Octopus HOB Skimmer Owners

[JohnL]

This thread was automatically split due to performance issues. You can find the rest of the thread here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=11896498#post11896498

[pIankton]

HA! My new pump came in today. Of course first thing I had to do was take it all apart. I was impressed by the needlewheel. It by far appears better made than the needlewheel that came with the Resun.

I'll be doing some comparisons soon enough. I'll post everything along with pics later.

[kdblove_99]

Ok,Thinking about getting the 100 model for my 28 gallon. Couple questions

Do these look terrible in the tank, I mean a really bad eyesore?
Skimmer is good right out of the box?

How much water inches wise would it take to cover the pump? I have a 5.5 gallon sump and wonder if i could fit this down there?

[kdblove_99]

Ok, checked Aquacave thereefshop and custom aquatics all are all out of the internal pump model. WHich after looking at them i am leaning that way because it seems like it will look much nicer in tank and from what i have read on this thread it is a better performer?

Are those the only 3 places that carry these skimmers?

[dzeadow]

pretty much. the 100F is rated for a higher gallonage due to the more efficient pump (being inside and not having to pump against pressure like the 100). Theres something going on w/ the stocking of these. David at CoralVue told me they'd be getting the nano-skimmers in by Jan...then Feb. Well, it's almost March now. Go to www.coralvue.com and email David and ask if he has an estimated time of when they'll be coming in... he's a US supplier for them. HTH

[pIankton]

OK - got it going last night. Didn't take any pics though because there was a lot of tinkering with different parts and hoses and stuff, so I basically forgot. Sorry.

Anyway, all I've got to say about this pump so far is Holy Crap! It out performs the Resun easily by twice the amount. The venturi and volute for the Sedra pump is almost twice the size of the Resun, but it also causes the water and air mixture to travel too fast through the skimmer. I couldn't dial back the pump at all and the water level was way too high for my liking, so I unplugged it. I was able to use the venturi / volute assembly from the Resun pump (exact same size and thread pattern) and quickly switched them out and plugged it back in. The skimmer filled with froth and the water level came back down to an acceptable level but it's still pushing water too fast for my taste. I'm hoping that after the pump breaks in some that it will slow down some.

It fills the reaction chamber with a huge amount of bubbles and it does spill over into the display. Again, I'm hoping this will settle down some after another break-in period. Since last night around 8 pm until this morning before I went to work, it has pulled about the same amount of skimmate during that time period than the Resun would pull within about 3 days.

Overall, I'm very impressed.

[matrixpb03]

I just got a bh300f. And its putting bubbles in the tank like crazy!! what should i do?

[dzeadow]

wait it out. It'll break in for a few days and the bubbles will die down. It'll also help to turn the outlet elbow backwards towards the glass (not touching as this will back it up and overflow). It will reduce the free floaters that get into your powerheads.

[matrixpb03]

Ya its already facing the glass. I know it has to break in but why dose it need to break in? like how is waiting gonna help stop bubbles getting threw to the outlet

[dzeadow]

you're getting a lot more bubbles from the skimmer than it normally would produce. This is due to "stuff" inside it such as oils/chemicals etc from all the new stuff. Some people give their skimmers a vinegar bath to try and rid these things to reduce the break in period. So if you didn't do this, the skimmer has to "slime" up to reduce the contact time with these things and basically calm down. It'll be ok :D

[sweetrav18]

will any of these fit in/over the back of a 24g aquapod? Really want one of these bad

[matrixpb03]

Ok thanks. I always wondered why it needed to break in.

[dzeadow]

I think someone put a bh100 in a 24AP.. I'll have to see if I can find the thread....ah, here it is.. I knew someone did it!

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1276065

[Ludwigia73]

Update: Maxijet 900 was no good. Basically, the resun's gph if I remember correctly was 225, and the maxi was 230. Pretty darn close. Problem is, the resun is a needle wheel, and pulls the air through the impellar, and measures the flow with the air. The maxijet has a venturi AFTER the impellar, and measures the waterflow before the air is injected. This results in 2 parameters that can't be directly compared. Now, if a good venturi was to be had, maybe the 900 would work, although it may be too powerful. Basically no matter what I did with the maxi, the skimmer would overflow all over the ground pretty quickly (I pulled the plug before it got to that point, though.) The sedra looks like a good possibility.

Anyway, one of the things I was doing wrong, was I had the cup too high. All the way down, it takes a solid day to put any skimmate out. Maybe I don't have much bioload, (Uhhh, yeah, right...) I just broke down and bought a new skimmer.

On that note, unfortunately I have to report that thereefstop.com is not on my good list right now. I paid, and waited over a week, with no arrival of a skimmer, no order confirmation, and they didn't even answer the phone once. Finally they emailed saying the skimmer would be in around 3-4 days, which would put it at 10 days past when I paid for it, then it would ship. I waited an additional week, and no answer. Multiple emails, multiple messages left, threats were made, promises were uttered, and finally they sent a computer generated cancellation notice from the website. Took me 3 weeks to find out they couldn't help me. Won't do business with them again. Debbie at DIYreef, however, sent my skimmer THE SAME DAY that I ordered it, and I had it 4 business days later. Great service. Thanks!!!

Lastly, did anyone else notice that the little airline they give you isn't long enough to go from the venturi, through the little holder they have cemented on the skimmer, then to the silencer? It's too short!!! No big deal, I just went straight from the venturi to the silencer.

[VengefulNemesis]

pIankton, where is the water level at now? I finally changed the venturi setup to someting different, and the water level is at the top of the black plastic mount in the middle now. It used to run down the divider before.

[woogy]

Ludwigia you just made my day! I too ordered an octo skimmer from reefstop.com and it still says processing even though it says clearly on thier website no funds will be deducted from my bank account until the order is shipped, my funds are $135 lighter!!!

I ordered it Thursday and so far left a message regarding my order and was going to call back on Monday. I think I may have to tell my bank to stop payment on this order and try DIY reefs...this sucks...I need a skimmer:mad2:

[pIankton]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11924610#post11924610 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by VengefulNemesis
pIankton, where is the water level at now? I finally changed the venturi setup to someting different, and the water level is at the top of the black plastic mount in the middle now. It used to run down the divider before.

At first, it ran to the top of the black plastic mounts too, but now after a couple of days it's running about a 1/4" lower. The water level is fine at the outlet side - it still flows over the last baffle like a little waterfall.

I'll tell you what though. The Sedra 2500 on this skimmer is a little too much, but since I switched the Sedra's volute / venturi assembly for the Resuns, it pulls very nicely. The water moves too fast through the skimmer IMO but not like it did when I used the Sedra volute.

Anyway, HTH.

[happyface888]

PIankton
You could do this, keep the sedras volute and venturi and swap out the pinwheel of the sedras with the resuns needle wheel. Maybe it might work better, keep me updated on how things on.

@TheReefStop
Sorry to hear guys didn't know they are so slow now, before they were quite fast at doing things and the owner of TRS was a moderator here but it seems he got removed from the mod section. I guess things have changed, I would definetly contact David at coralvues for update or talk to debbie over at DIY Reef. Debbie is great to work with :thumbsup:

Welcome back vengeful :lol: I haven't seen you post any updates to your skimmer.

[matrixpb03]

Are there any mods to help with the bubbles? I tryed putting a sponge over the output but that blocks to much flow

[VengefulNemesis]

happyface888 Yeah I've been out of touch for a while, been trying to get the tank back up after a Ritteri killed 5 of my 8 fish including my Powder Blue Tang. Other than that, there isn't much different with the skimmer, other than I changed to the volute that came with the replacement pump I had ordered, and the airline to 3/16 i.d. It was completely filling the chamber with bubbles, but the water was moving a little to fast for my taste and the water level got a little high in the return.

pIankton Do you think the gph of the Sedra is to high, also do you know if the Resun's impeller and the Sedra's impeller are interchangeable? I would like to see the Sedra pinwheel/Resun volute combo.

FWIW here's a 36 hour shot of skim on my new 75gal with 2 False Clown's and a Yellow Clown Goby.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/154351100_1297.JPG

[FishAreFriends2]

Thats pretty impressive. Have you tried to DIY a surface sklmmer for your skimmer? And has anyone else tried it for their bh100?

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11939534#post11939534 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by matrixpb03
Are there any mods to help with the bubbles? I tryed putting a sponge over the output but that blocks to much flow

You could put back the black sponge in the return chamber. It will help with the micros but I would recommend you wash that thing, so that it won't clog up. Or you could buy the cprs bubble trap and use that. It will help with the micros.


Helpful Info
Locations To Buy OCTO HOBS
www.DIYReef.com
www.AquaCave.com
www.CustomAquatics.com

Or Directly Drop Shipped from David @ Coralvue<---probably the cheapest of them all
www.coralvue.com

Model Cost
BH100 External Pump ~$100
BH100F Internal Pump ~$150
BH300 Dual External ~$130
BH300F Dual Internal Reciric ~$250

[skimmy]

mkay, well, my resun pump was starting to make more and more noise to the point of becoming unbearable, so one evening before bed i was bound and determined to get the sedra 2500 into the bh100f...
well after about 2 hours of cussing if finally fit in perfectly!

the evil part was trying to dremel out the glued in 1/2" slip fit fitting from the sedra pump outlet.
i noticed that below the outlet i could still see threads, so i went about dremeling out the plastic fitting.
the super evil part was getting the 3 threads left to match up with the threads on the resun pump outlet that holds the pump in place in the bh100f...good times!!
i wouldnt suggest this for the faint of heart, but god what a difference the sedra makes with it's stock nw impellar. dead quiet, no stopping and starting due to overheating, and increased performance!! i did keep my volute/venturi from the asm mini g pump on there as it was bigger than the sedra volute/venturi still.
so that was my one gripe with this skimmer...and it cost me $70 to fix it, but a good spend in my book. and now, 5 months after the inception of my nano, i can say the growth and coloration of my sps and lps is awesome! and algae is totally in check. this skimmer is kicking some butt!!

[Mork]

Could someone tell me how far the BH-100F extends from the top rim of the tank?

Cheers.

[pIankton]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11941865#post11941865 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by VengefulNemesis
pIankton Do you think the gph of the Sedra is to high, also do you know if the Resun's impeller and the Sedra's impeller are interchangeable? I would like to see the Sedra pinwheel/Resun volute combo.http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/154351100_1297.JPG

I think the Sedra 2500 is just barely too much, but it's definitely doable. I haven't tried interchanging the impellars just simply because the Sedra NW is by far superior to the Resun NW IMO. Since the pump has had some time running, the water flow has slowed somewhat and is producing a very stinky soup. Remember, since the volute / venturi is larger on the Sedra than the REsun, I used the Resun's assembly on the Sedra pump. Water flow is slightly slower but it really didn't seem to affect the bubble production at all. The bubbles flow through all of the chambers into the outlet pipe. It still throws micros in the tank, but micros are cool with me. Makes the tank look more natural IMO.

