Octopus HOB Skimmer Owners

[dzeadow]

uhh.. I don't know really yet. I took a piece of 3/4 pvc and grinded it down til it fit in the metric pipes that come with this thing and got it right below the surface on my 10g. there were still some micros but they tended to stay near the top until my MJ1200 blew them around. On a bigger tank I'm sure it'd help. I also didn't have the 90 pointing towads the back wall, I was using it for extra flow.

[FishAreFriends2]

I just want to get enough info before I attempt to hacksaw that return. If it looks like it makes a difference than its worth it but if it doesn't than I rather not butcher it.

[scunfcu]

I got the Bh-300F today and I was so excited, however it is not sucking up the water. Owners of BH-100F please help.

I connected two thinner hoses to both King-22F pump. Where do the third thicker hose goes? To the Drain Value? It doesn't fit. How do I start the siphon of water from main tank to skimmer? I tried filling up the skimmer with water, but it just drain out and not sucking up the water from the main tank? Please help. the design of the bh-300F is similar to bh-100F, just the addition of second King-22F to recirculate.

[happyface888]

How about some pictures? Than maybe I can get a better understanding. As for the siphon thing I myself can never start it up either. so I just remove the surface skimmer and just mj600 or whatever pump to fire water up the inlet. and once thats done the siphon starts after that. the instructions on the bh100f says that your suppose to take one of the pumps intake air tubes and connect it to the johnguest. First fill the skimmer up after that connect the pumps air tube to the johnguests tube, make sure that the johnguest is open. After that start the pump and a sec or two than shut the johnguest off. After that the siphon should keep going. Or you could do the easy way with the pump. HTH

[DallasCowboys]

I'm pretty sure the Remoras draws air otherwise there will be no bubble at all. Anyways, If i ever got myself an Octo I will enlarge the air intake or maybe some mesh modding, however I'm concerned about the micros bubbles, aslo i'm concerned that if it draws too much air then the water intake will be reduced to the point that's too weak to maintain the siphon.

Also does anyone know if the regular HB-100 is shipped with a Resun or a Gen-x pump?

Originally posted by dzeadow
1) if you're using a Remora, it's using spray injection, so it's using 0scfh. There's no venturi on it. It uses force of water to create bubbles.

2) Which mod? Stock, it worked pretty good w/ no micros, I ended up putting another bigger 90 elbow on it putting the output closer to the surface, but if you chop the output extension so that it's just below, and point it towards the back of your tank you should be fine. As for micros w/ any pump mods, there will probably be some for a while. I was seeing some in my 10g, I ended up putting a bag of phosguard/carbon hanging off of it for the time being so i can't see if there's still any coming out, but by the looks of it, theres not many coming into the return chamber of the 100F.

[happyface888]

Well from what people have posted here. The ones who ordered theres from Custom Aquatics took a gamble and at times they would get a resun 225f or a genx 1500. If you wanted to make sure your getting the right one go to www.aquacave.com and www.thereefstop.com, it make cost more but you are sure your getting what you paid for. Customs sells theres a little cheaper and they own both genx and resun.

[happyface888]

I don't know about the remora and air, from what I read they are driven by spray injection.

[scunfcu]

not sure what you mean by johguest and I don't want to have to use mj600 or other pumps to start the siphon.

[happyface888]

the john guest is that nob on the intake that sits on the T

[happyface888]

Heres a picture of my bh100f
you notice the white with the blue nob

Thats the john guest and thats where the bigger tubes goes
follow the above steps and you got yourself a siphon.

[scunfcu]

Thanks, can you give me the instructions again. I'm bit slow.

1. plug one of the air hose from one of the pump to the John Guest.
2. This is with John Guest on open ( twist ) ?
3. One it siphons I can disconnect it and let the siphon works on it own?

[happyface888]

1, fill the skimmer chamber up with water until it starts to flow back out

2, take one of the pumps air intake tubes and attach it to the john guest tube.

3, make sure the valve is on the open position

4, start the pumps, wait a few seconds

5, disconnect the the two tubes and the siphon should be good.




Heres the bh100f instructions that came with mine

Octo BH-100F INSTRUCTIONS
Pour in enough water into the skimmer, connect the skimmer air intaking hose to the air drain off valve (johnguest valve). start the pump of skimmer, drain off the air in the overflow system, then the siphon of the overflow system begins to work. At the same time, close the air drain off valve. Take away the air hose from the valve.

