Octopus NW-200 skimmer and new funnel neck

[sammy33]

I decided to upgrade my old Octopus DNW-110 to this NW-200. This is the new design with the funnel neck and the new venturi. It was originally released with a bubble diffuser plate but the one I received does not have this.

This skimmer (8" body) is rated up to 180g where my old skimmer (4.5" body) was rated for only up to 125g. I am hoping this will be a bit of an upgrade for my 150g system. So far after 4 days running I got nothing in the collection cup...no foam head is building.

http://samsreef.com/images/zoom/KFMRWM/octo-nw200.jpg

The funnel neck almost seems like a second collection area as there is a gap where the tube to the collection cup starts. Some very light skim gunk is collecting here when it is not overflowing. This area otherwise has only filled with water and becomes stagnant.

http://samsreef.com/images/zoom/KFMRWM/octo-nw200-foam.jpg

Anyone else have this style Octopus with the funnel neck?

[Roland Jacques]

Id raise the water level about 3". The new tunze is the same more or less, and that camber allways is about 1/2 full of water.

Sammy you need to get that flow meter on that skimmer see if it pulling more air than before.

[luke33]

If i had to take a wild guess i'd say the pump is pushing around 23-26scfh, which is excellent for a 219 dollar skimmer that size. For anyone on a budget this takes teh cake for a 125g or less.

[luke33]

Sam, could you do me a favor and measure the neck diameter. Only thing i'm not real fond of is the body to neck transition. Its pretty dang flat.

Nice thing about it is meshmod it and you have another 5-10scfh.

[sammy33]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12413166#post12413166 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luke33
Sam, could you do me a favor and measure the neck diameter.

The neck opening is about 2 7/8" with the tube on the collection cup at about 3 1/2".

I guess I need to break down and buy and airflow meter. Dwyer? :cool:

[luke33]

Well, honestly a couple yrs ago rich conley opened up the output of the pump and boared out the elbo and it pulled around 25scfh. This looks to be exactly that senario, so i'd say your at 23-26scfh, but yea, an air meter would confirm my theory : )

[carlso63]

So the new version pulls more air stock than the old version but has a smaller neck... is that right?

I'm asking because I guess I got one of the last ones of the old version a week ago and I'm pretty sure it has a 3.5" neck

[sammy33]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12412999#post12412999 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Roland Jacques
Id raise the water level about 3". The new tunze is the same more or less, and that camber allways is about 1/2 full of water.


Thanks for the tip. :D I set the water level in the skimmer to level out in the funnel neck just about where the collection tube starts and this is forcing a foam to build in the neck.

http://samsreef.com/images/zoom/KFMRWM/octo-nw200-level.jpg

I also added the silencer to the end of the air intake tube. Restrict the air like this seemed to also help. The bubble density inside this skimmer is quite good.

[luke33]

Yea, my thoughts as well. I hope the neck isn't 2 7/8" wide. That's not good. They should have left it at 3.5 or 3.75" like it originally was. Time will tell.

[GUILLO1]

Think I'm going to tag along this one...

Luke when are you going to get one of these bad boys so you can dissect it and give us a review?

[luke33]

Well, i think my dissecting days are going to take a pass on this one. I'd like to see some air #'s from someone though. They look like a great budget skimmer though.

[JCTewks]

I really hope that the necks ID is not 2 7/8"...that's only slightly larger than the 110 you upgraded from.

I'm with luke...i'd like to see some air/watt #'s from this "new" octopus. I guess CV is done with the ER clone and is now cloning the Aqua-Euro which is a clone of the Tunze...oh well, King Solomon said it best 3000yrs ago..."there is nothing new under the sun" :lol:

[sammy33]

The higher water level seems to be the trick with the funnel neck as I am finally getting a foam that is cresting. The funnel neck is now filled with a really wet skimmate and the foam remains very dry. I guess I will need to siphon the funnel neck as it looks too nasty to just dump back in the skimmer. Check out this short video:
Video (youtube) - Skimmer finally foaming (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7qRJ8vy1VU)

I can also probably raise the water level a bit more as the skim is looking very dry. I will continue to tweak and report back. :D

[Roland Jacques]

Just to clarify their are 2 neck opening with this new design 1 for the funnel (smaller ID), and one for the neck (about the same as before). Really need a picture to explain it.

I looked at this skimmer at Aquabuys.com (Great place, but the owners kind of weird) I don’t believe the stock pump will pull that much more air than before. I’m thinking 12-16 Scfh. The big improvement that a saw is the elbow is thin wall and does not need to be bored out. Also the venturi looks similar to the MSX sicci one. The air hose is also slightly bigger. That said the neck Dimensions looked to be the same as before.

Sam I put my air flow meters in my truck so if you want to borrow it let me know.

I don’t think these would mod very well because the funnel designis for the water level to be about half way up in the neck. If you put more air in them you have to lower the water level, and the closer the water level is to the part where the neck meets the funnel the darker skimmate type water will end up in the funnel area. That skimmate water will end up back in your skimmer/system every time you pull the neck or funnel out.

So this skimmer is best left pulling under 16 Schf IMO.

Luke, actually a couple of years ago we got into the 18s - 22s with the stock NW. Then with the Gutter Guard we got into the 30s then came the finer mesh...

[BreadmanMike]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12413934#post12413934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JCTewks
I really hope that the necks ID is not 2 7/8"...that's only slightly larger than the 110 you upgraded from.

I'm with luke...i'd like to see some air/watt #'s from this "new" octopus. I guess CV is done with the ER clone and is now cloning the Aqua-Euro which is a clone of the Tunze...oh well, King Solomon said it best 3000yrs ago..."there is nothing new under the sun" :lol:

The Octo extreme TS line came out last year and was a Tunze clone. This isn't something new to CV.

Aren't all skimmers clones of one another? ;)

[hahnmeister]

Those look like Aqua Euro Classics to me.

[luke33]

Pretty sure they are, like the AE with an octo pump. I hope the necks are as wide as there predecessor and not the size of the classic's. Makes since as there both made at the same place.

[GUILLO1]

whats the update on the new octo nw-200?

[GUILLO1]

I went ahead and ordered one of this new funnel neck Octo 200. For the price of $199 I can't go wrong. Do you have any updates Sammy?

[luke33]

Where is it 200bux at?

[GUILLO1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12436336#post12436336 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luke33
Where is it 200bux at? you have a pm Luke

[GUILLO1]

I got my skimmer yesterday. I got the new funnel neck one with the new plumbing. Here are some pictures so you can see the funnel design. I'm not to thrilled about it, just hopes it works out ok.
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0902.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0903.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0904.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0905.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0906.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0909.jpg

[luke33]

Well, one thing i'll say is the venturi looks much much nicer. Not to sure about the neck though. And is it just a uniseal you slide the pump output into?

Looks easy to clean : )

[GUILLO1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12493851#post12493851 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luke33
Well, one thing i'll say is the venturi looks much much nicer. Not to sure about the neck though. And is it just a uniseal you slide the pump output into?

Looks easy to clean : ) yea Luke the pump just slides in. I'm with you about not being crazy about the neck. We'll see how it works out for me.

[luke33]

Whats the diameter of the neck?

