Octopus Skimmer Mods

[pogodzib]

Here's a pic


I'll check the neck size and compute how much is can handle. Thanks for the formula. I bored out the output slightly. The 90 degree elbow is on the inlet side of the pump. The outlet side doesn't have a bend. The watts are now at 30,31,&34 for the three pumps and the PF are 0.43, 0.43, & 0.46. Basically, the watts went down by 1 point and the PF went down by 0.01 per pump.

What plumbing on the side of the skimmer body do you think is a must to open up?

On the OTP 2000 pump, I think I can do 3 layers of mesh without the GG, but I like having the GG on it to help hold everything together and I think the mesh wheel will hold up better with the GG.

[JCTewks]

Here is a drawing of the stock DNW venturi (sorry, crappy paint drawing )


Here is a modded venturi that I would propose you do!


IMO the above venturi will work better (lower watts.more air) than stock or the venturi that I am currwently using on my DNW110 (see image below)



IMO you should bore out the inputs and outputs where each skimmer attaches to the body (the inside of the pipe where the union haves are at on the skimmer). I just used a grinding stone on the dremel and opend them up a little bit.

I too like using the GG to hold everything in place...It does add a couple of watts though.

[pogodzib]

I do agree that the second pic looks like it would work nice, but beveling the transition may be tough. I may try making something similar to that and see what happens, but I'll buy a flow meter first. Although boring out the fitting where the pump attaches to the body would probably be beneficial for sucking in more air, I don't think that I want to risk weakening those fittings and having a pump break off on me sometime.

[luke33]

Great pics jctewcs, the second pic is how I always make my venturi's except i have the hose adapter come down right after the restriction there, like in your third pic, so a combo. It generally lowers the wattage, and ups the air quite a bit. I always try and have that restriction right before my air induction and as close to the impeller as i possible can.

[kl3377]

I received my Dwyer today, model RMB-52-SSV. I have one question on the meter. There are 3 lines between the bottom and 10 what are these values?, it is obvious between 10 & 20, 20 & 30 etc that each line equals 2. Thanks

[brian2kgt]

I also received my RMB-52-SSV today. The Dwyer website lists this model as 5-50 so the bottom line is probably 4.

I'm only pulling 9 SCFH with the mods I listed in my last post. It must be the new version pump even though it has a 2 1/4" needle wheel.

I got some pf4 sitting here but I don't want to put it on until my kill-a-watt gets here.

[kl3377]

I was thinking the bottom line is 4 as well, I am currently pulling 8 with all the mods. I think I need to order some enkamat and combo it with the GG.

[JCTewks]

Originally posted by kl3377
I was thinking the bottom line is 4 as well, I am currently pulling 8 with all the mods. I think I need to order some enkamat and combo it with the GG.

Is this on the OTP1000? what mods have you done?

[1badbrd]

is it possible that a skimmer wont pull any skimmate cause the tank is too stable.

I have 6 fish and 50 snails, about 20 pieces of coral in a 90 gallon and my ndw200 couldnt fill a 1 cup od skimmate in a month mybe two months. I have it set for a thin skimmate and it still barely pulls anything.

It worries my cause my SPS are a hit or miss in my tank. I can not see any visual thing i'm doing wrong, but my SPS seems to be not 100% happy

[luke33]

No, something is up with the water conditions or skimmer. Is your 200 full of bubbles? Do you dose with alot of additives. Is your skimmer producing a foam or is more like a soda fiz when you lift off the lid? Have you done any mods to it?

[1badbrd]

no additives and only mod was about 2 ggod layers of mesh and slightly larger venturi.

My bubbles are fairly tiny compared to the stock setting. Don't know how to answer the foam or soda fiz question, but ther isn't much foam collecting at the top of the water to push up through the collection tube.

[luke33]

It sounds to me like there's not enough air in the skimmer to work properly. When you did the mods i think they actually turned yout skimmer less effective. Could you post a pic of it running, that would be really helpful. I'm 100% sure we can get you skimming today.

[1badbrd]

here is couple hope they provide some insight to what you are asking for.


i have been playing with hight level of the water inside the skimmer, it's placed higfher right now to get thinner skimmate

[luke33]

This looks like an easy one to me! Didn't know it was a recirc, not that it matters. There's plenty of air in there, the problem is you need to clean it! If your neck and cone are that filled with skimmate, the foam is just going to stick to the side, it'll never make it to the collection cup. Is it still that dirty?

[flyguy7150]

does the o-ring where the venturi is block the venturi hole like it does on the normal non recirc skimmers....if so check that out....

[brian2kgt]

What kind of water turnover rate does the otp3000 have on a NW200?

The reason I ask is, my return pump is only pushing around 300gph from my 20L sump to my 125 display. If the return is too slow can that be a problem?

[flyguy7150]

Originally posted by brian2kgt
What kind of water turnover rate does the otp3000 have on a NW200?

The reason I ask is, my return pump is only pushing around 300gph from my 20L sump to my 125 display. If the return is too slow can that be a problem?

about 800-900gal/hr for an otp3000, no the slow return shouldn't be a problem

[luke33]

Here's what a buddy's octo looked like after I modded the pump. It was pulling 13scfh but after i turned it to 40scfh it looked like this. Here's a pic of the pump running in my 75g test tank.

[rleechb]

The water level looks awfully low there. I'd clean out the skimmer, and adjust the water level.

Also... that doesn't look like much air at all. You might want to add another layer of mesh and double check your venturi.

[1badbrd]

well that is pretty dirty but thats after a really watery skimmate. but part of the trouble is that there is not much foam collecting at the top of the water. The diryty neck came from the water level being at the beginning at the neck. So if the water level was an inch below the foam hardly reaches the neck and flows upward.

[flyguy7150]

Originally posted by flyguy7150
does the o-ring where the venturi is block the venturi hole like it does on the normal non recirc skimmers....if so check that out....

Try looking for the o-ring mod where the venturi is, that could be it

[luke33]

Well, it does look like something is restricting the air, like flyguy said, you should look for to see if the oring is in the way. You may also want to suck some fw down the venturi tube for a second to see if salt creep got the best of you. But definately a good cleaning is in order and the water level looks real low.

[1badbrd]

the o-ring was a b**ch, but i mead sure that wasn't the issue when i took it out for a cleaning, so much i had to silicone the connection because the o-ring wasn't good enough seal because i made sure the hole wasn't blocked at all. Where exactly should the water levels be at. I have many pics with water levels high and low. Righ now i have the level a 1/4 inch below the curve of the neck.

[pogodzib]

I may not be the best person to try to help solve your problems, but I would agree that the water elevation looks to be set too low and the air seems low as well. In my Octo, you can't see the tees where the water exits from the recirc pumps, except in areas where I have a 45 degree elbow installed to direct more air downward. The water level at the time of the video was set near at near the base of the riser tube. I now am running it near the bottom of the cone section after doing several mods.

Here is a video of my Octopus Triple recirc skimmer in action just after I first set it up. Just ignore how wet the top of the neck is at the time of the video as I was adjusting the skimmer at the time. The video represents pretty good how small and thick the bubbles were prior to my mesh mod. Now that I've done the mesh mod, the bubbles are even greater in number and are much smaller in size. I can't wait to get my air flow meter and see what I'm pulling for air.

Octopus Triple Recirc skimmer video

[luke33]

I would raise your water level to where the neck is half filled with foam. Then wait and see what happens. If its skimming really wet, then lower it, if to dry then raise it.