[happyface888]

Thats good to hear, Koraltek mentioned in a thread that he recently swapped out the resun with a sedra and its preforming really well for him. I wonder what did he do to the sedra? I hope he chimes in.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12026641#post12026641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by koraltek
the remora is an evil POS...dont waste your money!!!

the bh100f is the way to go!!
despite some issues with the pump overheating, or being noisy, it's not expensive for a upgrade ($37-72 for sedra replacement),
even after which it still comes in under $200
and short of a deltec hob, this is the best way to go.
also, there's room for your heater and carbon to go in the bh100f.

i just recently replaced my pump with the sedra after using the stock pump for about 5-6 months, my pump started to melt and bulge in places, as well as get very loud.
the sedra is dead quiet comparatively, and performs better with the sedra needle wheel than the octopus needle wheel, but does great with either.

i also get about 6-8 ounces a day of productive skimmate, which is about 10 times more than a remora will produce

That sounds pretty impressive since its on a 15gallon tank with a small bioload. I'd like to know what he did, if my pump ever craps out, than I'll be getting a sedra as well.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12009562#post12009562 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by koraltek
mkay, well, my resun pump was starting to make more and more noise to the point of becoming unbearable, so one evening before bed i was bound and determined to get the sedra 2500 into the bh100f...
well after about 2 hours of cussing if finally fit in perfectly!

the evil part was trying to dremel out the glued in 1/2" slip fit fitting from the sedra pump outlet.
i noticed that below the outlet i could still see threads, so i went about dremeling out the plastic fitting.
the super evil part was getting the 3 threads left to match up with the threads on the resun pump outlet that holds the pump in place in the bh100f...good times!!
i wouldnt suggest this for the faint of heart, but god what a difference the sedra makes with it's stock nw impellar. dead quiet, no stopping and starting due to overheating, and increased performance!! i did keep my volute/venturi from the asm mini g pump on there as it was bigger than the sedra volute/venturi still.
so that was my one gripe with this skimmer...and it cost me $70 to fix it, but a good spend in my book. and now, 5 months after the inception of my nano, i can say the growth and coloration of my sps and lps is awesome! and algae is totally in check. this skimmer is kicking some butt!!

Man I can't believe I just missed this post. How about some pictures :D

[FroggyFeet]

I just pulled the trigger on a 300hf the other day and got mine in today from marine solutions(wonderful turn around!). I'm pretty stoked I have it running on a 20T and I can't see the difference that will unfold in my tank, after getting rid of that wussy duel cpr.
So the sedras are the way to go when modding these bad boys?

[seeingred]

Hey All! New to the thread, but have read most of it. I have a silly question... how do you get the sponge out of the return chamber on the bh 100? The chamber is so narrow that I can't get to it.

Also, I just got the skimmer last week and ran it for a few days. Was very impressed. I turned it off tonight and did the aquarrium silicone mod to the collection cup and will post an update to that in a few days (gotta wait 48 hours for it to cure). Thanks!

[dzeadow]

if the chamber is too narrow because the pipe's in there, just take the pipe out and then take it out. The pipes on my 100F just untwisted. Just make sure you don't lose the little white/clear O-ring, and when putting it back together, don't overtighten it.

[matrixpb03]

Ok well I have had my bh300f for awhile now and it is still making some bubbles. I have the sponge in there and I tried putting more in and it makes it overflow. and I tried the cpr bubble trap and it dosent fit

[matrixpb03]

any1??

[pIankton]

Sorry man. No answer for you for micros. Mine does it too, but I like micros. Makes things look more natural IMO.

I know this isn't the answer you're looking for.

[dzeadow]

you'll have to wait for Luke33 to chime in or PM him, he's got the 300F, and is very knowledgeable in skimmers, so he'll be the one w/ the answer if there is one.

[FishAreFriends2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12027779#post12027779 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FroggyFeet
I just pulled the trigger on a 300hf the other day and got mine in today from marine solutions(wonderful turn around!). I'm pretty stoked I have it running on a 20T and I can't see the difference that will unfold in my tank, after getting rid of that wussy duel cpr.
So the sedras are the way to go when modding these bad boys?

I guess it is once the resun kicks the bucket, your other option would be a genx 1k. The sedra 2500 would be a easy swap for the bh100, but it sounds a little tricky for the 100f. I'd like to see a guide by Koral.

[FishAreFriends2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12028645#post12028645 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seeingred
Hey All! New to the thread, but have read most of it. I have a silly question... how do you get the sponge out of the return chamber on the bh 100? The chamber is so narrow that I can't get to it.

Also, I just got the skimmer last week and ran it for a few days. Was very impressed. I turned it off tonight and did the aquarrium silicone mod to the collection cup and will post an update to that in a few days (gotta wait 48 hours for it to cure). Thanks!

Unscrewing the tubes would be the easiest method as mentioned by dzeadow.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/fragfu/2w2516c.gif

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12050642#post12050642 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by matrixpb03
Ok well I have had my bh300f for awhile now and it is still making some bubbles. I have the sponge in there and I tried putting more in and it makes it overflow. and I tried the cpr bubble trap and it dosent fit
As for the micros, I believe that all hobs produce micros since its hanging on our tanks and not in a sump where there are baffles. dzeadow designed his own custom bubble trap/surface skimming and he still got micros. I think there might be one way of doing it. If I recall in the other thread there was some sort of bag where you can tie on to the return. That looked like it might work. Pm luke also, he might just have a solution that he has not shared with us yet :D

[andyjd]

I'm after a BH100F, can seem to find one :(

[FishAreFriends2]

Mods

by dzeadpw
Ok, just for anyone that's interested in the these skimmers, you can change the piping to whatever config you want as long as you don't go below 1/2" pvc. I took my 100F and made the outlet pipe w/in 4" of the inlet pipe, which is pretty impressive considering they're at the opposite ends of a 13" skimmer. Here are some pics of what I did on my 20L for my fuge set up.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/octomod1.jpg
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/octomod2.jpg
You use a 3/4" electrical pvc male adapter on the inside of the outlet chamber, teflon tape the threads, screw on a female adapter. After that I put a 3/4"x3/4"x1/2" elbow thing on it, it elbows sideways and has a 1/2" threaded outlet pointing up for air exhaust. Then I went from 3/4" to 1" over towards the inlet pipe. Then I took the 1" pipe 11" down into the chamber I wanted it to go in to. It's pretty silent like this, no gurgling, and the 1" pipe going down that far doesn't seem to have much back pressure since the water level in the return chamber isn't but 1" or less above the outlet hole. Enjoy.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/newplumbing.jpg



by dzeadpw
So here's the Resun I've totally fubar'd.

The overall pic w/ the barbed fitting on the inlet and the new volute:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0232.jpg
The bored out inlet. You really can't tell what I did since I didn't take a before shot, but if you get your pump out you'll see the ring that makes it a 3/8" opening right where the impeller housing meets the outlet tube. I just dremeled this out and the barbed fitting still goes in:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0233.jpg
New volute intake w/ pvc adapter and air intake:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0234.jpg
The back side of the bored out volute. I used pvc glue the first time so it marred the plastic pretty bad, but you can see how I left the impeller hub in tact so I wouldn't have to fasion one myself. the opening diameter is about 1"
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0235.jpg


For us lazy people :p that don't want to search the old threads

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12063113#post12063113 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by andyjd
I'm after a BH100F, can seem to find one :(

All the sellers are still out of stock???

[andyjd]

Think i have one on the way from Premium Aquatics

[kdblove_99]

I thought they were all out of stock premium has the 100F?

[andyjd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12064958#post12064958 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kdblove_99
I thought they were all out of stock premium has the 100F?

I just called and checked, they say they are shipping it today, so i presume its in stock :D

[kdblove_99]

really? there site says out of stock still i hope you are getting the 100F

[andyjd]

No not the 100F just the normal 100

[kdblove_99]

ok, Yeah i want the 100F, been waiting

[andyjd]

what is the difference between the two?

[kdblove_99]

100f has an internal pump and is suppose to be better and you wont have a pump hanging in your tank

[andyjd]

should be fine for my intend application.

Is it possible to convert the 100 to mimic the 100F ?

[happyface888]

BH100 vs BH100f
The bh100 isn't as effective as the bh100f because the pumps inside the tank and it requires the pump to work harder since it has to push water up, more water pressure. While the bh100f has the pump in the back, and it has no restrictions since the reaction chambers on the other side. So it just shoots the bubbles to the next chamber.There is no pressure so its more affective. And also it has a surface skimmer.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12065316#post12065316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by andyjd
should be fine for my intend application.

Is it possible to convert the 100 to mimic the 100F ?

It's possible but it would require alot of work, but I believe the bh100f's collection cup is slightly bigger though.

Hmm seems only the bh100fs are the only ones that are hard to find in stock. customaquatics has the regular in stock.
I found a site on google, not sure if it has it in stock but it looks like it does have it
http://www.reefsolution.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_78&products_id=1443&osCsid=134780112f3d6b5f55b003abe4665803
http://ibfishstore.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=579096
Not sure how there services are though.

BH100F
http://reefoctopus.com.au/v2/images/store/Module_350_combo_FS.jpg
Dimensions: 18" tall x 13" long x 3" deep

BH100
http://reefoctopus.com.au/v2/images/store/Module_350_external_FS.jpg
Dimensions: 18" tall x 8" long x 3" deep

BH300
http://reefoctopus.com.au/v2/images/store/Module_2x_external_FS.jpg
Dimensions: 18" tall x 11" long x 3" deep

Internal Hang On (don't know if its out yet)
http://reefoctopus.com.au/v2/images/store/Module_350_internal_FS.jpg

[matrixpb03]

Ok I got one more question for ya, With the bh300f how do you keep the water in the skimmer level? Like I have the over flow thing so its skimming the top but if there is evaporation it wont run dry. But after there is some evaporation the bubbles dont come up as close to the collection cup so it dosent work right and then when I add water sometimes the bubbles are to high. I hope this made sense

[sm fragman]

ok everyone that has used the 100 and to all that have used the 100F . i have a ? i can get a 100 right now or should i hold off and get the 100f in a few week ,,,it will be going on a aquapod 24 sps system ,,,,want to see the different reactions between the 2 models,,,

thanks shawn

[dzeadow]

if I remember correctly, the 100 skims from left to right when looking at it, meaning that the pump is on the left and the return chamber is on the right, the 100F is opposite, the inlet tube is on the right and the return tube is on the left. AND the 100F is quite a bit wider than the 100...

[sm fragman]

thanks for the responce but i know the options on the 2 skimmers i was looking at more of a performance based responce like i know you have the 100f dont you dzeadow,,do you feel that it performs better then the 100 ,,i can get a 100 right now from pa or i can wait a few weeks and get the 100f what do you think

[dzeadow]

well, with your size tank, I'd assume it doesn't really matter which. The 100F will handle a slightly larger tank than the 100 since the pump is internal and more efficient because of it. I loved my 100F on my 45g, I just upgraded since I felt like doing a DIY, now I have the 100F on my 20L. I don't get a whole lot out of the tank, but I have 2 very small clowns, and a hi-fin goby in it.. and I feed a lot. The cyano is growing it, but that's more of a phosphate/overfeeding issue than a non-skimming issue.