[luke33]

If it does the 660lph air like advertised, thats pretty good in my book for 220bux. You can meshmod it and pry pick up another 100lph, pry add a venturi mod and get the 800-900lph. If you want. Or you could slap on another uniseal and recirc it : )

[carlso63]

[QUOTE]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12493804#post12493804 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GUILLO1
[B]I got my skimmer yesterday. I got the new funnel neck one with the new plumbing. Here are some pictures so you can see the funnel design. I'm not to thrilled about it, just hopes it works out ok.
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0902.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0903.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0904.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0905.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii178/6uillo1/IMG_0906.jpg

Luke:

To me, it still looks like the whole "funnel" part is the major constraint to the performance on this skimmer... But, looking at how the skimmer body / neck is put together - it seems to me that you could put that "funnel" on a drill press with a hole saw bit and bore it out to maybe 4 - 4.5" diameter, do the same to the opening in the bottom of the collection collection cup, find yourself a replacement 4 - 4.5" diameter clear acrylic section to replace the stock "neck" that sits in between them... and - viola!

You'd have a truly 'high capacity' skimmer!

What do you think?

[luke33]

My thoughts exactly man.......besides the pump : )

[sammy33]

Mine is starting to break in and produce some almost decent skimmate. Here is about 6 days worth:
http://samsreef.com/images/zoom/KFMRWM/skim-5-08-08.jpg

I think the area below the collection cup over the funnel neck is acting like some sort of self leveling area for the skimmer? This water level rises and falls it seems. The water also starts out tinted like a real wet skim and then after several days clears up. You can see in the pic that the water on the funnel neck is mostly clear. Hmm?

Gotta say, on this funnel neck thingamajig...I like it so far. :thumbsup:

[GUILLO1]

this skimmer takes for ever to break in, I've had it running for over 4 days and nada. It's still fizzling and hopefully it will kick in soon.

[luke33]

Guillo, could you measure the neck diameter?

[turbonut]

looks identical to an aqua euro hopefully the pumps are better then what aqua euro came with

[GUILLO1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12413237#post12413237 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sammy33
The neck opening is about 2 7/8" with the tube on the collection cup at about 3 1/2".

This are the measurements Luke. The black funnel insert is the smaller one.

[luke33]

Ah, thanks. Man thats small, it really is a clone of the AE skimmers. I think they just took the bodies of the AE 250's and plumbed them different. I like the fact they changed the pump's but to me they have progressively gotten worst. With the original octo's being the best.Why not just have the original bodies with the new plumbing, would have been a win win situation. Price should have stayed the same and performance would have doubled. These guys will still work just fine, but they could have been designed much much nicer.

[sdhinds81]

Considering buying one how much room is needed to remove the cup? Do you think it would work on a 75 gallon?

[carlso63]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12526961#post12526961 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luke33
Ah, thanks. Man thats small, it really is a clone of the AE skimmers. I think they just took the bodies of the AE 250's and plumbed them different. I like the fact they changed the pump's but to me they have progressively gotten worst. With the original octo's being the best.Why not just have the original bodies with the new plumbing, would have been a win win situation. Price should have stayed the same and performance would have doubled. These guys will still work just fine, but they could have been designed much much nicer.


Maybe our friends at Octopus took notice of slowing sales of their pricier models due to increased demand for their "budget" NW200 model and decided a performance "downgrade" (disguised as a new design) was needed to put some space - performance wise - between the models..?

[reefermike1]

wow, glad i read this thread before buying the new nw200... why would u want skimmate under the cup that u cant remove?? seems like octopuss ruined a good thing with this new design

[luke33]

I just wonder if they had excess AE bodies and figued this would be a great way to get rid of them as a remarketing campaign.

[jade2122]

i have had my nw200 for a few weeks now, it pulls great and haven't done the meshmod yet, but can't wait to see what it will do with that. it does take this skimmer awhile to break in but once it does you are good to go. i dare anyone to find another skimmer that can pull out a ton of nasty dark skimmate for $200. a very good skimmer, we shouldn't judge so much, just enjoy the fact that there actually is a good budget skimmer available.

[JRaquatics]

I just have to throw my 2cents in. The AquaEuro skimmer body was one of my favorites. It had an anti overflow feature, smooth transition neck and taking the cup off for cleaning and such couldn't be easier. The only downside to the AE was the rusty king pumps and that the cone didn't remove for cleaning. But the thing skimmed very well.

Now I can see the octo version of the skimmer to work better. The cone seems to be a little restricting but should still perform under those air pull #s.

carlso63 I wouldn't mod the cone like you described. This will redirect the skimate flow to the overflow chamber.

[GUILLO1]

I got "mesh mod" happy and did my funnel octo 200. JR the funnel does come out for cleaning. I really don't see what the advantage of the black funnel piece.

[JRaquatics]

The funnel piece did not come out of the aqua Euros skimmers. That is one improvement they made with the Octo version. The black funnel piece is the transition to the neck and part of the design of the anti overflow. Here is a link if you want to read how the skimmer is designed to work.
http:///www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C=US&user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxober007

[luke33]

JR, i understand what your saying and i'd agree with the above that its going to be hard to find a 200 dollar skimmer that performs better than this guy out of the box, but you can mod the old octo to perform better than this one imo as its a better design and has a larger reaction chamber. I don't like how the funnel neck comes out so easily. If your water level was high it seems the funnel neck could move. Why wouldn't they have just updated the pump and plumbing on the old model? Makes more sense to me.

[Aimforever]

Any updates on this skimmer? Is this a viable option for a heavily stocked 120?

Trying to decide on a skimmer for my new system is making me go CRAZY!

I was hoping to get an MSX 200 or the new octo extremes (which of course are out of stock everywhere until late july), but my tank is here now and I have to move 14 hours away in 3 weeks and want to get the new tank up and running at my new apartment so the transition is easier. Talk about crappy timing.

[wattsupdoc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12538170#post12538170 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GUILLO1
I got "mesh mod" happy and did my funnel octo 200. JR the funnel does come out for cleaning. I really don't see what the advantage of the black funnel piece.

So did you just mesh mod the pump? Or did you do any other mods? Do you see any results?

I've got one of these coming tomorow, I have a BIG OLE GOB of enkamat pf4:D no Dwyers, or ki,lowatt, but do have a good ole Fluke TRMS multimeter, I can rig up something so I can clamp on my amprobe and figure the watts. I dont wanna do the mods on it if it's going to be to no avail. I'll probably just drop it in, break it in and see what the load on the pump is. Then check it again after break in. Then do the mesh.

I'm just wondering if you've been able to tell any differene with just the mesh?

[wattsupdoc]

I just got mine in the sump about an hour ago. I had to cut away some of the eurobracing for it to fit. Anyways. It's set and starting to make a little skimmate. I did notice that the connection betweent the cone and the neck initially allows micro bubbles into that area. However, after it stabalizes the bubbles no longer enter this section. It appears as though this acts as kind of a ballast. Keeping it tuned in. All in all I'm pleased. It seems to be performing very well, the entire top half is milked out.

Again, does the mesh mod alone make a noticable difference?:D

[Aimforever]

Someone who has had thing this running for awhile speak up!! How is it performing?

[mattT5]

I have the 150 i did the mesh mod with 3 layers and it worked well. It seems as if it is pulling too much air for the neck to handel the bubbles in the neck were quite large. I removed a layer of mesh last night ill let you know in a week how it worked out. Regardless i dont think for the price you can find a skimmer that preforms this well out of the box.
Matt

[luke33]

If it seems like its pulling to much air you can always cut down the standpipe a bit.

[mattT5]

thats what im going to do if the 2 layers dont work well.

[LexSkizzle]

Any updates on this ^ ? Im really curious as to if this NEW Octopus design will infact handle the mesh mod or any other mod for that matter well?

