need to up grade a few things. After I change the flow-meters fittings, hose, venture... to all bigger sizes I tested it again. WOW 30 scfh. I think it was still limited by the venture i.e.; I think it can pull even more, maybe allot more.

I don't think I have come close to finding it limits yet. It is simply plastic gutter guard it can be cut with scissors in a bunch of different shapes, and stacked in a bunch of different configurations, i.e., small one, big one...... or smaller diameter verse larger diameter....

I put this pump on the skimmer and tested it again. Even with the small id plumbing (5/8" in spots te clear tube in the body) it was pulling 24-25 SCFH. To put icing on the cake the water movement was over 30% less than before. MORE AIR, LESS WATER, HORAY BUBBLES! The water flow is under 400 gph.

If I restrict the water intake the air flow goes down, but it does not go down at the same ratio with the water. I don’t no the numbers yet but they seem very good. i.e.; if restrict the water uptake to say 200 gph it still pulls 20scfh I (I have not test this but it just seems that way.). That part just to points out the venture can use some tailoring. If I just play with the venture I could get it up to 40 (maybe) and we can still play with the gutter guard also.

removed 1 of the two paddle wheels (not an easy job)

not the same pump better pump for the photo OTP2000

I stacked all 4 and attached the 4 gutter guard wheels with 3 small zip-ties to the 1 remaining paddle wheels.

[/B][/QUOTE]

Roland by doing this you get more air? That's the only mod I haven't done on my 200. Maybe i should buy another needle and check it out. Don't really want to experiment with the only one I have. Keep us informed. Thanks

[Roland Jacques]

Originally posted by Robert Patterso

Roland by doing this you get more air? That's the only mod I haven't done on my 200. Maybe i should buy another needle and check it out. Don't really want to experiment with the only one I have. Keep us informed. Thanks [/B][/QUOTE]

I’ve been working the past 2 days so I have not had a lot of time to reply. Thank God for the work he brings me. It is a new service business and I need a lot more customers to try to make the bills.

Anyway my "Ghetto wheel" mod. Is not an experiment any more it is HUGE, AWESOME, KICKBUMS AND TAKE NAMES mod Suck-cess

As of a few hours ago I got one guy getting

“��42 SCFH = 20 lpm����
That’s more than EHIEM, and than more than Euro Reef modded pumps…. I may be jumping ahead of myself (which I tend to do) but I think this will change the entire dynamics of the high end NW skimmers market. Im a little sad for them because I no they put a lot of money and time and marketing... in their pumps. And some DIY “Ghetto mod� comes along and beats them. I feel a little guilty. Anyway, sorry for rambling.

It a little tricky to do, but not to hard. If you want I can mod the wheel for you. I’ll call and see if they have extra impellers at Octopus.com or you can send me yours if you want just PM me. If you try it yourself be careful and take your time getting it apart, you could cut yourself bad very easily. It took me about 10 -20 minutes to get it apart without breaking it or cutting myself.

Chem E, my spelling really sucks bad, but my pump really sucks Good.

[clkwrk]

Like always want pictures darn it .

I wanna see the pump in a buket of saltwater with a meter. If it pulls that on the skimmer it should off of it . Better yet make a vid.

[Roland Jacques]

No please, no thank, no if you could, just
" Like always want pictures darn it ."

"I wanna see the pump in a buket of saltwater with a meter. If it pulls that on the skimmer it should off of it . Better yet make a vid."

clkwrk,
I may be wrong here, but it sounds your calling me a lyer or something. If so, could you please tell me why you think I would be lying about this stuff?

Do you just like seeing flow meters? I already posted pictures at 8 scfh 12 scfh 16 scfh 18 scfh and 21 scfh. Look at my gallery if you want. My skimmers is pulling 24-25 scfh . My gallery is full I cant post a photo without deleting others. (Which I will soon)
Im doing this to help people like myself, who may not have much money or whatever reason, with the hobby. And also so I can learn more aquarium stuff too. not to prove anything to anybody. Like I said before I enjoy doing this kind of stuff. So no photos for you, just put me down as a lyer if you must. The only thing I willing to prove to you is that God sent his son down to earth to save you and me, because basically we suck at being Holy. If you want pictures or a Video of that I don’t have any, but I have a book with a lot of good info in it, PM me and ill take as much time as you want to tell you what I know. If you need help moding your skimmer ill help you if I can, but im not going to play your prove it game about a skimmer modification.

Maybe someone on my bubble pump thread in the DIY forum may want to show you photos.

[clkwrk]

I never called you a liar . I just want to see some damn pics . I wanna see the 42 I wanna see you back your claim that you made above . A picture is worth a thousand words...If I can get this skimmer rocking it may have a place in my reef if not it makes a cute nightstand.