I guess the short answer is, if I had a 24g tank, I'd save the $50 and the few weeks and get the 100. Is anyone sure that the 100F is even coming in, in a few weeks? I MIGHT, I repeat, MIGHT have one up for sale here in a week or two. I'm DIY'ing another skimmer for my 45g so I thought about putting the other skimmer on the 20L and helping someone out... but I'll let you guys know since I'm not sure yet.

[sm fragman]

thanks for the responce i might just go for the 100 then, i do run a fuge off the ap 24 wiht a deep sand bed with cheto as well all. i reset the tank up about 2 months ago due to the fact that i went from a 120 wiht a monster skimmer and large fuge to a small nano, and i feed with a heavy hand lol,,,i have that incheck now and all the algee has subsided . but i have not added fish yet so i thing i would rather have the 100 then have a skimmer that will not perform due to not being on a large enough system, if that makes sence ,,,,,thanks for your time

shawn m

[kdblove_99]

Yeah i have been waiting for weeks now for the 100F its getting frustrating!

But i will continue cause thats the one i want.

[happyface888]

Someone Jump on dzeadows BH100f, If he is selling it that is. Its fully modified :D If I didn't have mine I'd take his in a instance.
-Modified pump to draw in 7scfh of air instead of 3scfh
-Custom Plumbing
-Custom Surface skimmer

That sucks to hear about the bh100f, why do they keep on pushing it back? I didn't think every dealer would run out of them.

@koraltek
any updated pics of the skimmer with the sedra? I'm thinking of heading that direction once my pump kicks the bucket.

[pIankton]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12073800#post12073800 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by happyface888
Someone Jump on dzeadows BH100f, If he is selling it that is. Its fully modified :D If I didn't have mine I'd take his in a instance.
-Modified pump to draw in 7scfh of air instead of 3scfh
-Custom Plumbing
-Custom Surface skimmer

That sucks to hear about the bh100f, why do they keep on pushing it back? I didn't think every dealer would run out of them.

@koraltek
any updated pics of the skimmer with the sedra? I'm thinking of heading that direction once my pump kicks the bucket.

I'd do it if you're thinking about it. The Sedra easily outperforms the stock pump, it's quieter and they have like a 2 year manufacturer's warranty. I should have done it a long time ago.

[FishAreFriends2]

Man all you sedra owners are making me want one. My pump hasn't died yet. But after reading all this its really making me want one. Got any update pics of skimmate? I wanna see the comparison vs your old skimmate pics. And I wonder is it even possible to use the sedra volute/ventur? or will you have to switch it to the octos?

[happyface888]

It is tempting, but I'd like to see some pics of what he did first :). Sometimes just describing it doesn't work to well, it sounds like I'll have to break somethings off of the sedra just to get it to work. The bh100 with the sedra sounds a lot easier to do since you just screw it on or something. You don't need to worry about the clearance needed to fit that thing on. Oh btw for the sedras does it have those annoying suction cup brackets stuck to the back? I know the genx has them and they are pretty close to touching the walls, if I get it I might have to chop it off.

[andyjd]

which sedra are you guys using ?

[seeingred]

Anyone wanting to get the bh 100F should also check out www.ibfishstore.com. I think they may have it.

Pete

[pIankton]

I'm using the Sedra 2500 on my BH100. Yes, there are some small suction cup brackets on the bottom of the pump that are a part of the housing, but it's not that big of a deal. One of the major issues I had with it was making the union to allow me to hook up the pump to the intake tube of the skimmer. My pump didn't come with an adapter for this, but all I did was get a length of 3/4" ID tubing from the LFS, cut about 2" off of it and soaked the tubing in hot water for about 5 minutes. Then I just shoved it all together. The other issue was the fact that it does push water too fast through the skimmer and it causes the water level to rise too high for my taste. All I did to fix this was take off the venturi / volute from my Resun pump and put it on the Sedra. This allows a flow restriction. It probably causes the pump to not work as efficiently as it's supposed to, but the water level is back to where it's supposed to be and it still chops the living hell out of the water with the new impellar. All of the chambers in my skimmer are filled with bubbles and about half of the "outlet" chamber is filled. What would take my skimmer a week to fill with the Resun, this will do in 3 days now. Skimmate is still nasty as before.

[kdblove_99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12080943#post12080943 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seeingred
Anyone wanting to get the bh 100F should also check out www.ibfishstore.com. I think they may have it.

Pete


Nah i emailed them they are out of stock also

[dzeadow]

ah dang, I was getting my hopes up for you guys! looks like the acrylic for my skimmer body isn't coming until Monday-ish, so I won't know if I'll have mine for sale or not until late next week.

[happyface888]

Any word when they will restock?

If I remember someone said they'd restock soon but it seems like its dragging or something :confused: :confused: :confused:

I wonder if they are going to be getting the internal version anytime soon?

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff49/happyface8888/21.jpg

BH300f
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff49/happyface8888/201.jpg

Resun Pump
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff49/happyface8888/141.jpg

[jason71832]

OK guys, I have a question. I just got my octo 100f from reefspecialty.com, one of the RC sponsors. The input and output are backwards from what is pictured everywhere on the net. The letters SWC are etched into the collection cup lid. Is this a knock off, or what. The box it came in said reef octopus but I read a post somewhere in all this about knock offs. Should I be worried? I saw one pic of a octo with "reef octopus" painted on it. Mine doesn't have that. Not only that but it was partly assembled, all I had to do was stick on the pump and the outlet 90 and the directions were very poorly written with only assembly instructions included.

[jason71832]

sorry, mine isn't the 100F, just the 100

[jason71832]

Skimmerhttp://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/jasonwages/Picture115.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/jasonwages/Picture116.jpg
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg65/jasonwages/Picture118.jpg
Here is the skimmer, the collection cup cap, and the box that it all came in.

[skimmy]

SWC is just a canadian company that imports the octopus skimmers the same as coralvue does in the U.S.

i will post pics tomorrow of the sedra 2500 pump in the bh100f, and how i modded it.

[kdblove_99]

I have heard diffrent dates latest was David would have them on the 20th and then distribute them to the companies. so looking like the end of the month earliest:( What a drag

[dzeadow]

This is the problem w/ importing skimmers. I know these have good craftsmanship and are inexpensive, but just think if we were buying "made in the US." You guys would have to wait for a company that's making skimmer bodies for like 5 different skimmer companies let alone itself, and then have to wait for them to be barged over and 2 weeks or so for customs. Dont get me wrong, I love the skimmer, but importing things kind of sucks. Too bad someone here in the states couldn't make a similar skimmer (a knock off :D) and sell it for around the same price.. I'm sure people would be more inclined to buy made in the US vs. importing. Especially if you could put a decent pump in it to begin with.

[happyface888]

I agree that would be easier, they could throw a real patent on it in the US :lol: since cpr is knocked off by odyssea and nothing can be done since its coming from somewhere else.

SWC, Octopus samething. They function the same but have different brands.

[joel g]

Hi I am brand new to salt and just bought the BH-300f on a recommendation from a couple of members here and I have a few questions you guys hopefully can answer. As you all probably already know the instructions are a little vague and I am new to skimmers

#1: the two airlines don't even reach outside the intake chamber so I am guessing from looking at the pictures posted here that I need to extend them so the silencers are outside the box

#2 what is the recommended position for the silencer. Should it be kept above waterline or can it hang down behind the tank

#3 the slot provided for the electrical cords is not big enough for both cords and both airlines without pinching the airlines. Should I drill a couple of small holes along the top edge for the airline to avoid restricting air flow

[FishAreFriends2]

Yeah I agree those pictures are lame. Someone needs to put a guide on using the x00F models.
Well I'll try my best to answer your questions
1,Hmm I don't think any of the bhx00F's tubes actually reach outside. I don't think its needed from what I understand the water that goes into the first chamber doesn't go any higher than the pump's top. But you could extend it if you don't dig it there.

2,Since the tubes short just make sure the silencers don't touch the water. I am sure its long enough where it can hold it self up against the walls of the first chamber.

3,I really don't know about that since I don't own the bh300f. I know the bh100f does not have that problem. I would pm luke33 for more information on how to get the plugs through, I am sure he has a answer for you since he owns one.

maybe others can help chime in on the last question. sorry couldn't answer all of them

[dzeadow]

1) to start the siphon, you need one of those tubes to reach the john guest fitting on the top of the siphon tube. other than that, the length is fine. on my 100F, they sent an additional blue tube w/ a clear nipple to onnect the two together to get the siphon started.

2) I have the silencer tube on my 100F hanging about 3' lower than the skimmer so it doesn't matter where its at. since there's no water flowing through it, it won't flood.

3) if the slot for the cords isn't big enough, you can leave the lid off, it just cuts down on the noise. If you're ok w/ cutting the box to make another notch, or increase the size of the current notch, go ahead, it's not going to affect the skimmers performance any.

[joel g]

Thanks for the replys
I may drill a couple of neat 1/4 " holes along the top edge for the air tube's and extend them outside of the box especially seeing I need one to start the siphon.

I hope to have water in the tank by tomorrow evening so I will see how it works and see if drilling will really be needed

The slot provided is plenty big enough for the electrical cords just a little snug if you add the airlines.

[FishAreFriends2]

BTW anyone who gets a bh100/300f and can't start the siphon like happyface. He mentioned sticking a powerhead up the intake to start it up, might be easier :lol:

[skimmy]

o.k. i finally got an air meter!!
rma-22 that measures in lpm

so, a sedra 2500 pump with stock sedra needlewheel and the volute/venturi from the asm mini on my bh100f is getting a solid 3 lpm of air, with it hitting between 4 and 5 at the top of it's "bouncing" which is slight, but consistant. can you guys post again your lpm/lph readings that any of you have taken? im going to play around tonight/tomorrow with different pumps, impellars, volutes and venturis to figure out the the best.

the other thing that was kinda bothering me is that the sedra pump is not submerged in water in the first chamber, the water level goes up to cover the impellar well, but the motor block is not submerged. so i was thinking i will make a little "cooler" for my sedra, by putting one of those little mini jet 400 pumps sitting underneath and deliver water up to a hole in the back plate of the sedra pump via an ro line. i'll then drill another
"outlet " hole for the water to escape from, so it will have water running though the exterior of the pump motor all the time. you could also do it with one of those aqualifter pumps and just sit it on the lid of the pump chamber.

i'll bring it all home tonight and build it. and take pics...i just borrowed a camera from my roommate:)

[dzeadow]

my slightly modded Resun was getting ~7scfh which right around your number, but that was at 0 head in a bucket. Right now it's reading a very stead 5, it doesn't bounce at all. I'm using an RMA7 though which isn't as accurate at lower numbers and is probably still at 6-7ish scfh. 5sch=2.36l/m, 6=2.83, 7=3.3. So we're dang close in numbers I'd say.

as for your water level, you might try using the airline in the siphon tube and manually suck on it, there might be an air bubble trapped in there slowing the flow slightly.