[wattsupdoc]

I have been running my NEW NW 200 for a little while now, maybe a week, with 3 pieces of enkamat PF4. It did slightly increase the air. I haven't done anything else to this. Running it with the stock ventury. I have ran it with the water level at the base of the funnel. There was never any skimmate collected in the funnel compartment. Once it fills with water the water stays there, forms a "seal" so to speak and prevents bubbles from entering. They want to go up through the neck, not back down, under the lip, then back up, makes sense doesn't it? From what I have seen, regardless of water level in the reaction chamber. As there has been talk of the funnel design not being well adapted to the mods, I personally believe it is fully adaptable. I'll be doing the other mods to mine probably after July. Going to be a busy month.

Ive not had the old octopus style skimmer before. But have done some DIY skimmers and modded several. I believe this design to actually be an upgrade though. The cup is extremely simple to remove. Also complete breakdown for cleaning should be a breeze. It is sleek looking and I personally like the look better. It does definitely need the gate valve mod. If the functions of the Tunze skimmer actually do what they say, then with some holes placed in the funnel compartment and a redirected air inlet, this will be able to take advantage of those features also. I'm not real clear on how those features actually work, but have briefly read Tunze's description of them. Anybody got any input on those features?

[LexSkizzle]

Great, definitely keep us updated. I ordered the new NW-150 yesterday and plan on moding the impeller as well as the gate valve mod. Thanks for insight!

[wattsupdoc]

I was just tinkering around earlier and tugged on the air line. The nipple that sticks out of the ventury to connect the airline to just pulled right out. After looking at it I noticed that it is tapered down to allow easy connection of the line. I took a little 3/8 in tubing I had laying around and slid it into the opening. Immediately hearing the unmistakable sound of air being devoured. I took some superglue gel and glue it into the hole. Just barely stuck it in , the sound is not so loud for some reason, but definitely getting more air. The riser pipe is now down quite a ways, water level is at the bottom of the funnel. No skimmate is collecting yet in the funnel compartment. It is making foam nicely.

[JCTewks]

got any pics of the skimmer with the low water line?

[wattsupdoc]

Heres a few pics of it the way it's running right now. This is with 3 layers of enkamat and the airline connector pulled out with 3/8 in polytube glued in. Watyer level is currently above the bottom of the funnel, but below the top of the funnel. I believe it is just slightly above the bottom of it but who knows for sure where exactly. The skimmate is less than 24 hours. I dumped the cup last night about 6 or 7. The build up on the funnel has been accumulating since day one, I havent cleaned it yet. I have tinkered with it quite a bit so I believe it's messier than it would be in the same amount of time if left alone. The water though in the funnel compartment is clear. There are no bubbles that enter this compartment once it is full of water.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octonw200-1.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octonw200-2.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octonw200-3.jpg
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octonw200-4.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octonw200-5.jpg

[JCTewks]

Is the build up on the top side of the funnel from a single incedent where you inadvertantly got skimate in there, or is it a continual build up thing.....It looks like that top side is gathering detritus!!

[wattsupdoc]

It's not something that will occur if you don't tinker with it 50x a day. LOL It doesn't just build up from running it below the funnel, at least I don't believe so anyways. I keep removing the cup to dump/clean it. Whenever you pull the cup and it continues to run, the skimmer of course still makes foam. When you return the cup, then the foam is left in the compartment. It's not much really for a single dumping, and shutting it of would eliminate this issue. Except then the compartment will need to fill again. I did remove the funnel earlier today and gave it a wipe down. The skum on the top of the funnel stayed in place and didn't go back into the tank water. It wiped right off and is IMO, no different than having scum in the neck of the skimmer. There is no real mixing of the water in the compartment. Once it's filled and is stabalize then that's the water that is in it. Now if the water level fluctuates then the compartment will fluctuate somewhat. This would allow skimmate into the compartment. But only enough to raise the level whatever it raises. Then if the level drops, so does the compartment. Which then is getting processed. The compartment also doesn't seem to fluctuate nearly as fast as the skimmer fluctuates, when it does.

[moondoggy4]

What is the difference bet the Oct Pro 250 and the Oct Extreme 200 Thanks in advance

[LexSkizzle]

Wattsupdoc, can you post a pic of the 3/8 tubing that you glued into the airline connector? Thanks!

[wattsupdoc]

The best pic I can get of it is in the last picture I posted. Actually, I'm not sure of it's diameter as it was a piece I had laying around that just happened to fit perfectly. I'll grab my tape later and see if I can get some measurements of it.

It seems as though there might be some build up that occurs on the top of the funnel, not a whole lot, but some. I haven't dumped the cup since just after I took those last pics. I don't remember how long exactly that's been. I have about 1/2 of some rather dark skimmate collected in the cup. I'm not dumping it for at least another day. I cleaned the funnel when I dumped last. has a light dusting on it. Really I think most of this occurred after replacing the funnel, when the compartment was filling. I am currently running it well below the BOTTOM of the funnel right now.

[FastFish720]

Does anyone have a recommendation for an air flow meter?

I run the new 150 with bubble plate on a 30 gallon prop system and it does wonders for the tank. I also own a 250PRO, DNW250RC, NW200, NW200RC and NW110.

The only annoying thing about the new 150 is that the detritus and DO collect and there is no way to remove them without taking out the whoile skimmer.

[JRaquatics]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12865125#post12865125 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FastFish720
Does anyone have a recommendation for an air flow meter?

I run the new 150 with bubble plate on a 30 gallon prop system and it does wonders for the tank. I also own a 250PRO, DNW250RC, NW200, NW200RC and NW110.

The only annoying thing about the new 150 is that the detritus and DO collect and there is no way to remove them without taking out the whoile skimmer.

RMB-53D-SSV Flowmeter is a good one for all those skimmers. I used to use airline hose to syphon out the detritus that would settle on top of the cone.

[FastFish720]

If it's not too much trouble, could you PM me a link for it. I ran a search on google and came up with nothing.

Thanks

[JRaquatics]

http://www.dwyer-inst.com/htdocs/flow/SeriesRMPrice.cfm#CRA

[FastFish720]

Thank you very much.

[BlueCorn]

...

[wattsupdoc]

I have tried posting this several times. It's seems RC is buggy.....
Anyways, I guess I'm going to be eating some words. It appears as though the skimmate in the compartment does accumulate. I snapped some pics of it skimming after 4 days and you can see the funnel is coated.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/funnelskum.jpg

So I attempted making a seal out of a couple rubber bands.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octoband.jpg

It didn't work as I expected it wouldn't. I realized though that the soft supple airline hose that came with the skimmer might be just a perfect seal. I slit it down the middle, slipped it over the end of the riser, then "tacked" it down with some superglue gel in 6-8 spots along it.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octoseal.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octonw200-1.jpg

It doesn't appear to be leaking any. The water that it in the compartment is there because I was running it when I put the funnel back in. The skum you see is on the skimmer walls, from pulling the funnel to clean it. If the seal only cuts down on the skimmate (significantly) in the compartment and doesn't necessarily stop it all, I'll consider it a success.

[wattsupdoc]

Dagnabit!Why cant I edit my post? How do you do that here?

That last post is the wrong pic. It is a pic taken a while back....Ignore it.



Here is the correct pic I meant to post.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octoseal2.jpg

[wattsupdoc]

It's been a couple hours now and the water level has not changed a bit in the funnel compartment. It is running below the funnel and making foam in the neck, but not making it into the funnel compartment. Lets see what it looks like tomorow.

[sammy33]

The sponge donuts that come with the Octopus skimmers - are you using them? :confused:

I just noticed that my micro-bubbles have increased in my display. I have not been using these filters on the output pipe so I decided to throw a couple on the skimmer today to see if I can reduce the micro-bubbles. What are your thoughts on these?

