Originally Posted by
Stanlalee
http:///forum/post/2753858
there are only three common mods: mesh the impeller with Ekamat PF4, drill and fit a 1/4 hose adapter on the fitting in front of the impeller to replace the venturi and smaller hose fitting on the stock pump and thirdly dremeling out some material from the elbow that fits the pump to the skimmer for higher flow. if its working so well you cant get the water level low enough with the stock adjusting riser tube you may have to cut down the output pipe as well. I would only do one mode at a time and stop when your satisfied.
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I did the mesh mod, the venturi mod, the gate valve mod and I'm toying with the funnel raised in the compartment, also I sealed up the connection to the neck and the funnel. Then after a while of skimming with the octo 3000, I accidentally broke all the needles off the impellar. I ordered the sicce pumpto run instead as it's supposed to be better. The ONLY difference I can see is it uses less power, and has les flow. I actually had much more water flowing through my skimmer with the octo. The air draw is the sanme, actually the last week or so it has slumped off and is actually pulling only around 32 scfh, less than what the octo did.
The mods are real easy to do. As stated, do one, then wait and then do another if you want to.
A MSX and modfied NW 200 are going to perform simular (air draw on the octo is going to be simular to the stock MSX pump with pinwheel). the NW 200 body is bigger but the MSX neck is bigger. The MSX will draw less watts and wil draw more air with mesh propeller. MSX also cost about $50 more. MSX is much more compact as well if space is a concern.
The new MSX's and the Octo Extremes are the SAME EXACT SKIMMER. The sticker really is the only difference. Plus the MSX are 50 bucks more...for what?? They are made in the same place. Now the NW line of octo's there is some differences. Even between the NW line.The Funnel Neck NW's are different from the regular NW octo's. You don't need to dremel out the 90 in the funnel neck, but would in the old version. The dimensions are the same on both the F.N. version and the old version of NW's. You can also do the gate valve mod if you like, I did it on mine and what a breeze to adjust. All the mods except the GV mod can be done for little to nothing maybe 10 bucks including enkamat, Tye wraps, barb fitting and air line.
