octopus vs asm
- Thread starter jonrn
- Start date
wattsupdoc
Active Member
octo extreme 160
acrylic51
Active Member
Originally Posted by wattsupdoc
http:///forum/post/2813896
octo extreme 160
Both are good skimmers, but I'd still go with the octo as mentioned
http:///forum/post/2813896
octo extreme 160
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by jonrn
http:///forum/post/2813827
octopus nw 150 or asm g-1x. i would really appreciate all your replies. thanks.
why does everyone automatically suggest a $280 MSX 160
both the ones you are looking at are a little on the small side for a 120g but a $200 Octopus NW200 will easily handle a 120g. so it wont be running low watts and its not compact and it has to be meshed and modded to draw MSX pinwheel type air but the NW200 is still the best bang for the buck skimmer out there. anybody elses simular size/capacity skimmer is going for double the price (I guess you could say the same thing about the MSX). as for the NW150 vs the ASM G1x the octopus is $100 cheaper and better in almost every way (perhaps the sedra 3500 is better than the oct-2000 pump but nothing $5 and 15 minutes wont make up for).
http:///forum/post/2813827
octopus nw 150 or asm g-1x. i would really appreciate all your replies. thanks.
why does everyone automatically suggest a $280 MSX 160
lostinsalt
New Member
what does meshed and modded mean?
joncat24
Active Member
Originally Posted by jonrn
http:///forum/post/2815889
i got my answer on what meshed and modded means. do i really have to do it or will the nw 150 or 200 do a great performance?
I wouldn't run the nw 200 or 150 without the mesh.
If you want to go without mesh and just a needlewheel, then I would seriously look at the msx 200. The difference between the msx 200 and nw 200 is amazing and well worth the extra $80 or so dollars.
http:///forum/post/2815889
i got my answer on what meshed and modded means. do i really have to do it or will the nw 150 or 200 do a great performance?
I wouldn't run the nw 200 or 150 without the mesh.
If you want to go without mesh and just a needlewheel, then I would seriously look at the msx 200. The difference between the msx 200 and nw 200 is amazing and well worth the extra $80 or so dollars.
sly
Active Member
Originally Posted by lostinsalt
http:///forum/post/2816027
what does meshed and modded mean?
It means you take out the pump's impeller and replace it with a nylon mesh material. There is some modification required to do this... You have to cut the nylon mesh to fit onto a spinning disk and you hold it in place with zip ties and super glue. When you turn the pump on the mesh spins within the pump head causing circulation, just like an impeller would. When the air bubbles are drawn through the pump, the mesh cuts them up into very small bubbles. The smaller the bubbles, the more efficiently a skimmer works. So mesh modding your pump will give you more performance out of your skimmer.
The downside? The mesh breaks down over time and has to be replaced. So slightly higher maintenance.
http:///forum/post/2816027
what does meshed and modded mean?
It means you take out the pump's impeller and replace it with a nylon mesh material. There is some modification required to do this... You have to cut the nylon mesh to fit onto a spinning disk and you hold it in place with zip ties and super glue. When you turn the pump on the mesh spins within the pump head causing circulation, just like an impeller would. When the air bubbles are drawn through the pump, the mesh cuts them up into very small bubbles. The smaller the bubbles, the more efficiently a skimmer works. So mesh modding your pump will give you more performance out of your skimmer.
The downside? The mesh breaks down over time and has to be replaced. So slightly higher maintenance.
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by jonrn
http:///forum/post/2815502
what does meshed and modded means?
meshing is simply cutting or removing a row or two of needle wheels off the propeller pump and fitting mesh (usually Enkamat PF4. google it. several online aquatic vendors sell it for about $4-5 a sheet. egay as well). its held on with fishing lines and sometimes small zipties. mesh draws more air into the skimmer than needle wheels and pin wheels. the downside is it doesn't stay together like it should forever and has to be periodically remeshed. Also can cause hard starting/friction if too much mesh is added to the propeller.
modding is anything you do to alter it from stock (such as meshing) to improve performance. Like modding a car you might change the stock suspension with coilover suspension to make it handle better or put on a larger turbo and injectors to make it faster. same thing just skimmers instead of cars. On octopus NW series thats usually boring out the output tube from pump to increase flow and fitting a bigger air intake. thats one big advantage of the MSX, even with all the popular mods on the NW the MSX still performs just as well unmodded (and will fit where the NW200 cant and consume less power). the mods required to make the NW perform only cost about $6 total so its still the cheapest effective option
http:///forum/post/2815502
what does meshed and modded means?
