Octopus recirculating skimmer: how tight the pump-to-skimmer body union should be...?

flipteg · 01/01/2008, 05:37 PM

i have a Reef Octopus recirculating skimmer... the part of the skimmer that connects to the output of the pump required some major tightening to stop it from leaking... so much that i keep worrying that it will break the plastic union that is connected to the skimmer everytime i do it for pump cleanings... that plastic union is free spinning on the skimmer but the part that it is attached to is glued on the skimmer body... if this ever broke, i'm not sure if it's even replaceable without having to send the whole body back...

yes, i have used the rubber gasket that came with the skimmer and there is also teflon tape on the threads... when i just hand tighten the fitting, it leaks like a sieve... from the location of the leak, i can tell that the water is getting through the rubber gasket when the union is not tight enough...

i was just wondering if anyone else find the need to tighten this union this much to prevent it from leaking...? the intake side of the pump, which uses the exact same union and the same gasket, was only hand tightned and it is not leaking...

reefergeorge · 01/01/2008, 06:07 PM

I have the 150, and all my connections are just snug with a little extra. Try using some silicon grease or vaseline.

01/01/2008, 05:37 PM	#1
flipteg Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 910	Octopus recirculating skimmer: how tight the pump-to-skimmer body union should be...? i have a Reef Octopus recirculating skimmer... the part of the skimmer that connects to the output of the pump required some major tightening to stop it from leaking... so much that i keep worrying that it will break the plastic union that is connected to the skimmer everytime i do it for pump cleanings... that plastic union is free spinning on the skimmer but the part that it is attached to is glued on the skimmer body... if this ever broke, i'm not sure if it's even replaceable without having to send the whole body back... yes, i have used the rubber gasket that came with the skimmer and there is also teflon tape on the threads... when i just hand tighten the fitting, it leaks like a sieve... from the location of the leak, i can tell that the water is getting through the rubber gasket when the union is not tight enough... i was just wondering if anyone else find the need to tighten this union this much to prevent it from leaking...? the intake side of the pump, which uses the exact same union and the same gasket, was only hand tightned and it is not leaking...

01/01/2008, 06:07 PM	#2
reefergeorge Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Louis MO Posts: 4,222	I have the 150, and all my connections are just snug with a little extra. Try using some silicon grease or vaseline. __________________ $35-50 for a <1" frag of some stupid named thing that came from a colony you bought for $40-60 wholesale and chopped into 20-40 pieces? No thanks. "JasonH" Current Tank Info: 125 aggressive reef, DIY led lighting, swc cone skimmer, 33 gallon sump, posiden Ps3 return.