Also I wanna see someone else get so slap happy about theirs pulling in more than 15scfh

[ChemE]

What I'm deeply surprised about is that a 3.5" neck can tolerate that much air without being overly turbulent. With that much air we need to stick the pump on a 12" skimmer body with a 6" neck to get a stable foam head.

[Roland Jacques]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ChemE
[B]
Chem-E
The neck size was one of my original concerns also. Ive only been running 25scfh on the skimmer for a about 36 hours very light load. The foam characteristics have changed a good bit. My foam is very dry now dryer than I like it. I can adjust the water height up a little and get a little wetter foam. But it nice to no that it can make super dry foam. One of the cool thing about the impeller is it is very forgiving I can restrict the air flow down a lot and not have the water flow jump up as much as before. Also I can control the air flow by restricting the water intake it does not seem to cavatate. It is pretty amazing.

I think a video is a good idea. Ill work on that I can’t give you a time on that, iv never done that before. ill get my son to help, that is his subject in high school. I will video a completely modified unit recirc, external NW200 im modifying for somebody. I would like to do a side by side test if anybody wants to bring their high end skimmer buy and run a few test that would be great. Just PM me.

If you want to discuss more on just the impeller go to my DIY impeller thread. Im not trying to over hype my impeller but it really deserves its own thread.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=1

[Abengochea]

Ive been following this thread for a bit and its all really good info which I want to thank u guys for. I was curious though, with these mods are u still able to decide if u want to dry or wet skim? I was under the impression that once u have done these mods u basically will be wet skimming only

[danskim]

I think the purpose of the mods is to increase efficiency and therefore make drier skimmate.

[Abengochea]

cool, thats what I was hoping for

[RichConley]

I think I need to rebuild my venturi, either that, or I've hit the ceiling without modifying the clear tube inside the skimmer body.

I did the gutterguard mod, and I'm still sitting low-mid 20s. I'm gonna pull it out and run it on a bucket at some point, and see if the tube is the problem. After the gutter guard, it feels like the pump could take a lot more air. IE no hint of cavitation.

Roland, you mind giving a summary of everything you've done to the one thats pulling 42, so that I now what I missed?

[danskim]

The guy pulling 42 is using a different pump. GenX 4100 I think... It's on the separate thread.

[Ereefic]

There is an OTP-5000 pump (1250gph) that custom aquatics sells. Would this be too much for the NW-200?

[wjhuie]

Man I want to see four of those pumps doing 42scfh on the 16" octopus thats will be coming out in sept.

[Roland Jacques]

danskim
is right the pump getting 42 Scfh is a gen-x 4100. i'm preety sure i can match that with the otp- 3000. i think we're at the point that where no more air well go though the plumbing "the ceiling" like Rich said.

So making the pump pull more air is for after the next modifacation for me.

Rich,
30 SCFH is what my pump did off the skimmer. i still have the small opening on the pump as pictured. im glad to here it worked with your pump too i was a little concerned i was concerned with the larger output you have keep. you no all my mods i may have spent some extra time porting the elbow.

Ereefic,
i dont see any benift useing a bigger pump for this skimmer. i dont even no if it can handle what this pump can do.

[bspete]

Well I purchased the DNW-200 recirc model and was pulling 5 lpm through the stock setup. Thanks to the help here at reef central I just opened up the throat of the pump output by 5/8" and cleaned the venturi with a small drill bit and now I am pulling 8/lpm (unsure what that is in SCFH) but a significant jump to be sure. You would think they would be optimized from the factory, however if it just takes an hour of time to double check/modify and it costs so much less then it is still a great value. Many thanks again to all you experimenters. I would have never thought that it could be improved so much with so little.

Thanks,
Bryan

[kroe]

Roland had a great idea with porting the elbow. Don't let the way he did it make you think you have to buy grinding stones to do this mod. I just drilled mine out with a 5/8 spade bit. It took less than a minute. I ground it out a bit more with a dremel, but even if you just ported the narrow port out with the spade bit it would be a huge improvement.

[blakeoe]

Does anyone have a problem with the pump not starting on it's own? I have to blow into my air line tube to get my pump to work. Is this normal?

[RichConley]

Originally posted by RichConley
I think I need to rebuild my venturi, either that, or I've hit the ceiling without modifying the clear tube inside the skimmer body.

I did the gutterguard mod, and I'm still sitting low-mid 20s. I'm gonna pull it out and run it on a bucket at some point, and see if the tube is the problem. After the gutter guard, it feels like the pump could take a lot more air. IE no hint of cavitation.

Roland, you mind giving a summary of everything you've done to the one thats pulling 42, so that I now what I missed?

On a wierd note, I got up this morning, and its pulling 30 on the skimmer. Maybe hte gutterguard straightened out or somehting.