New ETSS Sump Buddy skimmer came today !!!

[mojo46825]

Well it came today. I said I would post some pics so here they are. No instructions came with it. Not sure where to set it exactly. Anyone familiar with where i should set the water lever in this downdraft skimmer. I will call them tomorrow. I am sure they will be able to answer an questions I have.Skimmer was a bit taller than I thought. Was simple to put together and install. It is narrow with a small footprint. Well its hooked up and running but I guess I will have to wait for it to break in. It ok I have to go get hose to hook it up to my waste collector. I bought it from MRC. Larger than expected too. Seems to be well built. The skimmer has one clear side on the base which is kinda nice to see how it works and stuff. Please leave some opinions. Would like to hear what you all think. picures were after running only 5 minutes

Just not sure how these are suppose to work. I am used to my octopus.

 

[joncat24]

if it is anything like the reef devil, you should have the water level just at the bottom of the tube. Right about even or a little above the black box. When it gets broken in, the foam will start to rise up the tube. Where it is now, when it breaks in , you will fill it in a matter of minutes.
Another thing, if it is like the devil, when you make an adjustment you have to wait about 20 minuts for it to settle in. So dont make too many adjustments very quickly, and make small ones when you do.

 

[mojo46825]

it suppse to be a "new Design" But this I am not usre of because I don know how the reef devils work. So you think the level should be lower for now?

 

[joncat24]

yes, about 6 " or so it looks like. Right at the point where the tube meets the box or just a hair above,IMO

 

[mojo46825]

ok looked on there website and after reading it say the new downdraft only uses two to four balls. I put hte whole bag in about 12. And OMG What a difference. This thing is making some serious foam. I have lowered the water level to about 1/2 in below the column. I will take some more pics. Now I am impressed. It was my own fault but at first I was like thats it. This thing is making a ton of foam and after an adjustment it only takes about a minute for it to re adjust. I will take some pics and post them in about 5 minutes. I hope everyone will find this usefull or informative.

 

[mojo46825]

Here are the updated pictures

My camera catches the water shooting in. But in person you cannot see that. Its more like a jet of water shooting in. Enjoy!!

 

[indyws6]

Greetings

I have a Reef Devil Deluxe and while your skimmer is slightly different than mine, it is still a "conventional" downdraft skimmer. I'm no expert, but I have done a lot of "playing" with my RDD and offer the following:
* JONCAT is right - my skimmer seems to work best if the water level is (approximately) at the intersection of the box and the tube (I think this is also what ETSS recommends). If it is much higher, certain common situations can cause the skimmer to run away. This is not as critical for an in-sump unit, but maintaining the level at that point helps ensure consistent performance.
* The fewer bio-balls you use, the more erratic the performance will be. I was initially dissatisfied with the skimmate from my RDD (turns out it was my expectations at fault, not the RDD

) and called ETSS. They told me that I could remove some of the bio-balls to increase the foam production. After playing with this over several weeks, I learned that with a low number of balls (4-5) the skimmer was very erratic and prone to wild swings - complete foam collapse and no foam production for hours -to- run-away skimmer situations that would overflow the collection cup and 3/4 gallon waste container in less than 2 hours (NOT good for an external skimmer...). I have since gone back to using 10 balls in the downdraft tube and the skimmer is substantially more consistent and predictable.
* I can't back this up scientifically, but also on the subject of the number of bio-balls, using more seems to produce a much denser foam with smaller bubbles. If I understand skimmer basics, smaller bubbles = more bubbles = more bubble surface area = better removal of disolved organic compounds
Sorry for the lengthy post - I tend to "over-explain" things

I hope this helps in some way...

 

[mojo46825]

I plan on calling them today and see what is there recommended amount. The only info I have because it is new is what there add says. There website says two two four balls for this one and when looking at the manual for the reef devil it does use alot more.I am not sure because I have not seen a reef devil to know the difference between these two skimmers. I know that this one can sit in deeper water than the reef devil. This one is suppose to have the new downdraft 2 design. I do get alot of foam now. I have not hooked up the waste collector for two reason. One want to see what this skimmer does. And two I have to go get the hose.

all in allit seems to be working as it should maybe I will add another bal to give me 3 and see what that does.

 

[mojo46825]

Ok Just talked to the guy from AE tech(ETSS) and he said this.
*Only use 2 to 4 bioballs. The more balls the less air flow.
*The water level needs to be wherever I need it to be to get the best skimmate. But should not be on the tower. Somewhere between the tower and 1 to 1.5 inches below is where they have tested best performance.
This thing cycles alot of water and makes a ton of foam. I am getting a few microbubbles but it hasnt even been 24 hours.
They also say its not a reef devil. It should be superior to the old reef devil and reef devil deluxe. So far so good. I hope this helps any thinking of buying one of these. I ll keep you up to speed on how it does.

