ER RS-80 -vs- Octopus NW 110 for 45g tank

[Newreeflady]

Ok, i'm in the market for the skimmer again. I'd like to hear from those who have seen one or both of these skimmers in action. Please rank your satisfaction with the following:

1) Skimmate production - pls note whether it is thick, or mostly water, or somewhere between. (pictures are definitely welcome!)

2) Pls Note any mods you've done.

3) Noise level (pls rate the noise of the skimmer as being suitable for watching TV next to, to needing to be in another room.)

4) Overall satisfaction. If you had one of these, and later bought something else... why? What did you buy? And, are you happier with the new skimmer?

5) Ease of dialing in. (You need to mess with the water level daily, or it is pretty plug and play)

6) Please note at what sump-level this seems to perform optimally, if you know.

Thanks!
Angela

[kodyboy]

Either would work really well, although for a little more (although still less than the ER) you could get an octopus nw150 which would perform better than either.

[wojo]

get Octopus! you will save tons of money and they are really good skimmers! when u buy ER you pay for name...

[danskim]

I agree with kodyboy. Get an Octopus NW150. Oversize can be helpful.

[A sea K]

Octo 110 on a 65.
I wanted to go with the euro reef but couldnt make enough room for it so went with the octo instead. Went w/a bigger pump and gate valve mod but not overly impressed w/performance. This should work well on a 45 unless your planning on a high bioload.
Both of my skimmers produce wet light colored skimmate, I have played with skimmer depth a little but guess i have not found the sweet spot.
My other skimmer is a ASM G4+ that I am going to mod to a recirc/meshwheel next week to get the performance I'm looking for.
So after all this I would save yourself some hassle and go with the euro reef. I wish I would have(vs ASMG4+) and could have(vs Octo110)

[DeltecRules]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9155591#post9155591 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Newreeflady
Ok, i'm in the market for the skimmer again. I'd like to hear from those who have seen one or both of these skimmers in action. Please rank your satisfaction with the following:

1) Skimmate production - pls note whether it is thick, or mostly water, or somewhere between. (pictures are definitely welcome!)

2) Pls Note any mods you've done.

3) Noise level (pls rate the noise of the skimmer as being suitable for watching TV next to, to needing to be in another room.)

4) Overall satisfaction. If you had one of these, and later bought something else... why? What did you buy? And, are you happier with the new skimmer?

5) Ease of dialing in. (You need to mess with the water level daily, or it is pretty plug and play)

6) Please note at what sump-level this seems to perform optimally, if you know.

Thanks!
Angela

Whta happened to the BM 150? Didn't like it?

[sjm817]

Premium Aquatics sells both. Great vendor to deal with BTW. I would give them a call (ask for Jeremy) and see what they have to say. You could also post the question on the PA vendor forum. They will give you an honest opinion. Just more info besides what to can gather here.

[Newreeflady]

Hi,

I can't fit the Octo 150, so it's out of the question. I can fit the two I posted about (110 and ER RS-80).

A sea K, thank you for your honest opinion!

DeltecRules, Nope, didn't like it! I don't prefer to bring that into this thread (as it could take over.)

sjm, good idea, i'll ask them. Have you seen either?

thx!
-A

sjm,

[Newreeflady]

..

[sjm817]

Premium Aquatics sells the Tunze too. Not sure how much exp they have with each, but you can ask. From what I have seen posted, if you want quiet, the Tunze would be one one to get.

[kodyboy]

the tunze 9010 is a LOT better than the two models that you have above, probably closer to the equivalent of an RS180 or an Octo NW200, but it is about 3x the price as the models above.

[Fishbulb2]

i will only add that if you choose to go with the ER, get the RS80 over the RS100. I have the RS100 on my 40g reef and I think it's way too much. I think the RS80 will serve you better.
FB

[Fish'InMN]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9155591#post9155591 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Newreeflady
Ok, i'm in the market for the skimmer again. I'd like to hear from those who have seen one or both of these skimmers in action. Please rank your satisfaction with the following:

I bought the RS80 Promo from Premium Aquatics as a Christmas gift to "myself" (awww, how sweet!). It has been running on my 40g for close to two months now, and I have a nearly insignificant bioload (see signature).