meshing is simply cutting or removing a row or two of needle wheels off the propeller pump and fitting mesh (usually Enkamat PF4. google it. several online aquatic vendors sell it for about $4-5 a sheet. egay as well). its held on with fishing lines and sometimes small zipties. mesh draws more air into the skimmer than needle wheels and pin wheels. the downside is it doesn't stay together like it should forever and has to be periodically remeshed. Also can cause hard starting/friction if too much mesh is added to the propeller.
modding is anything you do to alter it from stock (such as meshing) to improve performance. Like modding a car you might change the stock suspension with coilover suspension to make it handle better or put on a larger turbo and injectors to make it faster. same thing just skimmers instead of cars. On octopus NW series thats usually boring out the output tube from pump to increase flow and fitting a bigger air intake. thats one big advantage of the MSX, even with all the popular mods on the NW the MSX still performs just as well unmodded (and will fit where the NW200 cant and consume less power). the mods required to make the NW perform only cost about $6 total so its still the cheapest effective option
lostinsalt
New Member
thanks, that help alot. So if u get a MSX skimmer u don't have to mesh and mod it, am I right about that? If that the case it seams to me to be the one to get. Less maintences
wattsupdoc
Active Member
if you think you are impressed with it now, wait till you mesh mod it.
the nw skimmers do work wel without the mesh. You definetly can run one without it. BUT...it is a remarkable diverence with mesh.
hurt
Active Member
DO NOT DO THIS MOD WITHOUT A KILL-A-WATT METER! It is very easy to burn out a pump if this mod is not done properly.
Copied from a previous post of mine, and this is for a Octopus NW-200, the older version:
Basically you take the impeller out and pry off the first needle wheel and leave the second on. Use a knife and do it slowly. Once the top needle wheel is off, you can apply layers on enkamat. I used three layers on enkamat one on top of the other. Cut a hole in the center of each so it can fit around the top of the impeller then cut off the edges. You do not want any rubbing at all. Use fishing line(at least 10lb test) to tie the enkamat to the remaining needle wheel. I used a needle to thread the fishing line and I was very redundant looping the fishing line around every needle wheel at least a couple of times.
Then you must replace the stock venturi. I went to Lowes and bought a male to male 1/4' water fitting. Drill a hole in the pumps intake and then put this fitting in. Then use 1/4' tubing to attach to the venturi for air supply. This combined with the enkamat, will let the pump suck a lot more air(which is the basic principle of all skimmers).
I then took a dremel bored out the elbow that connects from the top of the pump to the skimmer. The original design was too restrictive. I also bored out the top of the volute. Keep in mine this was done on the older version. I'm not sure how the newer version is, but I believe they have put on a new elbow from the pump to the skimmer, so you may not have to do that mod.
Copied from a previous post of mine, and this is for a Octopus NW-200, the older version:
Basically you take the impeller out and pry off the first needle wheel and leave the second on. Use a knife and do it slowly. Once the top needle wheel is off, you can apply layers on enkamat. I used three layers on enkamat one on top of the other. Cut a hole in the center of each so it can fit around the top of the impeller then cut off the edges. You do not want any rubbing at all. Use fishing line(at least 10lb test) to tie the enkamat to the remaining needle wheel. I used a needle to thread the fishing line and I was very redundant looping the fishing line around every needle wheel at least a couple of times.
Then you must replace the stock venturi. I went to Lowes and bought a male to male 1/4' water fitting. Drill a hole in the pumps intake and then put this fitting in. Then use 1/4' tubing to attach to the venturi for air supply. This combined with the enkamat, will let the pump suck a lot more air(which is the basic principle of all skimmers).
I then took a dremel bored out the elbow that connects from the top of the pump to the skimmer. The original design was too restrictive. I also bored out the top of the volute. Keep in mine this was done on the older version. I'm not sure how the newer version is, but I believe they have put on a new elbow from the pump to the skimmer, so you may not have to do that mod.
wattsupdoc
Active Member
Correct, you do not have to bore out the fitting on the newer versions. Also, you can use tiny tie wraps in place of fishing line. I would do the mod and photograph it, but my left arm is broken. Maybe in a couple days when I can use it a little more.
hurt
Active Member
Here are a few pics of my moddified Octopus NW-200 needle wheel. The third pic you can really see the fishing line used to tie the enkamat to the needlewheel. I used zip ties at first to tie the enkamat to the needlewheel, but I had a lot of rubbing between the zip ties and the back of the pump, so I then redid it using fishing line and now I no longer have this problem. As you can see only one of the two original needlewheels is present. To expand on what I said previously, take a knife in between the two needlewheels, and slowly pry off the top one, going around the needlewheel bit by bit, loosening it not just in one place, but around the whole NW.
If you do this mod properly, along with a new/larger venturi, the difference in performance/skimmate is immense between the stock pump and a moddified pump.
If you do this mod properly, along with a new/larger venturi, the difference in performance/skimmate is immense between the stock pump and a moddified pump.