[FishAreFriends2]

Wow both pumps are pulling around the same amount of air.
@dzeadow
when you were doing this
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0235.jpg
Did it remove the regular tube for the intake? Because after looking at my volute cover if I tried to widen it that much it'd require me to take off the tube. and tube size?

[dzeadow]

the pump I said is pulling the same amount of air was on the one I listed as the "easy mod". All I did was chop off the venturi that came w/ the pump, drilled a new venturi closer to the volute hub. I had a barbed fitting that came w/ my replacement pump that I cut a little piece of the threaded part off of and threaded it into the remaining part of the inlet of the pump.

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0116.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0212.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/OctoVenturi-cut1.jpg

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/OctoVenturi-cut2.jpg

[dzeadow]

oh, and it's the stock NW too

[FishAreFriends2]

what size are the tubes again. Too lazy to read through I don't know how many posts. And how about that harder mod? How much does it pull and what size are the tubings for that version? Have you ever encountered this problem when you were modding? I know I did something similar back than to a mj 1200. Water would some how get into the air tube near the nipple and it wouldn't be able to draw air. Any suggestions in avoiding this problem and any idea whats causing it??

[dzeadow]

the tubing I put into the inlet is .170 ID RO/DI tubing, the stiffer stuff. Make sure you cut your angle on the tube and face it towards the impeller. If the opening is turned slightly either direction, it won't be as efficient. As for the water thing, never had that problem. The only time I've encountered anything like that is w/ my DIY skimmer and the pump is sitting 10" under water, it doesn't have the force to pull the air down w/ the water blocking the tube, so I have to blow into it to get it started, but once its started, no further problems.

After the .170 tubing, I just put some regular airline on it. Or you could try the 1/4" barbed fitting meathod, I just think it might be too big.

[seeingred]

Ok - I know that there was a discussion earlier in this thread about a bad batch of the Resun pumps. My BH 100 has been running for a couple of weeks now and last night the pump just quit. I unplugged it for a couple of hours and plugged it back in. It worked fine for about five minutes then shut off again. I took the volute off and took the impeller out and steam was coming out of where the impeller was. Does this sound like what was happening to the people who had problems with theirs?

Pete

[FishAreFriends2]

@dzeadow
hmm for water in the tube could it be caused by a loose nipple connector,like the hole for the nipple is alittle loose and not a tight fit?
@pete
sorry to hear, you did get the bad batch. Email david @coralvue or wherever you got it. They will replace it for you.

[pIankton]

Wow - steam huh? Mine never produced that much heat. Sounds like you caught that one just in time.

[dzeadow]

I don't know Fish... really it shouldn't happen at all, the volute cover has a suction on it, anything attached should have suction, unless you had a tube sticking into the inlet and it was turned so the opening was facing the inlet, then it might suck water into the tube and up it, but not certain. I guess I've never had that problem to be able to give a solution.

[kdblove_99]

This is so annoying. The skimmers were do in today so i emailed David and now he is saying next saturday.

What is the deal will they ever be in stock?

[afish70]

i called aquacave, they said late next week. Mark at the Reef Stop e-mailed and said next week as well. man i want to get my hands on one of these. as soon as i get it i will be selling my AquaC Remora HOB.

[FishAreFriends2]

I hope they do have em next week, its been dragging for sometime now

[kdblove_99]

yeah, way too long in my opinion. After next week i will look into a different skimmer

[afish70]

let me know what you come up with then. i want a new skimmer.

[FishAreFriends2]

You could try marinesolutionsinc I remember them carrying it under a different name. Maybe they can get you one?

[Mouse]

Such long delays in restocking seem to go along with changes in the product, I hope if there are any they are for the better and not the worse.

[afish70]

yeah let's hope.

[happyface888]

A thought just came to me, while re-reading somethings in this thread. Wouldn't a modded bh100f be just as good as a bh300f? Since 1 unmodded resun is like 3scfh or less and a modded one is 7scfh. The bh300 uses 2 so it has 6scfh and the bh100f using a modded one has 7scfh. So wouldn't it be just like a bh300f if you modded it? Besides the chambers that is, the bh300f does have a bigger chamber while the 100 has a smaller chamber. I wonder does having a bigger chamber help?

[happyface888]

Octopus Hob Skimmer Mods
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1271452

[qn5reef]

I got my hb300f this week. This thing is huge!
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f1.jpg

I think I need to do output mod for this skimmer. It's too big for the water volume so it gets pretty loud.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f3-1.jpg

[afish70]

if i was to actually be able to find a 100f in stock and get it do you think that i could move my heater from in my tank to in the return area? could i also have my phosphate remover stuff in a bag in there as well?? someone give me their insight.

[happyface888]

Yeah a heater fits back there no problem at all, its great to hide another thing. I have my 200w jager back there and sometimes I would throw a bag of carbon back there too.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12189105#post12189105 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by qn5reef
I got my hb300f this week. This thing is huge!
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f1.jpg

I think I need to do output mod for this skimmer. It's too big for the water volume so it gets pretty loud.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f3-1.jpg

Sweet keep us updated on how the skimmer is. BTW are you going to keep that back sponge in the return chamber? If so make sure you clean it out, if not it might clog and flood you. But the sponge does come in handy to block off micros. And is this on your 33g?:p :p
Beer and fish tank now thats what I'm talking about :lol:

[afish70]

now if i could just find one. i did find one on-line and the plave wanted like $250.00 or $300.00 for it. I was shocked and amazed at their price. Aquacave said next week, so did the reef stop. i cant wait.

[happyface888]

$250? Thats insane, might as well get the 300f for that price. I guess when a product is in demand and not alot are available. Its time to jack up the price x.x

[qn5reef]

I got my 300f for $200 Shipped from reefspecialty
I took that black sponge out from the chamber. I put 2 50 watts heates in there. I will post more pics later.

[FroggyFeet]

I heard one week on the 100f last week, so lets hope it comes soon. I have a 300f on my 20t sps tank and the thing is a beast and it holds chemipure and a heater just fine without backups. Thanks for the info on the little black sponge, need to wash that sucker out when I get home from work!

[qn5reef]

so I'm having a major micro bubbles issue. The skimmer is still breaking in. I found some media bags at petsmart for 99 cents to cover the skimmer out put. Check this out.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f7.jpg

[dzeadow]

turn the elbow backwards pointing towards the glass but not actually touching it and you'll probably have less problems.. they'll kind of accumulate and float to the top instead of going all over the tank in your powerheads.

[qn5reef]

And here is a pic of 2 heaters in the last chamber. As you can see, the skimmer is as wide as my 33gal cube.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f6.jpg

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12191669#post12191669 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by qn5reef
I got my 300f for $200 Shipped from reefspecialty
I took that black sponge out from the chamber. I put 2 50 watts heates in there. I will post more pics later.

Are you serious? 200 dollars shipped? I thought it was 250 for the skimmer. And its normal for new skimmers to shoot micros everywhere, especially for a hob. Its new so it needs to create that slime coat on the skimmer. It will go away in a week but you will still have some and as dzeadow mentioned face the return on the back wall it will help. I'd like to see what you will get out of your tank. Since that skimmer is really good for a 75g.

[FishAreFriends2]

Isn't the bh300f 250? But anyways it looks good. Give it time to break in, all skimmers produce micros when new.

[joel g]

My BH-300 F has been running for 2 weeks I get hardly any Micro Bubbles at all and is producing nice dark skimmate as is
I actually decided to add a sump to my system after I bought it and dropped the skimmer inside the sump on top of a couple of pieces of PVC to get the height right and it works great as a internal skimmer

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/147184IMG_1647__Small_.JPG

[happyface888]

Nice so hows it smell, thats the first I've seen it be used as a insump :) , I guess no room for hanging back there. looks great. I think that surface skimming box might need to be raised up a little? But than again it might not need to because water lvl drops. But pretty cool though

[joel g]

Smells nasty only when I empty it
I did raise the skimmate box up a little I have been adjusting the height every couple of days to get it right I am almost there. I also have been topping off every day to maintain the water level in the sump

[Mappelbaum37]

Hey guys... dzeadow brought me to this link because I am interested in purchasing one of the octo's... I currently have a prism and want either the octo 100F or the 300F... I dont really know which one to get. (75 gal. tank) Does the skimmer make a lot of noise? the tank's a couple feet away from my bed, so just curious. How is the micro bubble problem working out for you?

thanks

[joel g]

I bought the 300f for my 55
mine is very quiet and as far as micro bubbles go after the skimmer broke in and with the discharge elbow pointed to the back wall the bubbles are barely noticeable. The only problem I have had with it was when I first got it one of the pumps was not seated properly and it was tough getting my hand into the chamber to fix it. Other than that it works very good

[VengefulNemesis]

I have the 100 for my 75 and it works great for me. It may be a little undersized but I have a light bioload(4 small fish, less than 2 in.), and it pulls out lots of the nasty stuff.

[luke33]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12189105#post12189105 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by qn5reef
I got my hb300f this week. This thing is huge!
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f1.jpg

I think I need to do output mod for this skimmer. It's too big for the water volume so it gets pretty loud.
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/300f3-1.jpg

A couple comments. You don't have it set up correctly. The output should point towards the tank glass like mentioned and the silencer's should be inside the last chamber with a cover on them, just like the first chamber. If you do that the skimmer will be completely silent.

[happyface888]

Woah luke returns. Use the force :lol:
So hows your bh300f going luke? And I wondered did that thing cost you anything? You know what I mean ;)

And as mentioned in the above posts for all bhx00f users make sure when you first get the skimmer, check and make sure the pump isn't touching the sides. If its touching the sides of the first chamber you will get this noise because the pumps vibrating against the glass.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12268238#post12268238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mappelbaum37
Hey guys... dzeadow brought me to this link because I am interested in purchasing one of the octo's... I currently have a prism and want either the octo 100F or the 300F... I dont really know which one to get. (75 gal. tank) Does the skimmer make a lot of noise? the tank's a couple feet away from my bed, so just curious. How is the micro bubble problem working out for you?

thanks

The bh300f would be perfect for your tank. qn5reef got his froom reefspecialty for a really cheap price. I do wonder when did it drop in price though?

Or you could go for the bermuda rogue, it cost more but it works really well. Just ask luke33

[naprestsleep]

what are the dimensions on the 300f? I googled it but the images for the 300f always see to be the 300, are they any difference in size?
Also:
Anyone who has a 300f, what the width needed inside the tank (IE from tube to tube).

[luke33]

The 300f is 3.5" wide, 15"-16" from side to side and 15" deep if i remember correctly.

[naprestsleep]

Is anyone carrying the 300F in stock, I cant find it online??

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12191669#post12191669 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by qn5reef
I got my 300f for $200 Shipped from reefspecialty
I took that black sponge out from the chamber. I put 2 50 watts heates in there. I will post more pics later.

Hey qn5reef, I just checked reefspecialty and they don't have the 300f? Did you email them to order one for you or something? It'd be nice if it was that cheap.

[naprestsleep]

Reef Specialty has them for pre order now.