[wattsupdoc]

I use them, and dont have any issues with micro bubbles. Put them over the riser pipe so that as the water falls out of the tube it has to flow through them aqll. I just keep them right up against each other. Not sure why they are in slices like that?

The seal is effective. :)The level has not changed a bit in the chamber. I will be doing the venury mod this weekend some time as well as adding more enkamat .

[wattsupdoc]

24 hrs. of skimmate in the cup....no additional water in the funnel compartment. I've got a dwyers coming. I MIGHT do the ventury mod tonight.But it's skimming soooo good now I dont really wanna mess with it and have to dial it all back in. Decisions decisions........

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octoskim1day.jpg:D

[wattsupdoc]

Houston we have ignition!:D Pics were taken immediately after firing it up. You can see there's a dramatic difference. I cant wait to get my dwyers. I'll be picking up a killowatt in the next couple days.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octomod1.jpg

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octomod2.jpg

[wattsupdoc]

Now we're talkin'! about 36 hours in the cup. It is darker than it appears in the pic, that is a reflection frm my fuge. It is a very dark skimmate. The water has not further accumulated in the funnel compartment. Still just a tiny bit if water there.

Am I the only one interested in this still?


http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octoskim2days.jpg

[LexSkizzle]

Wattsupdoc,(LOL..your screen name is genius! LOL) what did you do differently this time? Was it just after making the seal with the extra tubing you had laying around that made the difference? And no, your not the only one iterested in this. I've been following this thread ever since it went up. Great job btw!

[wattsupdoc]

TY..I'm an electrician.....

I did the seal and then when I saw it was effective, I did the other octo mods, the venturi and added another layer of enkamat pf4. Pulling the stock venturi increased the flow, then placing the tubing near the impeller increases air flow. This is the mod that makes it bark. Then I needed to lower the output pipe. I just cut about 3 inches off both sections. Then pulled the stock O ring that connects then so you can adjust it, and dremmeled a little slot out to place the O ring back in. This allows me to adjust the water level. If you don't shorten it, you'll OF the cup.

One note on the seal. The stock hose works great, but so would some rubber tubing of the same, maybe even smaller diameter. At some point I plan to tack up the seal inside of the neck. Right now it's only tacked on the outside and where it seamed at.

So was it the OP that asked if the new octo can take all the mods???? Mine certainly appears to have.

[LexSkizzle]

So your now running a total of four layers of enkamat pf4? Do you have a pic of the venturi mod that you did? What exactly do you mean by pulling the stock venturi and placing the tubing near the the impeller to increase air flow? Do you have any pics of these things? Sorry for all the questions, but Im still trying to figure out my new funnel neck NW150 so beleive me, this thread is helping me out a lot! Thanks!

[wattsupdoc]

I dont have a pic of the way I did my venturi mod. However, it is the same basic concept as the previous posted venturi mod that Luke33 did.... The idea is that by placing the open end of tubing near the impellar the vacuum formed in that area will suck air in as well as water. It is the same concept as the stock venturi utilizes. However doing a mod while eliminating the restriction the stock venturi creates inreases water flow as well as air flow.

Here is the link for the step by step thread Luke posted. The NW 150 would be a little different. Maybe only 3 layers ???

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1284642

[LexSkizzle]

Gotcha! Yeah, my smaller pump may not perform as well with 4 layers as the larger more powerful pump used on the 200. Makes sense to me! I'll see how much experimenting I can get done this weekend. Thanks again! Also, are you planning on doing the gatevalve mod?

[wattsupdoc]

I'll do the GV mod if I need to. But it's skimming so well like it is, I cant see doing it. Especially with the cramped space it's in already. Cutting the pipe and redoing the o ring seat seems to be just fine for me so far.

[wattsupdoc]

Pulling over 40!
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octo42scfh.jpg

[LexSkizzle]

DDDDDDAMN! Awesome!
Question, How many rows of needles did you impellar have? Mine is white and has two rows, but I want to make sure I don't fudge anything up before I remove this top row of needels to attach teh pf4 enkamat.
Also, for the venturi mod, which one did you actually do? It looks like theirs several similar, but different vernturi designs on Lukes thread. Did you just drill a small hole close to the impellar and slid a hose adapter through, made a slit on that adaptor which faced the impellar then attached your line on that?
Did you attach anything else to the pump for example a couple of pieces of pvc?

[wattsupdoc]

I drilled a hole in the intake casing, inserted a barb fitting and put it back together. The output of the skimmer, I cut it down. After running for a week or so it flooded the skimmer. I ended up with a refugium full of foam. I mean FULL OF FOAM and it was growing. Incredible, but not good. I put the stock venturi back on just as a restrictor and now my flow is greatly reduced, so the pipe is to short now......Murphy's law is like a plague for me.....

[LexSkizzle]

If you had the GV mod, do you think this overflowing would preventable?

[wattsupdoc]

I dunno? I dotn understand why it overflowed anyway...It skimmed perfectly for like ever, then one day it just started OF for no apparent reason. It might have had something to do with feeding, however, I dont think I had fed prior to it flooding. I do know that I had checked it, then a couple hours later it was flooding the sump......Crazy.......Sump has a very stable water level...It's only happened once, Im running again without the stock volute.

[LexSkizzle]

That's sucks to hear! How much is it pulling with the stock volute back on? Im sure you'll figure something out!

[wattsupdoc]

The stock volute is off again right now. It pulls the same regardless of if it's off or on. Just the flow of water is increased. I fashioned a riser out of 2in pvc to fit over the stock pipe in place of the stock riser.Used a rubber band as a means to maintain adjustment of it and it's running very well right now. I do have a definite start up issue without the ventury installed. It wont start back up, just clattering. I need to work that out. I'll try removing the extra layer of mesh and see what that does. I'll be gone all next week and wont leave it running while I'm gone.

[LexSkizzle]

I finally got my new sump so I was able to install my new NW150. Been runing since Saturday, but nothing in the collection cup yet as its still breaking in. I placed a clear rubber washer around the the neck area of the first compartment to avoid any water/skimmet to accumulate in there. I also have some enkamate PF4 but I want to feel out the skimmer b4 I add the mesh to it. So far, it looks like a foam head is starting to form but has yet to come up all the way to reach the collection cup. Good luck wattsupdoc!

[LexSkizzle]

How long does it take for these skimmers to break-in and really start collecting a good amount of skimmate?

[NealNano]

I just got the new NW110. Was expecting the old modle so this caught ne off guard a little. Has anyone else done the funnel mod? This seems like an area that needs improvment, but this is their new modle. You would think they did their R and D on this. What mods should I do to this bad boy?

[JCTewks]

R&D???? :lol::lol:

HECK NO, the design is just stolen from AquaEuro, who stole it from Tunze!

Why would they R&D when they can half a$$ knock off someone elses knock off....that's just CV's way!!! :D

[NealNano]

Ok well the point is this must be a design than works better than the original.

[LexSkizzle]

I agree! ^^

[NealNano]

Should I do the mesh mod and ventury mod to my NW110?????

[JCTewks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13066205#post13066205 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NealNano
Ok well the point is this must be a design than works better than the original.

Not necessarily...sometimes companies just jump on new fads or hype and take products that are "less productive" than their predecessors just to give the public what they think they want!

