Octopus HOB Skimmer Owners - Page 25

dzeadow · #**601** 12/28/2007, 01:19 PM

It does. if you get a chance to take your pump off, look inside the outlet after you take off the barbed fitting. right where the outlet meets the impeller housing, it's at 3/8". so take a cutting cylinder (one of the gear looking things) and before you stick it down the outlet, make sure you have enough of the bit shaft showing to make it all the way down. Just bore it out some until it looks like it's at the 3/4" diameter of the outlet. as long as you don't damage the threading in the process, the barbed fitting should fit right back in there like nothing was ever done. I'll try to get pics shortly. I wouldn't do anything until I test it on the non chopped up volute cover, because if it doesn't make much difference there, then its probably not worth doing.

I bet Koral could get MAD air w/ his asm volute/venturi and widening the output.

dzeadow · #**602** 12/28/2007, 02:50 PM

So here's the Resun I've totally fubar'd.

The overall pic w/ the barbed fitting on the inlet and the new volute:

The bored out inlet. You really can't tell what I did since I didn't take a before shot, but if you get your pump out you'll see the ring that makes it a 3/8" opening right where the impeller housing meets the outlet tube. I just dremeled this out and the barbed fitting still goes in:

New volute intake w/ pvc adapter and air intake:

The back side of the bored out volute. I used pvc glue the first time so it marred the plastic pretty bad, but you can see how I left the impeller hub in tact so I wouldn't have to fasion one myself. the opening diameter is about 1"

happyface888 · #**603** 12/28/2007, 03:08 PM

Man that looks risky to do, the hub does look pretty thin and fragile there. When you were removing the intake did you have to save some of it to keep the hub intake or can I remove the whole intake and not worry about the hub because it sits on the cap instead of the intake? The air line tubing is the same as before right? As for the outlet was it risky to boar out? I am a little worried I might damage the insides, since I only have one resun. But the volutes are do able since I have 2 and what kind of pvc attachment is that? And have you tried it on the bh100f?

dzeadow · #**604** 12/28/2007, 03:25 PM

I haven't tried this one on the skimmer yet.. I'm going to drop it in the new DIY on the reaction side to see how white it gets

. The fitting I believe is a 3/4" slip to 1/2" MI. I tried 3/4" to 3/4" too and they were about the same, but I'm sure now that i've got some different mods to it there might be a difference and I don't know what it would be.

As for the hub, be VERY careful. Basically what I did was cut the pipe off first w/ a dremel disc, being sure not to hit the hub at all. Then I took a grinder cylinder the one that looks like a gear, and started boring out in each of the 3 areas. I made sure not to hit the 3 support arms so that it would stay put. Then on the other side you have to grind away the rest of the pipe and some of the finger fins that assist in turning the volute.

Doing the outlet is no big deal at all..really easy. Just make sure you're careful when the dremel's on and you're putting the bit into the hole... as long as you don't hit the first 1" or so of threads you'll be fine. You've seen the adapter that screws into it to hold it on the skimmer, it's only about 1/2"-3/4" of threads.

happyface888 · #**605** 12/28/2007, 03:36 PM

I think this mod surpasses Korals easy mod. But it seems like alot of work I might just stick with the simple mod that you mentioned earlier with the 4scfh. 7scfh would be pretty sick if I had it on my skimmer.

FishAreFriends2 · #**606** 12/29/2007, 12:47 PM

Looks challeging to do that mod. Whats the alternative if you only got one pump?

dzeadow · #**607** 12/29/2007, 12:53 PM

Let me get the other skimmer done so I can pull this octo off my tank, once I do that, I'll check the easy volute mod w/ the outlet mod and NW and see what I get for a reading. I'm sure it'll still be some improvement, I don't know if it'll be above 5, but it might be at it.

wilson0204 · #**608** 12/29/2007, 06:44 PM

I'm looking to buy one of these skimmers for my 55 gallon reef and was wondering which one is better, the BH-100 or the BH-100F
Thanks

dzeadow · #**609** 12/29/2007, 07:01 PM

if you can afford the extra couple $, I'd do the 100F. It has better pump performance since there's no head pressure on it. It also has an area where you can put your heater to get that out of your tank as well.

wilson0204 · #**610** 12/29/2007, 11:37 PM

are there any problems with the siphon one the 100F?

