Skimming in a Barebottom tank. - Page 3

elephen · 02-14-2006, 10:59 AM

Whisky- I sent you a PM.

SeanT · 02-14-2006, 12:06 PM

Yes those Deltecs are good, but the knock offs are obviously not as good.
Different pumps being used is clue 1.
Also whther the bodies of the knock offs are made with cast or extruded acrylic would come into play.

You can get a good Beckett for that price and a nice used pump.

Sean

Wiskey · 02-14-2006, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanT

Yes those Deltecs are good, but the knock offs are obviously not as good.
Different pumps being used is clue 1.
Also whther the bodies of the knock offs are made with cast or extruded acrylic would come into play.

You can get a good Beckett for that price and a nice used pump.

Sean

Good point, since these skimmers are a big unknowen lets forget about them, I don't want to be the test dummy. Dummy maybe, but NO TESTING!

Lets limit the skimmer cost to $500, and say I want the skimmer to be recerc needle wheel rather than bekett because of power cost.

Does that leave us with any good skimmer options?

Thanks,
Whiskey

SeanT · 02-14-2006, 01:03 PM

Yes, used Deltecs and ER's.
Especially the blemished ER's...here is that site.
http://www.h2otropicals.com/

Wiskey · 02-14-2006, 01:35 PM

Ok, great.

Right now I am thinking either

PM bullet 2 (everyone who has one loves it, never heard a bad word, but uses power)

OR

some sort of ER blemish (good idea) or Deltec, I have heard bad things from a number of people people about ER's, especially their Custimer Service, which is reported to be terrible. Suposadly if you break them it is almost impossable to get another part. I have nothing at all about Deltec except from you and people mentioning the run one and like it. I take this as a good thing, but leaves me little point of refrence, if I see one used I will look into it.

My gut keeps saying that there is a reason everyone loves their bullets, and say it is the best thing they ever bought, also if I buy one I know it is the last skimmer I will ever have to buy even if I went with a 180. I don't think buying a needle wheel is going to be quite as sure of a thing, but it is hard to ignore your rundown of power cost. I am quite undecided

Thanks,
Whiskey

redwinger · 02-14-2006, 02:59 PM

Well if this is what you are reffering to as a "Knock off" I would put it up against a deltec any day of the week. All cast construction and two sedra 5000's. This thing IMO blows a comprable beckett out of the water for half the price.

This was after skimming my 75 for about half a day.

fade2black · 02-14-2006, 03:25 PM

Is that going through your UV before entering the skimmer? How are you feeding it? Nice skimmer BTW.

Wiskey · 02-14-2006, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redwinger

Well if this is what you are reffering to as a "Knock off" I would put it up against a deltec any day of the week. All cast construction and two sedra 5000's. This thing IMO blows a comprable beckett out of the water for half the price.

This was after skimming my 75 for about half a day.

That is not it, the knock off only had one pump, and the lid ontop of the reaction chamber, below the skimmer cup was non removable. Simaler design though.

What kind of skimmer is it?

Thanks,
Whiskey

three90s&125sump · 02-14-2006, 03:31 PM

I have never owned a beckett or a deltec, but, from what I have witnessed with my ASM, I would find it hard to beleive that there would be a skimmer out there that is this simple to use and this effective at removing everything from the water. My ASM will remove dime sized peices of rotting sponge (if it fits into the venturi it will take it out), sand and even rocks to certain point. I have blasted my uncured live rock off with my MAG36 (500#s) and within 2 hours the water was clear again. Obviously not perfectly clear but pretty clear. After 4 hours the water was back to crystal clear again, with the collet(sp?) set at the above mentioned normal mark. When I put my rock in the tank initially (after 4+ days of sitting in a box) it only took a little over a day to get rid of the fish smell from the water.

I think (just for clarification) that a skimmers ability to remove larger undisolved materials from the water column is very closly related to the viscosity of the foam in the uper part of the skimmer. if it is viscous enough to hold the material it will eventually push it out the top of the skimmer into the cup, if you don't have enough DOCs in the water column to get a really viscous foam (which IMO is a good thing) then you will either have to do some very wet skimming or employ a sock on your overflow tube.

Thats a good idea: for a recirc skimmer you could get a UV light that has the capacity to flow the same volume as your pump(s) (multiply UVs for multiple pumps) and run them on the output side of the recirc pumps then back into the reaction chamber. I just thought I would throw that out there.

elephen · 02-14-2006, 04:15 PM

*chants* "BULLET BULLET BULLET BULLET BULLET!"

=D

The new Bullet's are cool, those new injectors are something else. Mine arrived today via UPS so when I get home its picture and video time, I'll get that bad boy working and show everybody how the lid just comes right off for direct access to the injector... Neeto burrito

Wiskey · 02-14-2006, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elephen

*chants* "BULLET BULLET BULLET BULLET BULLET!"

=D

The new Bullet's are cool, those new injectors are something else. Mine arrived today via UPS so when I get home its picture and video time, I'll get that bad boy working and show everybody how the lid just comes right off for direct access to the injector... Neeto burrito

I can't wait to see it. Do all new Bullet 2s come with the new injector?

Thanks,
Whiskey

REEF-DADDY · 02-14-2006, 05:13 PM

Whiskey,
Its been an hour, shouldnt he be home already?

Schwaggy has been pulling my ear to get a bullet 3. A video may just be the push I need

Wiskey · 02-14-2006, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REEF-DADDY

Whiskey,
Its been an hour, shouldnt he be home already?

Schwaggy has been pulling my ear to get a bullet 3. A video may just be the push I need

I hear you, I am trying to decide too. Let's see what this thing can do!!

Whiskey

redwinger · 02-14-2006, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiskey

That is not it, the knock off only had one pump, and the lid ontop of the reaction chamber, below the skimmer cup was non removable. Simaler design though.

What kind of skimmer is it?

Thanks,
Whiskey

Its a reefmania.net skimmer a local guy who does some pretty impressive acrylic work. It is by far the best performing skimmer I have ever owned.

three90s&125sump · 02-14-2006, 07:10 PM

I have this picture posted on my build thread but I thought I would post it here as well. I am not apposed to anyone spending as much money on what ever they would like to spend it on as long as it makes them happy. Here is a shot of what I was talking about earlier in this thread about the skimmers ability to clean water. All three of these tanks are connected and have a total of about 2600GPH being run through them. None of the water can get back to the tanks with out first running through the skimmer at least once. The tank on the left is where I swished my "cooking" LR the other 2 tanks are slightly cloudy do to taking the rock in and out of them.