Now, I have no experience with this new model of octo skimmers, so I can't comment directly....but, the necks are STILL too small on these, and the OTP pumps are inefficient at bubble production for the watts they use. The redesign of the plumbing between the pumps output and skimmer body have helped performance A LOT, but they are still not producing what other pumps can do for less wattage....and, did I mention THE NECKS ARE TOO SMALL :lol:

[RondaGP]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12527436#post12527436 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sdhinds81
Considering buying one how much room is needed to remove the cup? Do you think it would work on a 75 gallon? I don't think this was ever answered and I'm also curious if it will fit in the stand that came with my 75g.

[NealNano]

Anyone is the mesh mod and ventury mod worth doing to the NW110?? Yeah I dont feel that the Octo pumps are that great. The Rio on my Super Skimmer seem more heay duty, the needle wheel was alot bigger.

[NealNano]

Wattsupdoc do you have a picture of your current venturi mod?
I removed the venturi fitting from my octo 1000 and put the airline in the pump inlet. It really pulls some air now. STILL waiting for it to break in! This threads is awesome, keep it going.

[LexSkizzle]

I haven't done any mods on mine yet as Im still waiting for it to really break in. Does anyone know how long it usually takes for a skimmer to break in where it's pulling a decent about of skimmate daily?

[NealNano]

Mine is on day 4 and still making lots of bubbles and no foam. There is a little wet very light skim in the cup now.

[sammy33]

NealNano - Mine did not start skimming until I got the water level up. The section with the funnel neck needs to partially fill with water to cover just above the bottom of the riser tube on the collection cup. This water level seems to work well for me.

I really started seeing foam building within 24 hrs after I set the level like this. :)

[NealNano]

Yeah thats where my water level is. I read this thread through, hoping to hear more about the mods on this skimmer. I know the venturi mod is well worth it. I have my airline stuck in the end of the pump. Pulls in alot more air. It looks like the foam is going to be cresting the cup soon. This thing is going to skim like crazy, very good skimmer.

[NealNano]

We have skim! My skimmer finnally broke in after 4 days. This thing make a huge head of dark foam. Now to start modding.

[toobrie]

Has anybody added a drain line to this skimmer? I have to empty the cup out every day and would rather have a jug the skimmate could drain into.

[HaroldT]

This skimmer looks identical to my Aqua Euro skimmer.

[LexSkizzle]

My skimmer is skimming, but not anywhere near what I want it to be. Im doing the meshmod on Saturday; hopefully I will see some improvement.
NealNano-What exactly did you do with the airline hose to put it closer to the pump? Did you drill anything?

[NealNano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13094319#post13094319 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LexSkizzle
My skimmer is skimming, but not anywhere near what I want it to be. Im doing the meshmod on Saturday; hopefully I will see some improvement.
NealNano-What exactly did you do with the airline hose to put it closer to the pump? Did you drill anything?
Right now I just have the ventrui piece( the part that screws onto the pump ) removed and the air line is just stuck into the end of the pump. This let in more water and way more air. The stock venturi is crappy. I will be doing the 1/4" barbed mod soon though. Here is the link for that mod http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1284642

[wattsupdoc]

Sorry, been on vacation for a while now.....

I don't have any pics of my ventury mod. It is now the mod as has been done time and time again with the 1/4" barb. Mine pulls around 40ish well. The neck has no problem handling that much air.It is a little jumpy and I've had a touch of inconsistency. But I think that's caused by another matter. I am currently just running my drain with the inner pipe cut down and the outer"slip" pipe is a piece of 1 .5 in pvc I cut down. Using a rubber band as a set for the adjusting pipe. This works really well as minor tweaks in the riser are made much easier than the stock version. It isn't a gate valve mind you but it is better.

[NealNano]

Ok so I did the 1/4 barb ventrui mod and WOOOW. I highly recomend this mod. I dont have an air flow meter but I must be pulling 20ish on my NW110 now. I have yet to do the mesh mod, should I since it is working so great now. And by the way I LOVE THIS NEW OCTO SKIMMER. Wattsupdoc, do you still have the airline sealing the funnel from the cup?? I dont and it works really well to self level the water line.

[LexSkizzle]

NealNano-Did you cut down the pipe at all? Did you have to lower it all the way down atleast?
BTW, I had originally sealed the funnel neck area aswell, but took it off and it works fine for me.

[kaskiles]

Hi,

I have just setup the NW-110, and it has this self leveling funnel built into it. I read through this post and found the link to Tunze that was supposed to explain how the funnel worked, but I couldn't find the text.

Anyway, does this self leveling funnel allow me to raise my outlet (sliding) riser tube higher than normal, because smaller amounts of extra water will flow out into the funnel area?

Should I raise my sliding tube up high enough so there is always at least a trickle of water coming out the small hole in the acrylic cylinder at the top of the funnel chamber? I was thinking if it always trickled out there, the water in that area wouldn't go stagnant. But I was afraid I'd be skimming too wet with the riser tube slide up this high...

Thanks!

[wattsupdoc]

I do still have the airline gasket. I like it that way for now. However I might remove it sometime. I don't believe the water can go stagnant in it. However , I might be wrong. My thought here is..

It is in contact with water from the skimmer reaction chamber with the water line above the top of the funnel. As well as when it is below it, it cannot rise above more than the top of the funnel. Some is being replaced continuously as the foam rises. With old water re-entering the chamber and then should be quickly skimmed out. Naturally things want to balance out. Take a cup of SW and put it next to a cup of FW, connect the 2 together with a primed U tube or other similar connection. With no flow between the 2, eventually they will become equal.

I think this skimmer is getting a bad rap by some, they claim the neck is too small. Maybe it could be bigger, and thus better. But it's the same size as the old version if I'm not mistaken, and that version was all the rave......It is very easy to clean. Yes, the pump could be more energy efficient, but it's the same pump as used previously.

I like mine just fine, it skimms the crap outta my 135 LOL..

[wattsupdoc]

I just dumped and cleaned the collection cup and funnel. It occurred to me that while the skimmer was running without the funnel, the foam seemed to form much better. Since I still have the seal I decided to raise the funnel about 2 in from the spot it is made to set at. This greatly increases the reaction chamber size and increases contact time, thereby increasing productivity. It operates completely fine like this and I could even raise it higher if I wanted. Up to the bottom of the notch in fact. I'll leave it running like this for a few days and if I see it's working out I'll cut 4 to 6 acrylic strips and glue them in so as to create a permanent position for the funnel to set. For reliability and ease of reinstalling the funnel to the correct level. I've got a feeling its gonna rip some debritous.....LOL

PIC
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octoraised.jpg

[wattsupdoc]

Alright, I couldn't resist. The funnel is raised fully. This increases the reaction chamber height by at least 3 in. If not 3.5in. I think the ring where the funnel set would be a good location for a diffuser. IMO this will make a big difference in this skimmers performance.

[NealNano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13102141#post13102141 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LexSkizzle
NealNano-Did you cut down the pipe at all? Did you have to lower it all the way down atleast?
BTW, I had originally sealed the funnel neck area aswell, but took it off and it works fine for me.
No I did not needto cut the pipe. I have it level with the top of the funnel so not all the way down. There is alot more water coming out now though. And bubbles from top to bottom milked out.

[kaskiles]

WattsUpDoc,

By full raising the funnel, you've increased the space/volume in the reaction chamber by increasing the overall height.

Is this change beneficial because of your previous pump modifications that resulted in increased air intake?

In general, as the ratio of air flow to water flow increases, does the required skimmer bubbling reaction chamber volume also need to increase?

Thanks.

[wattsupdoc]

Raising the funnel increases contact time in the chamber as well as lessens the turbulence at the funnel. Contact time is important as some DOCS require more time to bond with a bubble. Turbulence at the top causes premature bubble merging as well as instability in the neck.