You have to take the pumps air tube and plug it into that blue line and as the water comes in you shut it off or something. I only got it to work once after that it annoyed me so I just fired water up the intake. And it started.

Yeah that guide is confusing as hell, thats why I used a pump

Hey dzeadow have you ever needed to clean the air intake/venturi of the pump? Or it doesn't require any maintance there?

well like usual same crap comes out of mine just like this every 3 days

[happyface888]

BTW Scun
If I remember you mentioned you have a 2inch EuroBrace how did you manege to get the skimmer on that tank?

[scunfcu]

It fits fine, its 2 1/4 inches. Try your steps, makes sense becaue its like an overflow for the inlet, but siphon still dies. I'll trying again right now.
The bh-300F comes with two thin air hose for the pumps and a bigger white hose. No blue hosing. I assume that's for john guest, according to instructions I don't need the third hose. Also I don't the Silencer either. I look at Marine Solutions website, they show bh-300F working without any silcencer.

[scunfcu]

Seems it still having some issues. It would siphon but once I goto step 4 ( start pumps ). The pump would make a load whinning sound and I will have to disconnect ( step 5 ), but siphon was stop and water level in the skimmer would drop.

Repeat process, only way I got it to work, is to skip step 5 and don't disconnect the hosing but just shut down the John Quest.

Now siphon is wokring, but water level still bit low in the intake and outlet. At least its skimming the water surface and water is coming out, getting little bubbles back into tank, so I turn the outlet to hit the back of the tank.

I don't think its normal to have to leave the hosing still connected to the John Guest. Any other suggestions for now? Thanks for your help so far, I am begining to consider the principle of having to siphon the water first on this skimmer. Will contact Marine Solution also on the weekday.

[scunfcu]

I got it wokring, but I have to keep the air house from one of the pump connected to the john Guest. I can leave it working like this? I hear humming sound from one of the pump?

Same connection as your image:

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/e...tooutofbox.jpg

When the John Guest is not turn it means air drain vaule is shut. When its twisted, its open right?

[dzeadow]

no, you have to pull it off the john guest after you get the siphon started. make sure you twist the valve closed first though. So here's the process:
1)connect one pump's venturi line to JG fitting, and open JG fitting.
2) Fill skimmer w/ water until it starts to spill back out
3) Plug pump that is connected to JG fitting in to outlet
4) When you see water going through air line, turn JG fitting to "off" position
5) remove airline from JG fitting
6) plug in second pumpj

When the blue valve handle on the JG fitting is in line w/ the hole in the fitting it's open, when it's perpendicular it's off

[dzeadow]

DallasCowboys:

Before you try to mod the remora to get more air, please be aware that this is impossible. The way the remora works is, it uses a strong pump to force water to spray through a small opening above the water line of water in the skimmer, similar to you putting your thumb over the end of a hose and shooting it into a bucket of water. The "fine" bubbles produced, while not very comparable, are like the fine bubbles produced by the venturi on a needwheel or venturi driven skimmer. I'm sure if you look there won't be an airline to bore out because that would greatly reduce the effectiveness of the skimmer, which isn't very effective to begin w/. A higher powered pump may make it work better, but then you have to deal w/ microbubbles

[luke33]

With a higher rated pump the remora still sux

[scunfcu]

BH-300F finally working. Rob was Marine Solution Inc called me directly on a Sunday and help me resolve it. I have to turn the john guest away from the hose connection to shut down. Open value would be aligh with the hose connection.

I turn the outlet tube to shoot the water into back of my tank and there are no bubles. The BH-300F is skimming white bubbles for now, so I will give it some time to wear it,

Verdict so far.

Pro:
- Great service from Marine Solution.
- Acrylic build is thick and heavy, very solid.
- Surface skimming works well, the intlet tube is not too deep.
- Skimmer can fit over 2 inch Eurobrace tank rims.

Con:
- Servicing or taking out the two pump is a pain. You have to squeeze your hands into the chamber to disconnect the pump or do any other connection or reconnection.
- Must siphon water into the skimmer to get it working. Seems to work ok but you must follow steps and drain value must be in proper setting.

[dzeadow]

isn't that what I said?

[scunfcu]

Just want to share my first experience with Octopus Bh-300F.

[dzeadow]

I'm looking forward to your reviews! It'd be interesting to see what size tank that thing could really handle.

[scunfcu]

sure, I'll need some time to get it doing it skimate thing.

[trex7]

Great info so far about the 300f scunfcu, I'm still trying to decide between the 100f and the 300f, so keep up the good work guys!