Reef Specialty claims that its 7.5" deep? Is that right, I thought it was 3.5"(I think they are giving full depth, not depth needed outside the tank).

Joe

[luke33]

7.5" That may be counting the input and output tubes, but even that seems to much. The reaction diameter is 3.5"

[naprestsleep]

Thanks, I got just around 3.5" between my tank and the wall so I want to make sure it will fit before I order it.

[Noise]

how wide is the space between the tubes on the 300f?

[qn5reef]

I emailed Dave at Coralvue and he told me to call Mike at reefspeciality. He said that it's always better to buy Octo skimmer from an authorized dealer. I guess I got the last unit David had available.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12283917#post12283917 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by happyface888
Hey qn5reef, I just checked reefspecialty and they don't have the 300f? Did you email them to order one for you or something? It'd be nice if it was that cheap.

[naprestsleep]

Mike from Reef Specialty confirmed that it was a typo(and double checked with Coral Vue) the width(depth) is 3.5".

[Electrobes]

What's the updated dealers list for the Octopus BH-100F? I am debating about getting that skimmer as I hear nothing but great things about it.

As I looked over the posts I see a lot of people talking about exchanging the pumps... is the Sedra 2500 the easiest to use for pump replacment? I am a bit frightened by talk about the Resuns causing damage to the skimmer itself.. is it true or just rumors?

[happyface888]

Not sure, I haven't heard anything back from the previous people who wanted to buy them. Try contacting david to see if he has gotten them in. I believe I read a post a while back that mentioned them being here but I don't recall when though.

Nah the resun doesn't cause any damage to the skimmer body. The bad resuns seem to be only on the regular bh100s. What the bad resuns do is it starts and stops because of over heating issues. As for the bh100f no one has mentioned theirs has crapped out. Mine is still going strong and I haven't even cleaned my skimmer yet.

Koraltek, and PIankton
Both have tested the sedra and they highly recommend it because it improves performance by a lot. Its because they use the pinwheel impeller instead of the needle wheel. And their venturi/volute is bigger which allows more water and air.

There is a alternative way of achieving this, all you have to do is fully dzeadows guide on how to modify the resuns, volute and venturi. After that you will be pulling 7scfh of air. Twice the amount of air after the mod.

[naprestsleep]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12292450#post12292450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Electrobes
What's the updated dealers list for the Octopus BH-100F? I am debating about getting that skimmer as I hear nothing but great things about it.

As I looked over the posts I see a lot of people talking about exchanging the pumps... is the Sedra 2500 the easiest to use for pump replacment? I am a bit frightened by talk about the Resuns causing damage to the skimmer itself.. is it true or just rumors?

http://www.reefspecialty.com/product_info.php?products_id=267

Pre-orders only right now

[Electrobes]

Sounds interesting where could I find that guide?

I think I've decided to get the skimmer after all, just trying to decide from where.. it looks like they're all back ordered, though reef specialty will have them the 16th.

What other options are there instead of using the skimmer box, it's a little too bulky for me? I want the pole itself to just be the pre-filter... maybe the intake of a maxijet or something?

[happyface888]

Yeah I didn't think it would take so long to restock and for them to fly off the shelf like this. I personally have not installed the skimmer box, its because I'm too lazy to take off my skimmer and shorten the intake. I just used some sort of intake guard to prevent snails from going up the intake. Dzeadow made a custom box for his skimmer and some how a snail got into that box and made its way up his intake and it messed up his skimmer. It kept on breaking his siphon. So a guard is needed


Coralvue

We are expecting the shipment to arrive any day now. We will be shipping them out to distributors and retail stores next week.





Thanks

David


The DIY MOD guide I'll have to look for it or maybe dzeadow can chime in with the link :D

[Electrobes]

Sweet, I placed my order at Reef Specialty, thanks guys for the fast responses, looking forward to finishing my 40Br build with this skimmer on it!

I'll prob do the mod with the Sedra 2500 in the near future.

[happyface888]

BTW heres the thread for the mods koraltek has done.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1271452
So wheres this build thread?


Custom Tubing Mod
<a>Originally posted</a> by dzeadow

Ok, just for anyone that's interested in the these skimmers, you can change the piping to whatever config you want as long as you don't go below 1/2" pvc. I took my 100F and made the outlet pipe w/in 4" of the inlet pipe, which is pretty impressive considering they're at the opposite ends of a 13" skimmer. Here are some pics of what I did on my 20L for my fuge set up.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/octomod1.jpg
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/octomod2.jpg
You use a 3/4" electrical pvc male adapter on the inside of the outlet chamber, teflon tape the threads, screw on a female adapter. After that I put a 3/4"x3/4"x1/2" elbow thing on it, it elbows sideways and has a 1/2" threaded outlet pointing up for air exhaust. Then I went from 3/4" to 1" over towards the inlet pipe. Then I took the 1" pipe 11" down into the chamber I wanted it to go in to. It's pretty silent like this, no gurgling, and the 1" pipe going down that far doesn't seem to have much back pressure since the water level in the return chamber isn't but 1" or less above the outlet hole. Enjoy.


PUMP MOD
So here's the Resun I've totally fubar'd.
The overall pic w/ the barbed fitting on the inlet and the new volute:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0232.jpg
The bored out inlet. You really can't tell what I did since I didn't take a before shot, but if you get your pump out you'll see the ring that makes it a 3/8" opening right where the impeller housing meets the outlet tube. I just dremeled this out and the barbed fitting still goes in:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0233.jpg
New volute intake w/ pvc adapter and air intake:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0234.jpg
The back side of the bored out volute. I used pvc glue the first time so it marred the plastic pretty bad, but you can see how I left the impeller hub in tact so I wouldn't have to fasion one myself. the opening diameter is about 1"
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0235.jpg





SEDRA MOD
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11452382#post11452382 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by koraltek
all righty, here's a side by side pic of the octopus resun 225 volute and the asm mini g gen x 1000 volute, you can see how crazy the difference is...
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/fragfu/octobh100f001.jpg

and the skimmer is still totally milked :inlove:
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/fragfu/octobh100f003.jpg

here's what it collected in about 4 hours
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/fragfu/octobh100f006.jpg

this asm volute/venturi is the only thing not stock on this skimmer pump, i will eventually mesh mod it, but it's doing so good, i see no need as of now.


If I remember there was one more mod dzeadow has done but I can't find it atm.

Hmm so does anyone think a single modded resun that draws in 7scfh on a bh100f is equal to the bh300f? In performance?

[dzeadow]

don't do the mod listed above for my pump.. the one w/ the white pvc. There's an easier one out there somewhere.

[pIankton]

I'm glad to see a lot of other people jumping on these skimmers - to the point of being sold out everywhere!

They're an awesome skimmer and for the price, they're a great deal.

[happyface888]

I seen the other one but don't remember where :lol: too many pages to view. I hope someone finds it though and posts it.

[dzeadow]

i sent you a pm w/ all the pics didn't i?

[happyface888]

I think I lost it :( :( :(

[FishAreFriends2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12293828#post12293828 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pIankton
I'm glad to see a lot of other people jumping on these skimmers - to the point of being sold out everywhere!

They're an awesome skimmer and for the price, they're a great deal.

Yeah I agree, while doing a search here I found that you seemed to be the first one to post about the octo skimmer and questioned that it to with little to no feed back. Must of been because it looks like a cpr. But of course under a different name thoguh. And now theres a lot of info on the skimmer

[FishAreFriends2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12294010#post12294010 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzeadow

Sorry about the Paint How To Guide, I, as usual, forgot to take pics of everything. Really you're not changing a whole bunch, at least you're not changing the impeller.

Start w/ this:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0200.jpg
Now, cut where the gray meets the black:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/OctoVenturi-cut1.jpg
Then bore the left over gray part out w/ a dremel until you can only see about a 1/16" gray ring on the inside. ( I don't have a pic of this part cuz I did it differently). I bored it all the way out but I ended up cutting a threaded piece off of one of the attachments that came w/ the spare pump, so if you leave that much gray in there, it'll be the same. here's what mine looked like:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0116.jpg
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0212.jpg
After doing that, you'll have to drill a hole w/ a 1/4" drill bit, hold it to the 1/4" OD tubing that I suggested earlier and make sure it's going to be snug. The end of the tube needs to be cut at an angle and the open end towards the impeller, try to get it as close to the "hub" of the impeller in the volute as possible. It'd be like the bottom of this picture:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/venturimod.jpg
Here's a pic of the tubing compared to some blue standard airline:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0148.jpg
Now you should have something that looks like this:
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/OctoVenturi-cut2.jpg
Once you have it fitted and it looks similar to this picture, pull the tube out and put some super glue gel around the wall of the hole that the tubing goes into. Make sure when you put the tube back into the hole that the open part of the tube is facing the hub, or where the impeller will be once you put all of this back on the pump. If you didn't cut the tubing from the roll, now you can figure out how much you need to get out of the tank (bh100)/skimmer (bh100f) and cut it at that length. If you happened to cut the tubing so it was slightly easier to work w/, you can get a john guest slip fitting, I used the 90 degree elbow. Connect it to the venturi and a length of tubing that will reach where you want it.

Should be pretty simple, if I would have done this start to finish all I would have needed would have been a dremel w/ a cutting disk and a sander cylinder, a drill w/ a 1/4" drill bit, super glue gel, and 1/4" OD .170 ID polyurethane tubing. If you have a place where you can get that by the foot, 3 feet should be more than plenty and it'll cost you probably less than $1. Super glue gel is pretty dang cheap too. If you don't have a dremel, use a hack saw, just be careful since it's a bugger to hold the volute cover steady while you saw (I did it this way). and then use a utility knife or something to widdle away the gray portion until you get it to the right diameter.

Let me know if you have any further questions...again, sorry for the paint tutorial.. I gotta start remembering to take pictures!

Before I did any mods to the pump and put the air meter on it, it basically just fluttered at 0 or 1, not really showing any reading at all. Now, like I said, it's steady at 4-5 scfh... so steady that I took a picture of it (btw its hard to take air meter pictures since they flutter and the actual meter has a reflective gray background that gives a nice glare w/ a flash).
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0206.jpg
Here's the foam head and it's already got some skim in it after 5 hrs of breaking in.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/IMGP0207.jpg
Plus, the pump is a lot quieter this way than before.. I don't think I had the mesh done right on it.. but if you can get this result w/ yours, I don't think there's any reason to destroy the needle wheel.

[dzeadow]

I figured Fish would have it :D

[FishAreFriends2]

:lol: no I had to skim through the 2000 something posts :lol: But its a excellent mod that improves the scfh draw if anyone wanted to try. But beware you only have one pump so don't screw it up.
But don't the two mods work the same or is the one I posted more effective?

[happyface888]

I thought the one with the white end would be the better mod but who would of thought both are the same.

[dzeadow]

they both had the same results, so I'd do the easy one obviously.

[seeingred]

Here's a question for anyone who experienced the Resun pumps failing... how long did it take for you to get a replacement pump, and did you get the replacment from the manufacturer or from the the vendor you purchased the skimmer from? Thanks!