It took a while to get the skimmer dialed in just right, but with the new models (including the promo) this is easier because the stock output includes a tube to change the water height. If I wanted even finer adjustment I would go with a gate valve mod, but I see no need so far.

1) Skimmate production - pls note whether it is thick, or mostly water, or somewhere between. (pictures are definitely welcome!)

I have it set to skim quite wet, and it does this very well. In my case, I have to make sure a no one I like is in the basement when I empty the collection cup, as they will surely not like you after smelling that gunk! No pictures for proof, perhaps tomorrow when I get home from work & school.

2) Pls Note any mods you've done.

Drilled out the venturi on the Sedra 3500 pump. I did this before running the pump for the first time, so I cannot compare before and after. From previous research, I knew the sedra's venturi was one weak point of the skimmer's design. I cannot say to what diameter I enlarged it, but you have to be careful not to crack the fitting!

3) Noise level (pls rate the noise of the skimmer as being suitable for watching TV next to, to needing to be in another room.)

The pump is louder than a Quiet One 4000 (my return) and a Mag3 (closed loop). It is now also louder than the drain line into my sump, having finally eliminated that nuisance; yet, it is still only distinctly audible if you are standing right in front of the tank. Otherwise, it blends with the general hum of all equipment, since the tank IS in our basement.

4) Overall satisfaction. If you had one of these, and later bought something else... why? What did you buy? And, are you happier with the new skimmer?

Very satisfied with construction and ease of set up. If I had to buy something else, I would purchase another impeller assembly for the Sedra 3500 so I could begin testing mesh mods, etc. I am also considering drilling the collection cup to allow for a remote collection jug/bucket, so that I don't have to empty it every day or two; I haven't done so yet because I am concerned with the cup cracking during drilling.

5) Ease of dialing in. (You need to mess with the water level daily, or it is pretty plug and play)

After it has broken in for the first few days you can begin to tinker with the water level. You'll notice within 5 minutes if there is too much water going into the cup, so you can adjust it very quickly to a slightly drier setting. Make sure to have a towel and empty bucket on hand at this point, as the water its skimming will still be cloudy water and should probably be removed.

6) Please note at what sump-level this seems to perform optimally, if you know.

My skimmer sits in the same compartment as the drain line from my tank. The first baffle in the sump is 9", and the skimmer does not sit on any lift; however, if I had had the room in my stand and clearance to remove the cup, I would have gone with an 11" baffle and raised the skimmer 2" off the bottom, since there is a bit of detritus that accumulates behind the skimmer, where the flow is not high. Not a big problem, syphon out during water change.

Thanks!
Angela

You're welcome, I hope this helps! PM me if you have any more questions!
Marty

[Newreeflady]

kody, have you used all of these skimmers? You seem to have a definite opinion on everything. How is the Tunze 9010 better?

Marty,
wow, from what you say it sounds quite loud. I will say that my drain is quiet, but the overflow box itself is a tad of a nuissence. I'm not looking to add anything that is considered "loud" to the mix, though. This is right next to my couch in the living room. Would you put this in your living room?

I would LOVE to see a pic of some skimmate. And, if you could note what kind of production you get in some form of volume/time measurement that would be fantastic!

Wow, 1 PJ cardinal. Well, my 45g total water volume has two clowns, sps, a carpet and 5 banggais... I could really use some help removing organics!