dzeadow · #**611** 12/29/2007, 11:47 PM

No, I was the one having that problem and I came to find out that there was an astrea snail hanging out in the intake tube causing lack of flow to suck the chamber dry and break the siphon. As long as you use the preskimmer box that comes w/ it you'll be fine, although it doesn't do much in the way of skimming the surface, but that can be fixed if you want to hack saw the intake a little.

wilson0204 · #**612** 12/30/2007, 01:30 AM

ok, thanks

happyface888 · #**613** 12/30/2007, 02:11 AM

great skimmerr for a great price

can't be beat.

koraltek · #**614** 12/30/2007, 12:40 PM

the bh100f for sure, a much better skimmer.

dzeadow · #**615** 12/30/2007, 04:26 PM

Alright happy, do the easy inlet mod and the outlet mod. I was reading 6-7scfh at 0 head w/ that, so that's what you should get on the 100F. As for the 100 owners, the easy volute mod and the outlet mod gets you a 4-5scfh, but it's choking out, not sure what's causing it, but it's good enough for me to use it on my DIY skimmer until I get the AC50/AC70 combo in there. It looks like this is a good way to get some more air until Koral gets his air meter and lets us know what he's getting w/ the asm volute/venturi combo. But my way's free

Warmart · #**616** 12/31/2007, 02:56 PM

Is there a trick to reassembling the resun pump volute? I cannot get the gasket to stay seated, keeps popping out. It's about ready to go through a window

dzeadow · #**617** 12/31/2007, 03:09 PM

start w/ one side in the volute and start pushing the other side of the cover in, as the gasket starts to pop out the open side, just push it in with your finger as it closes.. works for me every time.

Warmart · #**618** 12/31/2007, 03:50 PM

With a few more tries, it worked. Argghhh. I want it to seal but hmmm - wonder if they could've used a tighter fitting gasket.

Thanks dz!

dzeadow · #**619** 12/31/2007, 05:13 PM

no prob! I've never had that problem before.. well, actually it started to pop out one when there was only 1/2" showing, so about 1/8" of the gasket popped a little out so I just pushed it with my finger and it went right in..

Where'd you get your skimmer from, Marine Solutions, Custom Aquatic..or somewhere else?

Warmart · #**620** 12/31/2007, 06:01 PM

I remembered having a BIT of a problem when I first bought it. I just HAD

to look at the impeller when it arrived. But not anything like now. It's very loose fitting, perhaps the overnight vinegar soak affected it? The gasket is looking a little weak, I put a little dab of aquarium safe silicone lube on it, hopefully that will help.

I did get my skimmer from Custom Aquatic, but used a local store as an intermediary.

Very impressed with it since it arrived back in Sep or Oct (memory is shot to he11).

dzeadow · #**621** 12/31/2007, 07:12 PM

I've GOT to take a picture of this... I just put the 100F on my 10g tank

. The modded pump is putting out so much air right now, the tank itself is starting to look like a skimmer

!!! I can tell that there's a huge decrease in flown on this pump now, but more air simply because the flow coming out of the skimmer now isn't what it used to be. Now I have to build something for the skimmer to sit on so it doesn't break the tank

happyface888 · #**622** 01/02/2008, 01:41 AM

I'd like to see the bh100f on that 10g. I didn't think it'd fit. So whats in there right now? And looks like you won't need a nano skimmer anymore since you got the bh100f on it. Maybe we have to bring up the bubble trap ideas once more again... Or you add a extra baffle on it like the Balco skimmer. Man start selling those balcos XD

dzeadow · #**623** 01/02/2008, 08:41 AM

I'll take a picture a little later when the lights come on. There's nothing in the tank right now, but I do feed it every once in a while so the snails/hermits have something to eat.. however they gotta start working on the hair algae that I started

. I don't think I'll be using the 100F long term on this tank. I don't feel comfortable having it hang on there w/ that 1/8" glass, it's too heavy.. so I have it kind of propped up where it's sitting on the adjustable screws on the bottom, which I also don't like long term. I think I'll still get the nano skimmer, it'll let me sleep at night.

Would you really buy one of these skimmers? Do you have room on your stand behind your tank for it to sit on? I think that's the only way to go w/ it.. it'd be too heavy to actually hang on a tank.. unless it had like 3/4" glass or something.

FishAreFriends2 · #**624** 01/02/2008, 01:32 PM

@luke
any updates to the reciric?

happyface888 · #**625** 01/02/2008, 03:14 PM

I think theres probaly already a few out there atm, man my left hands been numb this whole week and typing is frewaking hard....