Pete

[afish70]

what pumps come with the BH300F? will the valute from the Gen X 1000 fit on them? still currently waiting for my 300F and trying to get stuff together to do the mods. so which ines are the best to do to the 300F? do you mod both pumps?

[dzeadow]

if this is going on your 20L, you won't have to do any mods. the two pumps stock are way more than you'll need. I have a 100F on my 20L and it's too much.

[afish70]

i am going to have it on my 20 while my 55 is going through it's set up. then i will be puting it on there. have to wait til June probably to do the 55 though.

[dzeadow]

you'll be fine not modding it

[Electrobes]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12341291#post12341291 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by afish70
i am going to have it on my 20 while my 55 is going through it's set up. then i will be puting it on there. have to wait til June probably to do the 55 though.

Heh no worries, I just got an email from ReefSpecialty.com that the BH-100F ain't coming for another 3 weeks :eek: Good thing I am not in a hurry :D

[afish70]

they told me yesterday that the 300f should be in next week, again they said this. i somewhat pre-ordered it though.

[qn5reef]

you don't need to mod 300f. I have mine on 33 gal with 2 clowns, 6 line and one goby in there. It is more than enough.
I will post some pics of collection cup later.

[naprestsleep]

I ordered the 300f yesterday, was told they might ship some next week, we will see.

For my 92G I am betting the mod will be beneficial, just not sure I want to risk damaging the pump/skimmer.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12341135#post12341135 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by afish70
what pumps come with the BH300F? will the valute from the Gen X 1000 fit on them? still currently waiting for my 300F and trying to get stuff together to do the mods. so which ines are the best to do to the 300F? do you mod both pumps?

The BH300f comes with 2 resun 225f pumps. You can use the genx 1k volutes on them. Its the same pump.
Resun 225f
Genx 1000
Sedra 2500

I don't think you need to do the mod, having those two pumps is more than enough. Try it out stock first before you start modding.

@qn5reef
looking forward to some pics of the 300f.

@reefspecialty
Man whats up with these delays????

Must be a collectors HOB skimmer.

@nap
I don't think there will be any damage done to the skimmer itself. Its the pump your modding and its only the volute. If you have spare pumps that have the same volute cap you can givee it a try. Just do the easy mod as listed by dzeadow.

[afish70]

this is what i got today on a thread i have with aquacave.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12345094#post12345094 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AquaCave
Hi guys,
Sorry about the delay.
We are getting limited quantity of the following models:
BH-100
BH-100SS
BH-300
BH-300F

Skimmers should be available early next week. Unfortunately BH-100F is not on this shipment.


Albert
www.aquacave.com

[FishAreFriends2]

Bummer I never ever seen a bh100ss. Anyone have a shot of that?

[Witch-King]

My friend just got the BH-100F, it looks really good except there’s one thing that’s got me scratching my head. The surface skimmer doesn’t reach the surface of the water when pushed all the way up. Is everyone cutting their intake pipe and moving the plastic o rings up to the next notch on the pipe or something? Any help would be great. Thanks

[dzeadow]

some people have cut it. Some have just left it the way it is.

[dzeadow]

Everyone's prayers have been answered. Luke just informed me that Marine Solutions has just got in the 100F and the 300F for those of you that were looking.

www.marinesolutionsinc.com

Have fun and spend money :D

[FishAreFriends2]

When did MS start carrying the bh100f? I've never seen it there before though. But what matters is that they are in stock :D

[naprestsleep]

Reef Specialty shipped my 300f out today, but looks like they are still out of stock for new orders.

[FishAreFriends2]

got luck there. :D I hope to see someone do a full review on that model. I've already read about the bh100f already.

[qn5reef]

Well, my 300f is done going through the break in period.
The skim started to get darker now. Check this out!!
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb77/oodh4ever/Picture176.jpg

[FishAreFriends2]

wow thats a lot of foam in there, hows the bottom looking now?

[moga]

Octopus Hang-on skimmer inlet and outlet extension
is it possible to get 5 inch long inlet and outlet?

I tried to search for the skimmers that can be hang over braced top which is about 5 inch wide..

and found the octopus HOB ..which i may change the inlet and outlet to fit to my tank..


here's my thread of the tank i have now.~

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showt...threadid=864824

[cerolost]

Just confirmation that my 300f has been shipped as well. Looking forward to this skimmer. Of course pics and comments will follow :D

[dzeadow]

moga - I have totally custom outlet and inlet pipes so you can change them to whatever you want basically. I have mine coming out then doing a horizontal 90 for about 6" then down w/ 1" pipe instead of 3/4". Just make sure your outlet has a T somewhere outside the skimmer to let the air out, otherwise the level of water inside your skimmer will get to alarming heights :D. Also, my inlet, I changed that to have the JG fitting on the inside of the skimmer so I could get some moving room w/ my lights. I did all this with 3/4" male threaded and female threaded electrical conduit fittings. Make sure you teflon tape them and make them snug against the skimmer to prevent leaks. HTH

[moga]

PM on the way Danny~

[FishAreFriends2]

dzeadow is the modding king of the octo hob :lol: he's done more mods than anyone. Hmm yes post some pictures of the 300f :D, so does anyone think Happyfaces theory is right about if you mod a bh100f it will become just as good as a 300f?

Modded pump 7scfh?
Regular pump 3scfh?

Also has anyone attempted to put a aqua clear pump on theirs? It'd be sweet if someone modded one and stuck it on. It looks like it'd fit on the skimmer.

[dzeadow]

I wouldn't take the 3scfh as a hard and fast number to compare to. The Dwyer air meters work best in the middle to upper part of their range. Anything on the lower part is kind of inaccurate so it might be closer to 4 :D

[FishAreFriends2]

so do you think one modded resun is equal to two un-modded ones?

[dzeadow]

It's tough to say. If they would have put the 2nd pump in the other way to actually recirc it, then the 300F would be way more efficient. But since both pumps are pulling in the same water you're basically pushing 550gph through the skimmer w/ ~8scfh of air being pushed into it... the 100F is doing 225gph w/ ~7scfh... I don't know what that means exactly. The 100F may have better dwell time? only the experts can say :D

[afish70]

qn5reef question for you. how long has your 300f taken to break in? were there any adjustments that needed to be made?

[FishAreFriends2]

usually the break in period is about a week to two? You will know when its over when less micros are going back into your tank. The only thing you need to adjust is the cup height. Its pretty much plug and play

[ballsman]

I got a BH100 today. This is my first protein skimmer, is it supposed to be this noisy? I'm pretty sure its the bubbles that are making the splashing sound, those go away after a few days right?

edit: wait, are you supposed to block the opening at the top of the return pipe? When I do that there are only some tiny bubbles going into the tank instead of those huge ones and its much quieter (I can pretty much only hear the hum of the pump). I wish the instructions weren't so terrible :(

[BigAirHarper]

Sorry to bust in on the thread, but I am really interested in these skimmers. What is the difference between the normal BH-300 and the BH-300F? What does the added stuff on the F version allow you to do? Also, this would be going on a system that is in my room, so how noisy are they? Thanks.

[luke33]

The difference between the H and F is the f version has internal pump's and the pump's run unrestricted unlike the h versions who have to pump the air up and down to get to the reaction chamber.

[naprestsleep]

quality question

I just got my 300f and its in pieces. The venturi is disconnected from the lower pump(and I cant figure out how to reconnect), the cylinder that connects the 2 puts is off and there seems to be a small crack in the acrylic, but it doesnt come all the way through.

Anyone else have issues with theirs?

[qn5reef]

post some photos. My 300f came all assembled.

[naprestsleep]

I will post pics later, I spoke with the retailer and determined it was damaged in shipping. I think I can reassemble it(smaller hands would make it easier) and I am hoping that the crack will not leak.

[FishAreFriends2]

Sorry to hear I'd return it for a exchange, don't take the risk of haning something on your tank that might leak. not worth it.

ballman
check the pump chamber make sure its not touching the inside walls if it is fix it. Happyface mentioned this a long time ago. If it touches the walls its going to vibrate off of them creating some annoying noise.

as for the big bubbles they will eventually become small bubbles, you have to let it break in. You can put a cover on that outlet if you wanted but you have to open a small hole though. And I don't think there is truely a quiet skimmer, all skimmers have a little sound just a small hum but if yours loud than its probably touching the walls. And yes the instructions are a joke

heres a guide by koraltek
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11383620#post11383620 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by koraltek
next i cut short and capped the outlet of the skimmer, make sure you make the hole in the cap at least 1/4" so that it doesnt speed up the water going through the skimmer, or make the water level higher...
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/fragfu/octobh100fmods009.jpg
on the bh100 this was all glued so i had to cut and dremel, but with the bh100f it wasnt glued, so much easier to take off and cut...
o.k. it's off to work, where i will post all the bh100f mods in a few hours:)



<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12407154#post12407154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BigAirHarper
Sorry to bust in on the thread, but I am really interested in these skimmers. What is the difference between the normal BH-300 and the BH-300F? What does the added stuff on the F version allow you to do? Also, this would be going on a system that is in my room, so how noisy are they? Thanks.

:lol: Don't need to apologize this is a octopus hob thread where we are suppose to discuss and ask questions
I think you will hear a slight him but nothing serious.

[lizardfishman]

i just got my hb-100ss today. i set it up and when i came home from practice like 3 hours later the collection cup was pretty much full of off-color water. is this normal?

[FishAreFriends2]

raise your collection cup, maybe too low.

[naprestsleep]

http://picasaweb.google.com/joe.diebold/Skimmer/photo#5193333146124662178

Reef Specialty called me twice about this and we decided to place a shipping claim as the damage happened en route to me. So now I got to wait for that to be resolved and then for more 300f to come in.

Ok I cant get the pics embedded so here the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/joe.diebold/Skimmer

[BigAirHarper]

So does the BH-300F work well right out of the box (Sorry naprestsleep) or do I need to do some mods if I decide to order one? I might settle for the BH-100F since my whole system will be around 60 gallons of water. Do you guys think that will be enough?

[luke33]

Nprestsleep, you just have to superglue it in there as it fell out.

[skimmy]

well, i just wanted to post that i fried the sedra that i put on my bh100f...:(
i replaced it with one of the many resun 225 pumps i have lying around, and of coarse it stops and starts many times a day...
i had set up a little pump (right underneath the sedra in the same chamber)with ro hose to drain on to the sedra and keep it cool, but it was so loud (rio 800) that i just unplugged it.
subsequently, the sedra melted inside the impellar well, seizing the impellar...toast

i could just get another sedra and use a taam aqualifter to pour water over the pump 24/7 though an air hose

but, now im wondering what external/submersible pump i could use for this skimmer...any ideas??
i was thinking mabye the quiet one 2200?
but dunno if it will fit. mabye an aquaclear will hold up better??
i know ATB is planning on using them externally.
????

[dzeadow]

ATB already is using the AC's externally, they just haven't released the HOB cone yet. The QO2200 won't fit, not to mention it's a 581 gph pump vs. the 225. You'd want the QO1200 which doesn't fit very well either, not to mention when i modded one it worked like crap...worse than the Resun. I don't know if you can mod the smaller AC's with the mod's listed for the 70 tho.

