hang on octopus skimmer mods

[FishAreFriends2]

Any updates?

[happyface888]

Are the bubbles in the reaction chamber still going strong?

[koraltek]

you can pick up the washers on the euro reef website, but their online shopping is temporarily closed for upgrading of stock.

as for the volute, that's a beeyotch...you are limited by the braces that hold the top of the impellar shaft, and the outer wall of the volute imput, usually there isnt a whole lot of room there

[koraltek]

Originally posted by happyface888
Are the bubbles in the reaction chamber still going strong?

yep, still going strong, it's very productive, but it's still only skimming the color of beer. i suppose i could be more patient and set it at a higher setting for darker skimmate, but that isnt too likely. it's totally crazy at work with the holidays so i havent had alot of opportunities to take pics of my tank scince i got back in town on fri
but soon here in a day or 2
and i'll take pics of the different volutes too, i wont forget

[happyface888]

Thanks for the info, I wonder where else can I get them besides ER. BTW Dzeadows still waiting for your scfh air pull on your mod. He did however do a quick $5 mod today to his pump and he got it pulling 4-5schf. And he tested the mesh and noticed its even weaker than a stock pump. Well not all hope is lost Dzeadow came up with a interesting idea, he said if you could hack off the end of the intake and just leave the hub/brace on than widen the area where the water enters. Than attach/glue a bigger pvc pipe to it, that way it will have a bigger intake. Well he did post the instructions on the other thread but thats as much as I remember. Sounds do able right? And yes raise the cup higher, and does the bh100f actually perform better than the regular 100?

I hope your not getting micro bubble frenzy in your tank and hows that shorten return working? And do you think it would be possible to see if your sedra 2500 will over power this skimmer?

[dzeadow]

Tell you what Happy, when I get my other skimmer done, i'll take the volute I have that looks all chopped up and try that idea. I think there's a pvc glue that bonds pvc/plastic.

[koraltek]

Originally posted by happyface888
Thanks for the info, I wonder where else can I get them besides ER. BTW Dzeadows still waiting for your scfh air pull on your mod. He did however do a quick $5 mod today to his pump and he got it pulling 4-5schf. And he tested the mesh and noticed its even weaker than a stock pump. Well not all hope is lost Dzeadow came up with a interesting idea, he said if you could hack off the end of the intake and just leave the hub/brace on than widen the area where the water enters. Than attach/glue a bigger pvc pipe to it, that way it will have a bigger intake. Well he did post the instructions on the other thread but thats as much as I remember. Sounds do able right? And yes raise the cup higher, and does the bh100f actually perform better than the regular 100?

I hope your not getting micro bubble frenzy in your tank and hows that shorten return working? And do you think it would be possible to see if your sedra 2500 will over power this skimmer?

you want the grey graphite washers from euro reef, they are the best ones, im sure you'll be able to order stuff again in a week from the euro reef website. i need to order another air meter from them, i feel naked without one...lol, but i doubt anyone will be in the office until after the 1st.

i really like danny's idea of making a new larger pump intake on the volute, but it would be hella tricky to keep the impellar top dead center in the middle, unless someone has a computer controled milling machine hanging off their nose for fabricating parts.

im not suprised some individual mesh mods are not testing with as high of #'s as the stock octo resun 225 impellar, it's actually the impellar design from the aqua euro line of skimmers that honya (octopus) makes, it was a great impellar design. mesh can surpass it, but you have to have the mesh completely uniform and balanced, and that can be a drag sometimes to acheive.
i've had to tear the whole mod apart and redo it a couple of times to get it just right..

the bh100f performs much better than the bh100, i was suprised at the difference that removing the backpressure from the pump makes.

i'll be able to give a better idea of my modding results with the new air meter and killawatt meter im ordering, im thinking of putting a "master modders kit" together for the store, which would include multiple mesh mod kits, the killawatt meter, and dweyer rma-22 air meter, scince i never see these items for sale together...

i was planning on testing the bh100f with the sedra 2500 i got, but the nw impellar was bent really bad so i just bagged on it and plan on returning the pump, so, that will have to wait until i can order a replacement.

[koraltek]

Originally posted by dzeadow
Tell you what Happy, when I get my other skimmer done, i'll take the volute I have that looks all chopped up and try that idea. I think there's a pvc glue that bonds pvc/plastic.

yep, the pvc glue should do it, mabye even the "blue glue", a little experimentation might be needed there. i wish i had one of those hot air plastic welders...

[dzeadow]

I don't hae one of those welders, but I think the pvc glue should hold good enough. as for keeping the impeller centered, I was thinking of keeping the original hub/cap of the pump intact and just cutting off the pipe attachement and widening the hole inside... make it like 3/4" or something, that way you could just glue a 3/4" coupling to it and that'd be it.. who knows if it'd actually work, I guess I could try tomorrow.... I'm getting bored not having my materials for the DIY skimmer. I had to email and complain that it's been so long and it's still in proccessing... 1 week later and it hasn't shipped yet.. jerks.

