skimmer question????

[dallas612]

i have a nw200 octopus skimmer. it is submerged in 9 inches of water in my sump. i really dont know how to adjust the riser tube. does the tube need to be all the way up, all the way down or what. at first i seen a whole lot of foam piled so high that it almost spilled over into the collection cup and i was getting the nasty liquid but now the foam seems to be about an inch below the top of the cup so i really dont see how it could collect anything. my question is what level you guys keep the riser tube? is it possible that i just dont have much waste in my tank? there is around 140 gallons of total water and only 4 small cromis, 2 small clowns, a lawnmower blenny and a scooter dragonet. also there are a few corals if that makes waste.

 

[bkvreef]

Sorry I can't help, but I've heard good things about the octupus skimmers. How much do they go for?

 

[integral9]

Everything makes waste. If it consumes, it expels.
If the light foam (not the thick brown stuff) is an inch below the collection cup, then that sounds about right. It's about where mine is. But it's different for everyone. I have an ASM Mini-G
basicaly, you want a nice doodoo brown liquid in your collection cup. if it's light colored, then your riser tube is too high, if it's not collecting stuff quickly and or it's really dark brown, then your riser tube is too short. Just adjust and wait a day before adjusting again. It's just a practice of trial and error. Eventually you'll get it right.

 

[hurt]

I have the same skimmer on my 55g. She is a beast, you will be very pleased. I'd do at least two mods though-wrap the needle wheel with enkamat-$5 mod. And take the riser off, and replace with a Y-shaped PVC riser to vent and make the back pressure constant. This also prevents the water level in the skimmer from dropping when the pressure in the atmosphere drops. If your skimmer is brand new, and you did not soak it in vinegar first, it will take a few days to get the oil out of the skimmer before it begins to work. Another mod is to bore out the PVC elbow from the pump to the skimmer. A couple pics of mine in action

 

[dallas612]

Originally Posted by Hurt
I have the same skimmer on my 55g. She is a beast, you will be very pleased. I'd do at least two mods though-wrap the needle wheel with enkamat-$5 mod. And take the riser off, and replace with a Y-shaped PVC riser to vent and make the back pressure constant. This also prevents the water level in the skimmer from dropping when the pressure in the atmosphere drops. If your skimmer is brand new, and you did not soak it in vinegar first, it will take a few days to get the oil out of the skimmer before it begins to work. Another mod is to bore out the PVC elbow from the pump to the skimmer. A couple pics of mine in action
hey, your in louisville too. where at, im around iroquois park. i would love to SEE what your talking about.

 

[hurt]

I'm in Springhurst specifically. I have plenty of enkamat left, let me know when and you can bring you needlewheel over and I will mod it for you. Makes a huge difference in performance of the skimmer.

 

[bkvreef]

Originally Posted by Hurt
I'm in Springhurst specifically. I have plenty of enkamat left, let me know when and you can bring you needlewheel over and I will mod it for you. Makes a huge difference in performance of the skimmer.
I just recently got the same and it has been working great from day 1.
I had asked about mods on a different thread and was wondering if the pumps can handle the increased level. I modified my two maxijet 1200's and 1 is going great but the other impeller went bad shortly afterwards.

 

[speeddemonlsr]

Originally Posted by Hurt
I have the same skimmer on my 55g. She is a beast, you will be very pleased. I'd do at least two mods though-wrap the needle wheel with enkamat-$5 mod. And take the riser off, and replace with a Y-shaped PVC riser to vent and make the back pressure constant. This also prevents the water level in the skimmer from dropping when the pressure in the atmosphere drops. If your skimmer is brand new, and you did not soak it in vinegar first, it will take a few days to get the oil out of the skimmer before it begins to work. Another mod is to bore out the PVC elbow from the pump to the skimmer. A couple pics of mine in action

Can you please provide better pics of the mods you have done, and what is enkamat?
Thanks.

 

[hurt]

Originally Posted by bkvreef
I just recently got the same and it has been working great from day 1.
I had asked about mods on a different thread and was wondering if the pumps can handle the increased level. I modified my two maxijet 1200's and 1 is going great but the other impeller went bad shortly afterwards.

You are referring to a completely different type of mod, when modding a MJ. Nothing at all like modding a needlewheel. All this mod does is add a layer of enkamat around the needlewheel. I don't have a kill-a-watt meter, but from the threads I've read on -- most all pumps actually use less watts after this mod, which should extend the life of the pump. I believe it has to do with limiting the amout the magnet cavitates.

 

[hurt]

Originally Posted by speeddemonlsr
Can you please provide better pics of the mods you have done, and what is enkamat?
Thanks.
Enkamat is a matrix of semi-rigid monofiliment. Basically it allows your needlewheel to pull much more air into your skimmer. I'd have to look back at some threads on --, but I believe the stock OTP pump will pull around 12 SCFH, after you wrap the needlewheel with enkamat I believe it is up to around 25 SCFH, with of course means a much better skimmer.
Most people actually take off one of the two needlewheel, I did not. I simply cut a peice and placed it right on top of the two needlewheels. Then just take small zip ties, and tie the enkamat to the wheel, you must balance the ties at opposite ends so it doesn't through the needlewheel out of balance. After you secure the zip ties, cut the zip ties down, then cut the excess enkamat off the out side edge, as well as the very center of the needlewheel. It is a simpe mod, takes maybe 5-10 minutes and it will pretty much double the performance of your skimmer. The online a u c t i o n site sells enkamat.
These are the best pics my 3mp camera will take.

 

[hurt]

The riser tube is the other mod I've done. Very simple to do as well. The standard risers that come straight up and the water falls to the side, put backpressure on the inside of the skimmer chamber that makes the water level fluctuate. This riser tube does not, because it is vented at the top. People use gate valves to keep the pressure constant, but they really are only meant for recirculating skimmers. If you put a gate valve on a non-recirc skimmers the water level will drop as the atmospheric pressure drop. This is not the case with a Y riser tube. It just PVC as you can see.