 

[indyws6]

MOJO46825 - Thanks for the update.
When I have called, the folks at AE Tech have been very helpful. Obviously, they know more about it than I do with regard to the number of bio-balls that you should use. I would still be curious if using more (4 instead of 2) provide more consistent performance.
I wonder what the difference is between my RDD and the "Downdraft II Design". It's difficult to tell from the pictures, but the downdraft tube and water/air input fitting on your skimmer look identical to the one on mine, with the exception that yous is made from clear acrylic (mine is black).
It looks like a great skimmer - they certainly are built well. I wish you luck and will be curious to see how it works out for you.
Take Care...

 

[mojo46825]

The guy there said I could adjust the amount of air that went into the skimmer by adding more o less balls. He said the more balls the less air that would be going into the skimmer. I am at 3 balls in hte chamber. He also said he might change them to large balls. 2 large bioballs .It was working well when i left. Lets just it is that way when i get off work.

 

[indyws6]

Greetings

If you get a chance, I would be interested to see some pictures of the skimmer in action as it breaks in and then after - to see the amount/"quality" of the skimmate.
Again, good luck...

 

[mojo46825]

i ll take a couple tonight and post them after two days of running.

 

[dmcrete]

sounds complicating??? i sure like my octopuss nw 110<<?? haaa Heeeeeee

if you need to borrow it mojo,, you know how to get in touch!!

 

[theappe3]

i had never seen this kind of skimmer before... interesting thread!

 

[mojo46825]

This is a new skimmer by AE Tech. ETSS has been around for a while. They dont even have an instruction manual. Its funny though. I get home and I run upstairs to look at my skimmer. lol Its like x mas. Last night the tower was already brown. But I had to change out my filter sock and as soon as my hand hit the water the foam was gone. Must be the oils on my hand. By the time I left for work it was starting to go back up the skimmer.
I am glad the Octo is working out for you. Glad you liked it and it shipped to you in one piece. I always worry about things like that.

 

[grumpygils]

What is the micro bubble output to the sump? It look like it really foams well.
Mc

 

[mojo46825]

At first it had some. It is only day two and they are almost non existant. Adjusting the skimmer is upper easy. Just slide the output gate up or down. Very easy It moves a ton of water through it though. uses pumps rated at 700 to 900 gph. lol the guy from AE TECH (ETSS) calls it the hot rod of skimmers.

i thinks thats funny. Just to hear him say it makes me laugh. It does move some serious water though. The water even looks a little more clear.

 

[dmcrete]

[Qim gladUOTE=mojo46825]This is a new skimmer by AE Tech. ETSS has been around for a while. They dont even have an instruction manual. Its funny though. I get home and I run upstairs to look at my skimmer. lol Its like x mas. Last night the tower was already brown. But I had to change out my filter sock and as soon as my hand hit the water the foam was gone. Must be the oils on my hand. By the time I left for work it was starting to go back up the skimmer.
I am glad the Octo is working out for you. Glad you liked it and it shipped to you
in one piece. I always worry about things like that.

[/QUOTE]

 

[indyws6]

MOJO46825 - Greetings Again

You'll find that the foam head can/will collapse for many reasons and that was a frustration to me with my Reef Devil Deluxe until I learned why it was happening.
* If you stick your hand in the tank (or sump), you can virtually guarantee that the foam head will collapse. I think it is due to body oils and the surface tension of the water.
* Feeding can also cause the foam head to collapse (especially if you do it by sticking your hand in the tank). I generally feed frozen Mysis, Brine and Cyclop-Eeze and used to do it by holding the chunks underwater until they dissolved. I now put the Mysis and Brine in a small, fine-weave fish net and dissolve them under running water. I then use the net to put the food in the tank. This approach removes a lot of the oily coating from the cubes and generally eliminates the collapse of the foam head. This doesn't work for Cyclop-Eeze because of the small size, so I just put it (frozen) into the net and then move the net around in the water to dispurse it. At the very least, this approach helps the skimmer to "recover" much quicker
* Your skimmer uses a lot fewer bio-balls, so it may not be a problem for you, but the amount and force of the water being pumped through the downdraft tube can cause the balls to "pack" together, which affects foam production. I typically remove them from the tube and then stack them lightly back in when I do my skimmer cleaning maintenance. To make it easier, I tied a piece of fishing line to the bottom ball and leave it hanging outside of the tube - you can then use it to pull all of the balls out...
Hope this helps. I'll be curious to see the photos