Dary's tank!

[mr_X]

Do you guys ever try mesh wheel modding your skimmers?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Do you guys ever try mesh wheel modding your skimmers?

Not sure I have heard of that. ???

 

[mr_X]

Google it. You can make a needle wheel skimmer much more efficient with a simple "procedure". I had a MSX skimmer that came with both regular needle wheels and mesh modded wheels and the mesh wheels really made a huge difference.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Going to give that a try. Looks like it might make more micro bubbles.

 

[Dary421]

Interesting read... It's almost too productive,...seems like IF it was that good that the skimmer manufactures would incorporate it into their builds,...smaller skimmers that could out produce larger skimmers for more money hmmmm,....must be some serious downfalls somewhere for them not to incorporate it ,just thinking out loud

 

[mr_X]

They do incorporate them. They just need occasional maintenance, is why they haven't been used more frequently. As I stated, I purchased a MSX 300 skimmer a few years ago (pictured here next to the ASM G4X it replaced), and it came with both choices. Check the skimmate after 2 days....

 

[Hondatek]

Interesting ... I might have to try the mesh mod on my skimmer. It has been letting me down as of late.

 

[Dary421]

They do incorporate them. They just need occasional maintenance, is why they haven't been used more frequently. As I stated, I purchased a MSX 300 skimmer a few years ago (pictured here next to the ASM G4X it replaced), and it came with both choices. Check the skimmate after 2 days....

Gotcha, sorry , I missed the part about the msx CAME with BOTH choices,..... I guess like everything else it all boils down to a compromise ,..better performance but more maintenance Or less performance but much less work.,..choices choices choices :-/

 

[FlopNewsom]

So are you guys saying that a skimmer does not have to be IN the sump? I thought it had to sit in there. I have a reef octopus.

 

[Sniperhank]

They make external skimmers, yes.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Most of the bigger skimmers are external. They get too big to sit in a sump.
This one sits on top of its own 40 gallon trash can sump. It sits in a old photo developer tray (carefully washed!) in case it ever starts dripping, which it hasn't.

 

[Dary421]

Most of the bigger skimmers are external. They get too big to sit in a sump.
This one sits on top of its own 40 gallon trash can sump. It sits in a old photo developer tray (carefully washed!) in case it ever starts dripping, which it hasn't.

Is that large jug on the shelf behind the skimmer a overflow jug or is that the moonshine you've been hiding from the mrs.? You should stand in the middle of your fish room and take pictures 360 degrees ,..I'd love to see what you're up to down there...I remember a year or two ago mr x posted some pictures of his area and I expected Frankenstein to come walking by ... I wish I had a fish room and could do the same.!!

 

[Gregcoyote]

That's a weird shadow, but there are several 2 liter glass supply bottles that feed the dosers. Moonshine should be as good as vodka for dosing the tank shouldn't it?
My old fish room is my old darkroom. Once I went digital, the darkroom became fish ground control. I can barely turn around in there.

 

[Dary421]

I'd probably settle for that ,....it's kind of tough trying to maintain everything either under your tank or beside it,...in my case , I keep building onto my prexsisting cabinet sideways,. Slowly but surely one day it's going to eat up my tv ,..in fact yesterday I took off about another foot off my tv's stand because the tanks cabinet is heading that way anyways and I can't stop it,...:-/ someday , I'm sure I'll have one giant aquarium cabinet with the tv built into it somewhere.

 

[Dary421]

I heard back from the retailer i purchased the reef creation skimmer i ordered and they said the factory will be shipping it out on the 18th...."meanwhile back at the ranch".., i found out that some folks used a medium sized reef flo blowhole pump ( 1100 ) on these skimmers and had great results... Apparently.,it makes for a much smaller footprint than the blueline 55 hd (recommended pump ) with the same amount of power ... And that would be great right now in my application...im going to try out both pumps and see which one does the better job., the one not being used on the skimmer will be housed as my new return pump for future use.

 

[Keithhjs]

I heard back from the retailer i purchased the reef creation skimmer i ordered and they said the factory will be shipping it out on the 18th...."meanwhile back at the ranch".., i found out that some folks used a medium sized reef flo blowhole pump ( 1100 ) on these skimmers and had great results... Apparently.,it makes for a much smaller footprint than the blueline 55 hd (recommended pump ) with the same amount of power ... And that would be great right now in my application...im going to try out both pumps and see which one does the better job., the one not being used on the skimmer will be housed as my new return pump for future use.

Is there a wattage difference too? Would be nice if it had a smaller footprint & was more efficient.

 

[Dary421]

About 60 watts... Or so they say

 

[Keithhjs]

About 60 watts... Or so they say

One of the reasons I held off on that orca cuz it was like 150-175 watts for the recirculating pump.

 

[Dary421]

One of the reasons I held off on that orca cuz it was like 150-175 watts for the recirculating pump.

Yep.... Big toys big bucks

 

[Gregcoyote]

The difference is pennies a day or less between the two pumps. You just want the right flow and it all certainly has to fit your footprint. Hope you get your new skimmer soon.