A diffuser would do this skimmer well. I do wish they had included one. Possibly that will be this weekends chore. I should be able to make one that will set on the funnels old spot nicely.

It is skimming very well right now. About .75in in the cup and all full of foam. It is a beast with the funnel fully raised.:)

[kaskiles]

When you mention the 'diffuser', is that the same as the black acrylic plate with the large holes in it that the MSX 160 has in the bottom of it?

If so, should it really be way up by the funnel or about halfway through the height of the skimmer chamber?

Thanks.

[wattsupdoc]

I'm not sure that it matters. Probably lower would be better, but it would be easy to put one right there.

[NealNano]

I just want to say thank you to everyone that has added to this thread. It has helped me a ton in the modding of my NW110. The 1/4 inch venturi mod and the mesh mod really bring these new skimmers to the next level. Oh and to anyone looking to do the mesh mod, you can pop the top set of needle wheels off. No need to cut the off, I used my pocket knife to pry them apart. This way the mod is reversable.
LexSkizzle I had to lower the riser tube all the way down after the mesh mod otherwise it skimmed way too wet. This thing is really pulling in some major air and out some nasty skim.
Thanks again EVERYONE!!

[NealNano]

bump

[NealNano]

Here are some pics of my NW110.
<a href="http://s473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/?action=view&current=octonw110.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/octonw110.jpg" border="0" alt="Octopus NW110"></a>
The funnel neck
<a href="http://s473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/?action=view&current=funnelkneck-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/funnelkneck-1.jpg" border="0" alt="funnel neck"></a>
The venturi mod. Sorry no pics of the mesh mod, nothing special to show on that.
<a href="http://s473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/?action=view&current=venturi.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/venturi.jpg" border="0" alt="venturi mod"></a>
And 12 hours of skim after mods
<a href="http://s473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/?action=view&current=12hoursofskim.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/12hoursofskim.jpg" border="0" alt="12 hours of skim"></a>

[kaskiles]

Hi Neal,

Where did you have the top of the riser tube before the mesh and venturi mods? Then where did you have to place it after?

Did you run the skimmer with only the mesh mod? Did it make the bubbles smaller diameter, but not add much air volume (necessitate the need to lower the riser tube)?

My NW110 is not mod'd yet, and the top of my riser tube is about even with the top of the black funnel.

Do you think the performance of this skimmer is affected much by the water level in the sump that the skimmer is sitting in? Or do you think the water level within the skimmer controls the majority of the performance.

Finally, I've been running mine without the silencer on the air line. Did you use that for noise, or to reduce the amount of air coming into the skimmer/pump/venturi?

Thanks!

[LexSkizzle]

NealNano-
Did you cut a slit in the 1/4 barb facing the impellar or did you just drill a whole and stuck that bad boy in there?

[wattsupdoc]

I picked up a watt meter from lowe's last week. Put it on the octo 3000. According to it I was pulling 197 watts!!!EEEEEK> I started tinkering with the impeller and broke the remaining needles off. I have been running my skimmer pump for the last few days using a mag 7 impeller that I had laying around. It still skims but only about 1.2 the volume. I have a sicce 2500 and gate valve that will be here today. We'll see how well it handles the new pump.

[LexSkizzle]

197 WATTS! Is that even possible? Wow!

[wattsupdoc]

Well, there may be an issue with the lowes wattmeter. But that what the thing said. Any ways, the sicce is here and connected. With a GV mod also. Let me say, if this thing is going to perform like this, it's a piece of crap. I'm only opulling 22 scfh of air. The octo pump WAY!!!!!outperformed this thing. I ordered this pump from marinesolutions.com, so I know it's supposed to be the correct pump. I am not happy at all. Also, it's pulling around 50watts.....I did notice the impellaer is modded with the flatback enkamat. And only 3 layers. As well it's cut right along the disk. I think it should have 1 more layer and extend beyond the disk. Can I get some confirmation on this?

[GSMguy]

50w sounds high too

did you try more than one of your home plugs? try testing it on another circuit in the house.

[wattsupdoc]

It's actually pulling 58 watts and 28 scfh. I'll rig a a means and use my trms DMM later. It definitely seems to me it needs more mesh than what it has. Any body wanna confirm that? I cant try another outlet. Theres not anything running on this circuit but my tank. Theres very little if any voltage drop present on it. Anyways, that wouldn't cause the wattage to increase. I've got a huge gob of enkamat here, but it's not the flatback type. I'll try it later also.

[NealNano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13197325#post13197325 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kaskiles
Hi Neal,

Where did you have the top of the riser tube before the mesh and venturi mods? Then where did you have to place it after?

Did you run the skimmer with only the mesh mod? Did it make the bubbles smaller diameter, but not add much air volume (necessitate the need to lower the riser tube)?

My NW110 is not mod'd yet, and the top of my riser tube is about even with the top of the black funnel.

Do you think the performance of this skimmer is affected much by the water level in the sump that the skimmer is sitting in? Or do you think the water level within the skimmer controls the majority of the performance.

Finally, I've been running mine without the silencer on the air line. Did you use that for noise, or to reduce the amount of air coming into the skimmer/pump/venturi?

Ok big list of question here. Before the mods I had the riser tube level with the top of the funnel. Now I have it all the way down and it still skims wet. The water line is about an 8th inch below the bottom of the funnel. I did the venturi mod before the mesh mod so i didnt run it with just the mesh mod. The mesh did make the skimmer pull in lots mor air and water. I origanally had my skimmer in 9 inches of water and it had a hard time pulling in air. It is now in 5 inches of water and that seems to work well. Without the mods I had the silencer removed and it helped to pull in more air. Now that it is moded I put the silencer back on, it is way to loud now. It doesnt seem to affect the amount of air the skimmer can pull in now though. Hoped that anwsered every thing.

Thanks!

[NealNano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13197481#post13197481 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LexSkizzle
NealNano-
Did you cut a slit in the 1/4 barb facing the impellar or did you just drill a whole and stuck that bad boy in there?
Yeah I cut the end of the 1/4 inch barb before I put in in the hole I drilled. I also have to shorten it down a bit it was to long.

[JCTewks]

Your meter that you got at Lowe's is not a PF corrected meter, it's only showing VA. the Sicce WILL be pulling 50+ VA watts (voltage x amps= ACTUAL watts). the PF on the Sicce is usually between .4 and .5, so the RMS watts (volts x amps x PF = RMS watts) will be around 20-25 watts...what most people are getting on theor Sicce's.

[wattsupdoc]

OK, I understand. Thanks. I know have it pulling 45 scfh, consistently. Not sure what exactly did it actually, but it's been pulling that all night. I have not rigged up a means to test with my ammeter yet, so it'll have to wait. It is currently reading 67 watts.

[JCTewks]

I would guess that at that air # your PF is probably pretty low...between .30 and .40, so you are prob around the same RMS watts as others!

THe air #'s will always go up in the first few days of a new meshmod as the mesh expands and settles into place.

[tangtang clown]

Is 20scfh on an external Octo Recirc w/ OTP-3000 decent?
I have 5 layers of mesh zip tied. I took my time and did it right. I also have a 3/8" barb drilled and glued in place of the stock one.
I know this isn't the new funnel neck but I would liek to know if this pump is maxed out. JCTewks said his was pulling 40scfh. Do I need to cut of the barb on the inside of the inlet PVC. I have pics if they would help.

