Recirculating Mod on Octo. Extreme 200

[Neuticle]

My Octopus Extreme 200 is nice, but I'd like to add another Sicce PSK2500 pump in a recirculating capacity. I've got a few Q's for the skimmer-mod gurus.

Can I use normal Uniseal fittings, or do I need to find contoured seals for the skimmer body?

I plan on the second discharge inside of the bubble plate device with the primary. Is it ideal to compliment flow rotation in the bubble plate, or violent turbulence? (should I spin the flow, or direct them against each other?)

Where is the ideal intake for a recirc pump? If I pull whitewater, I'll chop up existing bubbles even smaller. If I pull bottom water, I'm not sure of any benefit other than more organized flow in the chamber.

Sedra pumps are a little less expensive, but I'm having a hard time finding power consumption, and air/water numbers. I know they're good pumps, but do tey old up against the Sicce?

[SWINGRRRR]

IMHO, you wont be happy. The skimmer bodies only hold/process so much air. I wanna say the 200 bodies, in any trim only hold about 32-40 scfh of air. By adding another pump youll be injecting more air than the skimmer can handle. Without an extending neck, youll just be overflowing the cup constantly.

Some advice I once got (edited to fit here): """"In my opinion, there there are two reasons to recirc pumps on skimmers:
1. You want to run a skimmer external to your sump. This is not an option with the Sicce pumps as they will will run too hot when not in water.
2. You are trying to force more air into the skimmer. It was not that long ago when the pumps that were used to drive skimmers were not able to pull the air that they can today, so a lot of them were recirc'ed in efforts to cheat a little a put some more air in the chamber. The Sicce has one of the highest air:water ratios out there."""""

[SWINGRRRR]

O, and yes, normal Uniseals will work. You wanna pull white water.


Have you tried meshing your pump now, or the PPW if you have the Sicce?

[Neuticle]

I tried the mesh wheel, I messed with it for days and couldn't get anything I was happy with enough with to leave alone for ten minutes.

The Purple wheel is a good idea to try before I start drilling the skimmer body. It seems really expensive for what it is. Do you recommend the big one or the small one?

[SWINGRRRR]

I should say that I use the stock mesh on mine. I have the NW200 with the Sicce pump. MSX modified a couple NW200 for the Sicce pump. I got one of them. They still sell them so they aren’t anything special, just wanted to clarify I don’t have the OCTX. Same thing really, I just don’t have the bubble plate.
Play with the mesh some more. You gotta set it and forget it for a couple of days. Have you done the GV mod? I suggest that as well. Itll cost you about $20 or so for the gate valve and a 1.5” coupling.
Make sure the skimmer is broken in. You really just gotta put up with it for a month. Clean your skimmer cup and set it to where the bubbles break right inline with the skimmer cup bottom. Then just wait a couple of hours, if it runs wet, turn it down, if it runs dry turn it up. Turn the wedge pipe about 1/8 of a turn either way at a time and just let it set for a couple of hours. Should take you really a week to get it perfect.
I plan to get the LRG PPW one day, just for testing purposes, but I am very happy with the mesh for now.
What all is in the tank? Why are you unhappy with the skimmer? How deep of water is it sitting in?
Ill try to get some nog pics up tonight of mine.

[Neuticle]

I am happy with the skimmer, I have no problems tuning it and it pulls it's weight as is.

I'm just ready for my tank to run better, and improving my skimmer is one of the lower priced items on the list that could potentially make a big difference.

[SWINGRRRR]

Are you old enough to buy Vodka?

[Neuticle]

I tried that, the clear goo on every surface of my tank turned me off.

[SWINGRRRR]

Sounds like you may have had an OD. Back off the does a little. Were you dosing any beneficial bacteria? I dose MB7 and vodka. I dose a tiny, tiny bit of AA's every couple of days if I think about it. I think my tank is extremely clean for what it is. Very simple design.

Well here is my nog pic. Again, this is the NW200 with the Sicce running a mesh wheel, and GV MOD. It sits in about 7 1/4" of water with the pump running vertical with the inlet up. It usually pours over the side, but I didn't think about it and had just dumped in my vodka so the head colapsed a little. This is 1 day of skimming.