Thanks:)
Angela

[skimmy]

im starting to sound like a broken record, but, get one of these skimmers!!

http://stores.petorama.net/Detail.bok?no=73

this is a generic deltec skimmer licenced to DAS from deltec, but with no label. same parts and pumps as a apf600 ($800)
this will definately take care of your excess nutrients in a 45g.
i would suggest the bm150, but it sounds like you've already considered that one.
i too also like the tunze 9010, but i think the DAS ex-1 is slightly more efficient because it is a recirculating skimmer, but technically the tunze 9010 pulls 600lph of air per hour where as the DAS pulls 500lph. the fact that you can control the rate of water proccessed in the DAS makes it slightly better imo, and the build quality might be a littly beefier, and mabye more dwell time in the DAs as well...
i do usually suggest the 9010 for people with no room in thier sump though, or as an in tank skimmer if need be, it is a good skimmer.

[kodyboy]

newreef,
I have used/have the following: tunze 9010, asmg3, octopus nw200, er135 (it is an older model not an rs and uses an older pump/needlewheel), prism, berlin, won hob, typhoon hob, rio nano, older style tunze doc skimmer (horizontal) and a variety of external and internal air driven units.

[Newreeflady]

koraltec,

I'm not considering ANY external units. I have enough stuff around my tank (chiller, top off...) I don't think my significant other would appreciate more fish junk.;)

Ok, so the 9010 seems to be highly regarded.

Yes, I have tried the BM150, it didn't work well for me. I have tired myself to death with that thing. So, of course, it isn't a consideration, lol!

I WANT SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T NEED DAILY TWEEKING!

-A

[kodyboy]

no tweaking = 9010

[Newreeflady]

Ok,

I think i'm going to get the ER-80. It is in the price range that I'm willing to part with at this point, and sounds like it'll do a decent job and may be a step up from the Octo-110. It is, after-all, only 45g of water, and it sounds like it also doesn't require much tweeking as per Marty's reply.

Thanks all.

Thanks!
Angela

[Fish'InMN]

You won't be disappointed!
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a5/nmkranz/SW%20-%2040%20gallon/tank1010.jpg

(Two days skimming, no adjustments within the last three weeks. The smell is literally indescribable. Look at all the little chunks too... :eek: )

[Newreeflady]

Holy crap, Marty! That is some funky stuff!

Ok, I just got this in the mail and i'll have to set it up this week sometime. So, you drilled out the pump's air-intake? To what dimension? You think it's necessary? What pump did you have? As I understand, some come with different pumps than others.

What depth is yours submerged at? Do you run it 24/7? How often do you clean the cup?

Thanks! :)
Angela

[sjm817]

Before you go modifying anything, just try it stock and see how it does. Put it in ~ 6" of water. It may run better with the air tap valve removed.

[Fish'InMN]

Definitely remove the air valve, the rest of the modifications are up to you. I cannot say what dimension I drilled the venturi out to, but it was at least three sizes (three successive drill bits) larger than the original. Mine sits in 9.5" of water, baffles are at 9", but this can be adjusted with the wedge pipe to fit whatever setup you have. The cup is emptied and cleaned every other day, and it is usually that funky. :D

I'll be doing a bimonthly cleaning this weekend, and I may try a DIY venturi with some larger air tubing; though obviously it is doing very well already. It does run 24/7, and mine did come with the Sedra 3500 and the newer style of needle-wheel impellers.

Cheers,
Marty

[Newreeflady]

Ok, thanks. I'm going to open mine up later (I know, but I was really busy yesterday) and see what pump it has.

I'm not sure i'll be able to put it in 6" of water, it depends on the height. My water level is at 10", i'll lift it as high as I can, but if 9" can get that result I should be OK.

Thanks!
Angela

[Newreeflady]

Ok, so I haven't set it up, but I opened it and:

1) It does come with the Sedra 3500 pump.

2) The craftsmanship is gorgeous... especially for a product that is a promo due to "lower" grade acrylic. But even if not. I like how they used real pvc parts instead of the other skimmer I had that glued thin acrylic into an elbow I was scared to break off.

Ok, not sure i'll get time tonight, either. Probably have to be this weekend before I set it up.

:)
-A