[skimmy]

exactly my thoughts...
and i meant the qo 1200, as you mentioned, not the 2200...

so, what pump do ya think i should use?
i was wondering , mabye a eheim 1250
with the stock sized outlet, and a nw from ATB,
i dont know if it would be more than 300lph of air
(the max i think that neck will handle)
or if it would physically fit.
i know eheim makes some mini pumps that might go up to 250 gph too.

[ballsman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12411296#post12411296 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FishAreFriends2
Sorry to hear I'd return it for a exchange, don't take the risk of haning something on your tank that might leak. not worth it.

ballman
check the pump chamber make sure its not touching the inside walls if it is fix it. Happyface mentioned this a long time ago. If it touches the walls its going to vibrate off of them creating some annoying noise.

as for the big bubbles they will eventually become small bubbles, you have to let it break in. You can put a cover on that outlet if you wanted but you have to open a small hole though. And I don't think there is truely a quiet skimmer, all skimmers have a little sound just a small hum but if yours loud than its probably touching the walls. And yes the instructions are a joke
Thanks! Would you happen to have a link to where I could buy a cap like that?

[dzeadow]

you can either get a 3/4" plug and grind it down to fit in the hole or I think someone used a larger like 1" cap or something that fit right over the T outlet. Like Fish said, make sure you drill a hole in it though.

[skimmy]

well, problem solved with the bh100f...

im getting a deltec mce 600 on sunday for $200 :)

[BigAirHarper]

koraltek how did you manage that? Do they happen to have 2 for that price. haha

[dzeadow]

must be sweet working at the LFS Koral... When you guys get those semi-blemmished ATB hang-ons, let me know, I'll be willing to pick one up off the back of a truck :D

[skimmy]

lol, i know...
im buying a used ATB small cone this month for $500 from a person upgrading tanks too. so i've spent $700 on skimmers this month...lol
thank god im divorced...

[happyface888]

Man thats a crazy amount of money spent on skimmers, how many of them do you have laying around, that are not in action :lol:?

[doihavethemoney]

what is better a deltec mce300 or the comparible octopus filter.
i want a nice skimmer for my 54 gallon system i have found a used mce300 for 220 is their an octopus that compares to it for a similar price

[skimmy]

well deltec gets 160 lph out of their nw impellar with the mj1000,
if you mesh mod a sedra 2500 and stick it on the regular octo hob
skimmer, it will get about 250-300lph of air.
and it would still be less money than the mce300.

http://anythingsaltwater.com/octopus-hang-on-the-back-protein-skimmer-bh100-p-1514.html

http://www.fishsupply.com/spksp-s2500.html

[skimmy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12428825#post12428825 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by happyface888
Man thats a crazy amount of money spent on skimmers, how many of them do you have laying around, that are not in action :lol:?

actually i went from having 10+ dead skimmers to 0 in the last few months...lol

im trying to get rid of all my extra crap before i move:)

so anyone have any ideas on pump i should use for the bh100f i have? im going to be taking my deltec and leaving the bh100f on my daughters tank, and i dont want them to have to deal with the pump issues.

i think im going to use the deltec and a giessmann 2' hqi/t5 x2 fixture on a new 20g setup

[dzeadow]

throw a sicce on there, I think it'll fit :D. You ever think that doing these mods to the Resuns actually make them more prone to failure? I'm just waiting for mine to take a dive, however, its pulling more air and less water, should mean its working less right? Couldn't tell you about a pump though. There aren't many that are going to fit in there. Since you work at an LFS, might try looking into the aquaclears and making a custom volute if the size of it is the same as any pvc fittings/pipe.

[doihavethemoney]

i thought that the better octo skimmer was the one with the internal pumps. could you still do that mod to them?
also doesnt other things besides lph of air decide which is a better skimmer.
you said that you have owned both which have you liked better and why.
thanks for answering my kinda annoying questions

[dzeadow]

I believe Koral's only owned the 100 and the 100F, pretty much the same skimmer only the 100F is a little more efficient and less of an eye sore in the tank. Skimmer performance is a bunch of different factors. Air amount, dwell time, flow through, etc. For instance, you want less flow through for more dwell time and the more air you can pump into it will make it more efficient. The problem with any HOB skimmer is generally they're not big enough to have a great dwell time, use small pumps that don't pump a lot of air and possibly too much pass through.

That being said I have a 20L w/ the 100F and with the mods I did on my pump, I'm sure it could handle more, upwards of 50-60g fairly easily. The 300F w/o mods could do 75g roughly, but it'd be pushin it depending on bio load. HTH.

[BigAirHarper]

Hey, do any of you guys know the noise difference between the 100f and the 300f. I am trying to decide on one for my 37G DS+20G fuge but the noise is an issue for my room. Any recommendations on which one I should get? Thanks.

[doihavethemoney]

so what do you all think is a better over all skimmer the mce300(deltec) or the 100f(octo)

[skimmy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12429656#post12429656 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzeadow
throw a sicce on there, I think it'll fit :D. You ever think that doing these mods to the Resuns actually make them more prone to failure? I'm just waiting for mine to take a dive, however, its pulling more air and less water, should mean its working less right? Couldn't tell you about a pump though. There aren't many that are going to fit in there. Since you work at an LFS, might try looking into the aquaclears and making a custom volute if the size of it is the same as any pvc fittings/pipe.

actually, i think the only real issue is that they are trying to make a crappy submersible pump do the job that an external/submersible pump should be doing. (in the bh100f anyway) the resun pump on the bh100 that is completly submerged still has the overheating issues as well, which i think is exasperated on the bh100f (because the pump is 1/2 to 3/4 out of the water)
im going to look into modding a volute for an ac70, and just modding it to only 300lph instead of the 400-500 that people were getting. i was also toying with the idea of making a similar volute mod for the maxijet 1200 if the ac70 wont fit.
also, does the quiet one 1200 have the same impellar design with the flat bottom plate as the qo3000?

[dzeadow]

no, it's a paddle wheel similar to the MJ's. I'm going to say that the AC70 is way too big for the chamber. It'd probably fit if the inlet pipe wasn't in there with it. That's why I was thinking something smaller. I'll check for sure in a little while. I have 2, one modded and one that's not. I can't remember what the internal dimensions of the first chamber are, but the custom volute for the AC70 is a 2" electrical coupling which is like 2.25" OD and the pump is obviously bigger than that. I bet the AC50's would work awesome, but I'm not sure if they're the same motor housing or not. Anyway, I"ll check later how big the pump is compared to the chamber and I"ll let you know.

[dzeadow]

Koral, I think the AC70's going to be too tight. It'll rub on the inlet pipe. Plus I think that the gph is too high and you'll have heck of micro problems. If you do get one of those pumps to fit, it'll have to be "backwards" and I'd thread the custome volute w/ femal threads as not to take up too much room in the inlet chamber.

[jayke]

Hello all,

Looks like I joined the club. Got a BH100F a week ago. Excellent skimmer, probably one of the best purchases for my tank. Its a bit noisy, but I think some air is getting trapped in the impeller housing from time to time causing excess vibration. Already pulling stuff out of the tank, even though its not broken in yet.

[afish70]

I got my 300F lastnoght. will be setting up 2nite and take some pics. this thing is a monster in size, we'll have to see on the performance side.

[FishAreFriends2]

Sweet, looking forward to the pics guys.

dzeadow/Koraltek
Hmm would shortening the tube in the first chamber cause any dramatic effects to the siphon? If not what would happen if you went with dzeadows custom plumbing would that enable the AC70 fit in there? If you mod a AC70, say break off a few paddles wouldn't that reduce the gph? And would this idea work? If you directly connected the intake of the AC to the intake tube in the first chamber?

If you some how get that to work on the bh100f I'm have to go get one. The bh100 is doing fine but I would like to have a internal pump version.


And someone mentioned they got a BH100ss? I'd like to see what kind of surface skimmer box they got. Since there are no real pictures of it,

[dzeadow]

i just think the ac70 is a bit too big for the chamber. I don't think much will happen by reducingthe pipe lengths, they're just like that to make sure that even w/ evap, both ends are submerged in water not breaking the siphon. As for direct connect, it'd be a hassle to try and get the pump in the hole and the pipe in the hole, it'd almost be better to cap off the hole some how and vinyl tube it up and over or something like that.

[gregmedic]

Hello, I just bought and set up the BH-300F skimmer. I am getting a ton of water flow in the central chamber producing a lot of microbubbles. What should I do with the stock airline tubing that came with it and how can I reduce the water level in the return chamber? I am hoping that the bubbles will stop ofter the break-in. I would appreciate any help. This forum is just too big to search through!

[cerolost]

Bh-300f Day 4 and I was getting good foam but now the venturi has stopped sucking in air. If I blow in it of course air goes into the chamber but it doesn't bring it in. To the venturi I have the blue tube hooked up along with the silencer. Any suggestions?

[dzeadow]

cerolost - try putting the venturi in ro/di water, you might have some salt creep in it... interesting after only 4 days, but it's possible.

gregmedic - the micros will go down after about a week if you didn't do a vinegar bath w/ it to remove any production oils. Let it run and do it's thing, it'll get there eventually. As far as water level in the return chamber, I'm not sure I follow? If you still have the sponge in there the water level will be higher than w/o, but you'll have to clean the sponge regularly to keep it from clogging up and causing a flood.

HTH

[cerolost]

Thanks dzeadow

[dzeadow]

are both pumps not pulling air or just one?

[gregmedic]

dzeadow, I was getting a lot of churning in the middle chamber, so I pinched off the air intake tube which decreased it. It was churning so much the water was overflowing into the collection cup, and I had it as high as it would go. I am going to buy a airline needle valve today and use that to adjust the air. I was happy this morning to see a substantial decrease in the amount of microbubbles, and my cup had some green stuff in it! But I am getting a loud vibration/humming noise now. I have taken apart the pump and searched for a cause, with no luck. I have also been talking to someone at Coral Vue but he hasn't really been any help either.

[Witch-King]

Ok I’ve been tinkering with my friends bh 100F. I’ve figured pretty much everything out for decent performance, but there’s one thing that’s got me confused and no one else seems to be posting about it. On the output pipe where the T fitting goes back into the tank ( and into a 90) I’m getting lots of big bubbles. I understand that micro bubbles are normal, but are the quarter inch bubbles normal as well? Has anyone experienced this and is there any fix? The only thing I can think of is building some sort of bubble trap that would go around the pipe. I should mention that these bubbles are being created at the output not by the pump or the third chamber. I think it’s the actual drop from the T to the 90 that is mixing air and water. Whatever the deal is, its not cool as salt spray was getting all over his lights. Any information or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[dzeadow]

witch-king - The bubbles are being forced out since the water level in your last chamber is likely low, one way to help aleviate this is try putting a cap or plug on the T w/ a hole in it to see if it'll help. Also, you can take your air silencer and shove the bottom of it into the the T and see if that fixes before buying any pvc, since the octo's are metric and you'll have to do some tinkering to get something to work.

greg - make sure the pumps aren't touching the sides of the skimmer, and that the plate that holds the bottom pump in place is also secured. I'd leave the airline be and let the pumps break in normally. Once they build up a "slime" they'll settle down some w/o restricting the airline.