[koraltek]

all righty, here's a side by side pic of the octopus resun 225 volute and the asm mini g gen x 1000 volute, you can see how crazy the difference is...


and the skimmer is still totally milked


here's what it collected in about 4 hours


this asm volute/venturi is the only thing not stock on this skimmer pump, i will eventually mesh mod it, but it's doing so good, i see no need as of now.

[dzeadow]

Koral, did you ever get a chance to get the dimensions of the venturi? I'd still like to see if I can make my own volute/venturi that would give good results.. I'm probably going to use this pump for my feed pump on the other skimmer.

[koraltek]

your talking about the sedra2500/3500 venturi or the asm venturi for the mini?
i can get the measurements on the sedra tomorrow, the asm will have to wait until i have to take that pump out of the skimmer body again...it's a drag....as you know.

[dzeadow]

Yeah no doubt... how different is the asm from the sedra? Here's a pic I found on RandyStacyE's website. It's the gen-x 2400, so if there's a difference I don't know. Here's another question for ya, why aren't you just using the asm mini-g's pump instead of the resun? If the venturi works that good, shouldn't the pump out-perform it as well?



I gotta find out some how if I can get a hold of a volute/venturi for the mini-g for less money than the pump itself. It seems like I have a good relationship w/ Todd from CustomAquatic which has a ton of parts for asm's stuff.. I wonder if he can get a hold of the volute/venturi...hmm

[koraltek]

that gen x venturi is closer to the euroreef venturi, and better than the octo im willing to bet, but i've never held one in my hands or used one. i think luke has used that venturi on his via aqua or odyessea skimmers with a gen x 2400, he might be able to tell you if it works well or as good as the er venturi.
but $15 for a good ER venturi is worth every penny...

[happyface888]

Originally posted by koraltek
all righty, here's a side by side pic of the octopus resun 225 volute and the asm mini g gen x 1000 volute, you can see how crazy the difference is...


and the skimmer is still totally milked


here's what it collected in about 4 hours


this asm volute/venturi is the only thing not stock on this skimmer pump, i will eventually mesh mod it, but it's doing so good, i see no need as of now.

Man that volute is huge, I don't think I can replicate that. I'd have to do what dzeadow mentioned and saw off the intake and than make the hob area super big. Any news on parts at your placE? Dzeadow let me know how much they are if you check in with todd over at customs. And whats the air pull on that skimmer and hows yours holding dzeadow?

[dzeadow]

my air's steady so far right at 4ish scfh on the octo. Its pulling scum probably a little better than stock, but nothing to go OOH, AAH about! I haven't heard from Todd yet, he's probably off until after the 1st unfortunately. I haven't gotten my stuff from estreet or my uniseals yet so I'm still waiting to build the collection cup.

[FishAreFriends2]

Alright since its been a couple weeks and it is still milked out and pulling stuff. Will the bh100f totally destroy/smoke a deltec mce300, for a cheaper price and better performance ?? I will also be interested in the volute and venturi keep me updated, whoever gets em and sells for a cheap price...Wish they made knock off ones so it doesn't cost so dam much. Reefgeek is way too expensive for my taste....

[FishAreFriends2]

Did you get your dwyer yet and whats the scfh on the pump compared to dzeadows 4scfh. If they are both pulling the same amount of air than the $5 route would be easier than spending 30 or so on the two parts.

[koraltek]

i just ordered a dweyer rma-22, so it should be here in a couple days....FINALLY!!

[dzeadow]

I might try using a different outlet nozzle on the Resun. I used the stock one that came with the skimmer, and I think it restricts the size of the outlet too much. Let me switch them out and see if I get higher than 4. it'd be nice to get back to 7 since the 100F has no head pressure and that's what I was testing it at when I got the 7.

[FishAreFriends2]

Finally
Dzeadow throw that reun with the 7scfh on the octo bh100f I'd like to see how much it will skim. Since you've only tested it at 4scfh I think. It'd be nice to see how it will do with the 7scfh. I still think the 10g can support that bh100f even korals got one on a 15g and I assume they have the same thickness in glass. I'm thinking of getting the bh100f since it sounds like from everyone its way better than the regular. I talked to happy and he told me that David mentioned that the bh100f is more efficient than the bh100 and it could support a bigger tank.

Koral
Any updates to if you guys can aquire the volute and venturis at your place or is it a no go?
Offtopic.
Friend got me a quarter sized hippo tang and my yellow tail damsel which is slightly bigger than it sure like to mess with the hippo tang. I didn't think the hippo would get harrassed by the damsel...... I hope that ends soon.

[dzeadow]

Well... I got both pumps to pull around 7scfh. I have the on on there now w/ the pvc fitting, but for some reason it's only reading 3-4scfh. So I thought it was the stock outlet that was on there but its not... what I think is happening now is the backpressure on it. @ 0 head, there's 7scfh, when it pumps into the adjoining chamber, it now has an extra, say 6-7" of pressure pushing back against it. So I don't think there's really a way to get any more out of what I've got going.

Gonna upgrade skimmers 'eh? I don't know how much more efficient the 100F is over the 100. I don't think it's enough to spend $150 to see.... hmmm.

[happyface888]

The 100f is more efficient though, I asked david and he said 90 while the bh100 is 60g. That sucks to hear but its all good even having 4scfh is awsome.