[wattsupdoc]

You definitely should be able to get more outta the octo 300. I was reliably pulling 42 with mine. 5 layers is quite a bit. But if it's performing consistently and starting up well......Pics would be helpful.

I am currently pulling 45 consistently with the sicce 2500. I have been tinkering around with the water level some to get it dialed in. I have about 1/2 of skimmate in the cup, this is about 40 hours of constant skimming. So far, I do not notice a difference in the overall performance. This is with the funnel in it's intended place and with the seal still on. I will let it run this way for a few days. Then raise the funnel and see if there's a difference. I do know that raising it will likely cause the air flow to decrease to around 40 as that's where it was at before I lowered it.

[tangtang clown]

I agree I thought I would get at least 30. Some of my layers were thin. It is as though I only have 4 layers. Some of the mesh is small peices. I am going to take the pump off now. I am wanting to play with the outlet plumbing to make it bigger. I dont want to drill the body. I will post pics afterwards.

[JCTewks]

20 is pretty low. Sometimes more mesh isn't always better...you can get the impeller with so much mass and drag that it is constantly lipping within the magnetic field and the RPM's are lower than they should be. Try doing 2-3 layers but cut them so large that they are ALMOST rubbing the inside of the volute. I also milled out some material on the inside of the volute on mine, and was using a different venturi. Her are some pics of the OTP that was doing over 40 (off the skimmer..35scfh attached to a NW200 in 190" of water)...

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0079.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0079.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0084.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0084.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0085.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0085.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0086.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0086.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[JCTewks]

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0097.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0097.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0099.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0099.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0095.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0095.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0105.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0105.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[JCTewks]

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0101.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0101.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=IMG_0103.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/IMG_0103.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


This is the explode of the venturi...it's similiar to the Ati, MSX and BK design...although mine is constructed differently, the principle is the same.
<a href="http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/?action=view&current=Venturi2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o186/JCTewks/Venturi2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[wattsupdoc]

The stock volute and three layers of enkamt got mine to 42scfh. 4 seemed too much and I had start up issues. But 3 trimmed right around the edge of the needles did mine a fine job. With no start up issues.

[JCTewks]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13215250#post13215250 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wattsupdoc
The stock volute and three layers of enkamt got mine to 42scfh. 4 seemed too much and I had start up issues. But 3 trimmed right around the edge of the needles did mine a fine job. With no start up issues.

Just curious, was that 42 on the skimmer or off?

[wattsupdoc]

On the skimmer.in about 8" of water. I was using the 3/8in barb cut for the ventury. I stated above the stock volute, that was not exactly correct. now that I think about it. Also, I cant say how consistent it was at 42. But it did definitely pull that. I believe though that with the funnel raised it was somewhere around 34-36 ish.

I gotta say that right now I have the funnel raised completely and with the increased water level I'm pulling 42ish with the sicce. The level is fluctuating a bit, but it seems to level out around 42. With the GV mod this is definitely a different skimmer.The neck is handling the air fine, but I don't think it could handle much more. I measured the height of the reaction chamber, with the funnel raised it's 16 1/4 in to the top of the bottom(where the funnel connects to the reaction chamber) of the funnel. With it lowered it's something like 13 1/4 ish. So it increases the reaction chamber by 3 in. I'm not sure what the original octos measured to compare them to. The part where the taper starts would be where to measure to be apples to apples. Anybody? It is overall right at about 24 inches tall.Here's some pics I took this evening.
48 hours of skimmate...the first 48 on this pump.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octosicce2.jpg
Dumped, funnel raised
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octosicce.jpg

[tangtang clown]

Are you all dealing with any recircultating skimmers>? I took my OTP 3000 apart from the body. I filled the bath tub so the pump would be submerged. I noticed with the inlet part on it would not push much water. I then noticed that when I took the inlet part with the venturi off, it would shoot water close to 3 feet in the air. Do these pump perform better when they are not recirced. Seems like I could clog the inlet part of the body and try it that way. It went from 64watts to 87watts with out changing anything. What does this mean?

[JCTewks]

the higher watts mean that it is flowing more water...most of that wattage increase will come from PF. If you get too much water flow from the pump the turbulence will increase dramatically in the skimmer body and decreasing the performance. The pumps perform the same whether recirc'ed or single pass. Can you take some pics of your skimmer to help you a little better?

[tangtang clown]

I will mess with it tonight and take some pics.

[LexSkizzle]

So I did the 1/4" venturi mod yesterday and added 2 layers of pf4 enkamat. WOW! It really does make a huge difference! The skimmer honestly started foaming up in a matter of minutes. It seems like its working on overdrive or something..lol.. These mods definitely worked for me! The only negative thing I can say about it is that this thing is LOUD as heck now!

BTW, does anyone know if theirs any drawback to using the silencer on the tube? Does it restrict any air with it on? I never use it b4, but its way too loud without it now.

[tangtang clown]

I did some tests yesterday on my OTP 3000 pump. The tests were done in a bath tub filled with fresh water. I noticed that the pump would shoot water 3 feet in to the air when I would take the venuturi piece off. (I still would have the 1/4barb venutri on the threaded piece). The piece that attaches the pump to the skimmer has a 3/8 bard on it. With the piece attached it would only shoot water about 3 inches into the air. Seems like it would skim better with this piece unattached, but this piece must be used because it is a recirc skimmer. Any ideas?

Here is a pic of the pump attached to the skimmer. The gray PVC part is what I took off. It has the venturi with the clear hose on it. The other venturi with white hose stays on at all times?

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f54/bnutz8/Picture002-1.jpg

[wattsupdoc]

So the venturi is in the union? (The grey connector) The union has a reducer in it? Then you added the barb to the volute intake? You dont have to have the restrictor necessarily if you did the barb fitting right. The barb by being inserted into the volute intake causes a vacuum to form on the line, because of negative pressure at the opening in the barb. This is created by water flowing around the barb, which creates a slight restriction. The stock venturi works similarly only the negative pressure is created by a restriction prior to the air intake. When the water flows past the restriction to a larger area negative pressure is created and air is pulled in. I might be wrong, but it looks like the barb fitting and line closest to the pump intake is a little small. Opening up the union may make a difference in the pumps performance. You might be able to knock the restrictor out, but I woulndt do anything you cant come back from.

It is fine to use the silencer. Also placing the line in a milk jug with wadded up paper towets in it and an opening large enough to allow air to enter will silence it a great deal. The new milk jugs from Sams Town work best for this IMO.

[tangtang clown]

I may try to find something at HD to make a new, larger intake. Results have been better IMO using the bigger barb. The one that is furthest away from the volute. I was just blown away by how much water shot out of this pump with out the restrictor piece on it.

[wattsupdoc]

48 hours of skimming with the funnel raised. It is pulling 42 right now after restart.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octosicce3.jpg

[LexSkizzle]

I'll give the milk jug thing a shot wattsupdoc! Give you an update on if it works out for me. Thanks again!

[wattsupdoc]

For a comparison......

2 days of skimming with the octo 3000 pulling 32 scfh..... ish.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octoskim2days.jpg

2 days of skimming with the sicce pulling 45 scfh...ish funnel down.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octosicce2.jpg

2 days of skimmate with sicce pulling 42 ish, funnel raised, todays pic.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/octosicce4.jpg


Todays skimmate was a better batch as the aroma was much more aromatic.LOL It's hard to tell, but the skimmate is much darker in todays batch.

[jallen18]

This is not an attempt to hijack, I did buy the NW-150 and had the exact same results as everyone in this thread, with the "overflow chamber" collecting pea green skimmate that can only be removed by means of siphoning all but 1/2" of it out with airline tubing, or popping the funnel out and dumping it back in your skimmer.