[FishAreFriends2]

Thats seems to be the minor set backs of the bh100f's salt spray. How does putting a cap up there actually help? And doesn't it also require a small hole after putting the cap on? BTW would throwing the sponge back in help stop the bubbles? And a bubble box may work, you will have to check with dzeadow, hes made his own custom trap, surface skimmer.

[dzeadow]

I know that the cap w/ the hole definitely helped mine w/ gurgling. The sponge may help w/ micro bubbles, and it may help w/ big bubbles. The sponge will increase the water level in the last chamber causing it to not suck so much air down w/ it.. not sure. But in the 100F now that I think of it, the sponge won't do anything but raise the water level in the reaction chamber, not the return chamber.

Just trythe silencer in there first and then we'll go from there.

[cerolost]

Wait, are both pumps in the 300f suppose to pull air?

[dzeadow]

yeah! that might be your problem! Make sure you have an airline connected to both pumps and then connect one to a silencer and the other to the siphon, unless you already have it started, then connect that one to a silencer as well and you should be all set.

[jayke]

dz,
you had mentioned the slime build up breaking the pump in. Did you notice that your pump got quieter after it was broken in? I'm still getting a bit of excess vibration. The 100f comes with one oring that goes on the male end of the internal pump support. If I put an additional oring between the pump itself (female end) and the wall, would that help with the noise?

[dzeadow]

are you sure that your pump isn't touching something? it may even be the inlet pipe leaning a little too far that way. That's the only thing I can think of. As for another o-ring, I'm not too sure. Mine's dang near dead quiet the way it is (modded volute). I can only think that it's rubbing on something. Do you have both lids on the skimmer? Those help a ton.

[jayke]

the only thing touching is the cord and the inlet pipe. both lids are on but the lid over the pump does not close all the way because it will pinch off the air line a bit. Was yours always quiet or just after your modification?

[keith5]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12443201#post12443201 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Witch-King
Ok I’ve been tinkering with my friends bh 100F. I’ve figured pretty much everything out for decent performance, but there’s one thing that’s got me confused and no one else seems to be posting about it. On the output pipe where the T fitting goes back into the tank ( and into a 90) I’m getting lots of big bubbles. I understand that micro bubbles are normal, but are the quarter inch bubbles normal as well? Has anyone experienced this and is there any fix? The only thing I can think of is building some sort of bubble trap that would go around the pipe. I should mention that these bubbles are being created at the output not by the pump or the third chamber. I think it’s the actual drop from the T to the 90 that is mixing air and water. Whatever the deal is, its not cool as salt spray was getting all over his lights. Any information or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I just registered here to post the exact same question :eek:

Same issue, I understand the micro bubbles are normal and will go away after some time (only been running my 100F for two days) but the large bubbles are a huge problem for me. The salt spray is very bad, but even worse are the noise they make.

They are obviously being created in the return T pipe, since there are none flowing up the 3rd chamber. Plugging up the top of the T doesn't do anything.

Don't know if it'll help but heres a picture

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/4166/bubblesjs0.th.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bubblesjs0.jpg)

[dzeadow]

the bubbles are inevitable unfortunately. it looks like you have the t turned towards the back which will keep them from floating around the tank. Koraltek actually cut his outlet pipe so that the top of the 90 thats in the water was either at the surface or just below it. i'd imagine this would help some. if you don't wan to cut your stock pipe you can either take a 3/4" pipe and grind it down to fit inside the T or see if theres a pipe that will fit over it. I personally took a 1" x 1.25" elbow on the 90 and turned it back up to the surface and then put a short piece of 1.25" pipe in the end to get the outlet back to the surface. All the bubbles just terminated there and I have very few problems with them in the display. if you problem is salt spray, I don't know what to say.

jayke - my pump was always pretty quiet unless it was touching the sides of the skimmer or the pipe. You said you took it apart already? Someone had mentioned that when they took theirs apart they found debris from fabrication in the intake of the volute which would probably cause some problems. it's the only other thing I can think of.

[afish70]

so i have a dumb question, what should i do to my new 300F before i install it? i think someone said to rinse it but do not remember with what for sure. is there anything else i should do? is there a magic list somewhere with the best things to do?? i am going to install it in the next day or so.

[dzeadow]

if you want to reduce the break in period, run it in a bucket of water w/ some white vinegar in it to remove the production oils. I'd also check to make sure there's nothing in the intakes of the pumps, some people have mentioned there were plastic shards left over from the drilling process.

[jayke]

dz,

On your 100f, what side is the washer on for your pump? The side with the pump or the side with the bolt head?

And are there any washers inside the impeller housing along the shaft? I've seen some needle wheel pumps with those.

[keith5]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12446477#post12446477 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dzeadow
the bubbles are inevitable unfortunately. it looks like you have the t turned towards the back which will keep them from floating around the tank. Koraltek actually cut his outlet pipe so that the top of the 90 thats in the water was either at the surface or just below it. i'd imagine this would help some. if you don't wan to cut your stock pipe you can either take a 3/4" pipe and grind it down to fit inside the T or see if theres a pipe that will fit over it. I personally took a 1" x 1.25" elbow on the 90 and turned it back up to the surface and then put a short piece of 1.25" pipe in the end to get the outlet back to the surface. All the bubbles just terminated there and I have very few problems with them in the display. if you problem is salt spray, I don't know what to say.
Tried that this morning, no good.

I have a temporary fix, I cut up a piece of sponge and stuck it between the end of the return pipe and the 90. It eliminates the large bubbles but I'm not crazy about this solution. If that sponge starts to get dirty I assume it could overflow :(

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12445354#post12445354 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jayke
the only thing touching is the cord and the inlet pipe. both lids are on but the lid over the pump does not close all the way because it will pinch off the air line a bit. Was yours always quiet or just after your modification?

I agree with Danny, mine is also dead silent. Mine is unmodded been using it since November? or even longer. And the lid does shut all the way, if you run the airtube out from where the plug wire is. But I don't do that I just leave the silencer thing inside the skimmer and I just put the lid on there. It can still draw air. so it doesn't need to be hung on the outside. My only other though is check the pump, maybe the ring that tightens it is loose? Unscrew it and screw it back on might be off a little.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12448700#post12448700 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jayke
dz,

On your 100f, what side is the washer on for your pump? The side with the pump or the side with the bolt head?

And are there any washers inside the impeller housing along the shaft? I've seen some needle wheel pumps with those.

If I remember I think the silicone washer was on the right side? I only took my pump out of my skimmer once just to see if I could shove a QO1200, which doesn't work. And the resuns don't have a washer, but I do remember Koraltek adding one to his pump, because his was vibrating aswell? You might have to pm him its pretty far back that he mentioned it.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12447519#post12447519 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by afish70
so i have a dumb question, what should i do to my new 300F before i install it? i think someone said to rinse it but do not remember with what for sure. is there anything else i should do? is there a magic list somewhere with the best things to do?? i am going to install it in the next day or so.

Shorten your intake if you want the surface skimming box to work. Luke mentioned it was a tad long? And like danny mentioned use vinegar and water.

[jayke]

by right side do you mean the washer is between the pump and wall or the "bolt" and the wall

[happyface888]

It would be between the pump and the wall. And I think there was also a ring that was stuck inside the wall. I can't recall I'll have to let Danny chime in on this to make sure since he took his apart quite some times.

[happyface888]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12445813#post12445813 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by keith5
I just registered here to post the exact same question :eek:

Same issue, I understand the micro bubbles are normal and will go away after some time (only been running my 100F for two days) but the large bubbles are a huge problem for me. The salt spray is very bad, but even worse are the noise they make.

They are obviously being created in the return T pipe, since there are none flowing up the 3rd chamber. Plugging up the top of the T doesn't do anything.

Don't know if it'll help but heres a picture

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/4166/bubblesjs0.th.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bubblesjs0.jpg)

Here's another suggestions move your skimmer to one side of your tank preferably close to the end. You should be able to pull the skimmer forward a little so that the return tubes are further away from the glass. Aim the return towards the corner. I found this to work a little better it reduced most of the salt spray since the bubbles had room to run a little. By aiming it straight towards the glass I guess the water is pushing it too fast causing it to rush up fast and pop fast? This is only my guess. You might have to play around with the return to figure out how to stop the large bubbles. I don't get them anymore now.

As for the cap method and tube method here is a picture of how Danny did his a while back.
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/fullmodshot.jpg

Method number 2
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/outlet2.jpg
http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/outlet1.jpg
Just to give you an idea.


And the sponge method great, but you would have to wash it once in awhile so that it doesn't clog that skimmer.

or you could try something like this
http://www.amekaaquatics.com/images/product_images/upload_0000BG.jpg

[jayke]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12449610#post12449610 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by happyface888
It would be between the pump and the wall. And I think there was also a ring that was stuck inside the wall. I can't recall I'll have to let Danny chime in on this to make sure since he took his apart quite some times.

That may be my problem. My pump touches the wall directly and the o-ring is on the bolt side (per the instructions which aren't very detailed). I'll try reversing it this evening.

Thanks.

[happyface888]

Np, but again I'm not 100% if that plastic washer is on the pumps side. Its been so long since I took it out. But it is worth a try, I am sure Danny knows where the washer is.

:lol: The instructions are a joke. I could never start mine up following the instructions, I just use a pump to shoot water up the intake and its all good.

[happyface888]

Here's David's Suggestion

"I am confused with this problem as well since we have sold thousands of these skimmers and never had this brought to our attention. I wonder if we try to put some filter sponge material in the output tube if it would help to filter these bubbles. It is strange because any large bubble should burst inside the pipe before they are returned to the tank. Another option to try is drill a small hole into the top f the 90 degree elbow where the air must be building. If this works we may have to put a small vent tube in the hole so it will exhaust the air buildup inside the 90 degree fitting.

What do you think?



David"


I am however a little confused to where this 90 degree thing is. I don't know if hes talking about the outlet or is he talking more about the T, with the opening. Well maybe someone could clarify this.

[dzeadow]

i'm too lazy to read all the new posts now :D. The washer I believe is on the bolt side. because if it was on the pump side it would have fallen off every time I took the pump off and it didn't. Of course I can't remember if I even have that thing on there anymore. I might have a hose barb fitting that came w/ my other pump that I got for modding purposes. So I know that there's no washer on the pump side.

[happyface888]

So I asked david would facing the return towards the back cause any problems and here's his response

"I would try to angle the output fitting and not force the return water back into the fitting which could be building up the large bubbles that you see coming out. It has to be something in that 90 degree fitting that is causing the problem because the water coming out of the skimmer has an exhaust at the top of the T to help filter out the bubbles.



Let me know how this goes and I would like to learn for future customers.



Thanks for the help,



David"

[cerolost]

All right this thread needs some pics. I'm starting tonight.