To me, this seemed rediculous. I ran it in vinegar water for 1 day, then let it do its best on my tank for around 9 days before sending it back and trading up for the MSX-160. I wish I still had pictures of the very light green skimmate that it pulled at the very end after being broke in.

With that said, here is the MSX-160 48 hours of skimmate, same break in used as the NW skimmer:

http://www.zoxbox.net/images/skim1.jpg

The folks at Marine Solutions were very understanding, and let me trade it up without any hassle.

[wattsupdoc]

Mine doesnt collect any skimmate on the funnel. NONE. When it did it really wasnt a big deal to remove it at all.

[NealNano]

Same here a little bit of junk ends up in that chander but what gets into the cup is way way worse. I really like this skimmer. I wiil be getting one for my 120 in the future.

[wattsupdoc]

With a proper mesh mod, that costs only 5 dollars the NW 150 would have done just about the same. For ONLY 5 dollars. You'll need to re mesh the sicce at some point anyways. As with any mesh mod. So far after running the sicce pump on the NW 200, the only difference I see is the power used. Your pic shows that the skimmate production is just about the same as mine is. You just holding it right up to the camera and at an angle, so it looks darker and thicker. Besides feeding habits have a lot to do with how much skimmate a skimmer can produce. My octo 3000 pulled pretty consistently around the 40 mark, skimmate production was similar as it is with the sicce running at about 42-44 right now. The only real difference in the MSX is the neck size, which my NW200 is handling 42-44 scfh well right now. Then the diffuser, which less than 10 in acrylic and some acrylic skills will easily take care of. IF it is even necessary. Still for less then the MSX. Why is it that MSX owners feel so threatened that they have to post in all the other threads with their results as if they have such a better skimmer? Even with the Octo Extreme, which is identical? Save the sticker anyway.
Lets not turn this into another conversation that gets locked please.

[tangtang clown]

This is very weird. I have been trying to get my Octo NW 200 REcirc to perform up to par and I have been disappointed. Two days ago I took the pump off the skimmer, which I have meshmodded, venturi modded, and grinded as much as possible. Still stuck with poor performance, so I filled the bath tub with water and plugged the pump in. It only shot water about three inches in the air. So I decided to unscrew the venturi piece that connects the skimmer the pump. When I did this, water shot 3 feet in the air. I then decided to put the skimmer in a rubber made sump and test it as a regular skimmer (not recirc). With the venturi piece off, it fogged the entire body with milky bubbles. I looked at the kilawatt and it was drawing 168watts!!!! I then put the venturi piece back on and took it out of the sump. Now it is setup like it has been the whole time. External, mesh and venturi mod, but it is foaming like crazy and drawing 83-84 watts. With the ball valve wide open, it still pushes foam up the neck. This is amazing. I have messed with skimmer everyday for the past 3 months, give or take a day or two for my girlfriend. HA. The only problem I can see is that the watts are a little high. I will post some pics later today. It currently has 4 layers of mesh.

[jallen18]

Again, my attempt was not to hijack, threaten, or belittle the Octo skimmer, I only posted the results I had when I used it. I guess a big factor for me was not wanting to risk compromising warranties with the abundant mods necessary to make it perform at its best. The results you have with yours are outstanding, it's just more work than I would rather do.

[tangtang clown]

I spent most of night dealing with it yesterday. Got home at 6pm. Tried to fix the power window in my Jeep. Took the skimmer to home depot. Tried it in the bath tub. Tried it in the tote. Hooked it up exterrnally. Had dinner with my girlfriend. Just not enough time in a day. Now I have to go home and try to get the watts back down a bit. FUN FUN FUN

[LexSkizzle]

I have the NW-150 on my 55g plus 20g sump with a moderate load. I only feed once a day and even b4 modding the skimmer this Saturday afternoon(venturi 1/4" barb and 2 layers of mesh), I was producing a good amount of skimmate identical to wattsupdocs pics every 2-3 days. Now its just going crazy and doing it in only one day! lol..So with that said, yeah Im pretty happy so far!

Now since I got brave with this thing, I want to attempt the gate valve mod; Can anyone help me with this as far as where to get the supplies to do it and what it is I actually need to get?

Thanks!

[wattsupdoc]

Well, the GV mod I got was for the msx 200 from marine solutions. However, because the pipe diameters are different, I had to modify the mod. I cut the riser pipe completely flush with the turned up 90 exiting the reaction chamber. Made sure the cut was perfectly flush with the 90 and superglued the T in place right on top of the cut. Be sure if you do this this way that your angle is just like you want it, as there wont be any going back, unless you break it loose and re-glue. Be sure that you leave a little space between any sides of the skimmer and the compartment it's in. a buddy of mines ASM had some issues and kept overflowing. One side of the skimmer was very close to the sump wall. It was close enough that it flooded when it ovwerflowed, so 1/2 minimum I would say will keep you safe.

[wattsupdoc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13230159#post13230159 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tangtang clown
I spent most of night dealing with it yesterday. Got home at 6pm. Tried to fix the power window in my Jeep. Took the skimmer to home depot. Tried it in the bath tub. Tried it in the tote. Hooked it up exterrnally. Had dinner with my girlfriend. Just not enough time in a day. Now I have to go home and try to get the watts back down a bit. FUN FUN FUN

BEWARE TANGTANG! The skimmer will posses you! It will consume your life and eat at your soul. You will soon begin to sleep with it, that is when you know it has began. :D

[LexSkizzle]

Do you know if theirs one available for the new Octopus NW150 skimmer anywhere? If I have to modify it Im thinking I should probably just piece it together from HD or Lowes, but I just don't know what pieces to get or their sizes for that matter..

[wattsupdoc]

Measure the outside diameter of the riser pipe that exits the 90, then go to lowes/HD and measure the inside diameter. OR, just take the riser pipes outside pipe with you and use that for comaparison. You'll need a T, a 90, possibly a coupling, and some pipe that match that size. However you are going to find that the octo's pipe is metric and we don't have metric here. So you'll have to grind the inside of the T down with a dremel or something and make it fit. Also, if you get the next size up, then you'll have to make that up somehow???? I don't believe you'll find a GV at Lowes or HD, but there are online sources for that. Get the size that matches you fittings and pipe. BTW, In case you don't realize it, a BV is NOT the same by any means.

Also, I was able to dial mine in pretty well with the stock riser pipe. Though the GV does make for finer adjustments and is a snap to fine tune.

[tangtang clown]

I think it already too late. "The power of Christ compells you!!!!"

[NealNano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13232311#post13232311 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LexSkizzle
Do you know if theirs one available for the new Octopus NW150 skimmer anywhere? If I have to modify it Im thinking I should probably just piece it together from HD or Lowes, but I just don't know what pieces to get or their sizes for that matter..
Here is the link to the gate valve I am thinking about getting. I may just cut the tube shorter though.
http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/Mod-Kits-for-Skimmers/c43/p93/NW110-Gate-Valve-Mod-Kit/product_info.html

[wattsupdoc]

I guess I'm not sure wich onw I prdered then, or maybe MS want sure wich one I prdered. Mine was definetly too small of pipe they sent. Or Hell, maybe I just didnt read the instructions that they posted there. Seems like there would be some in the bag though....Anyways, go for it if you like, you can shorten the tube all the wat down if you like.

[wattsupdoc]

I guess I type just like I talk, when stuffin a sandwich down my pie hole. LOL

[LexSkizzle]

Thanks for that link NealNano; I think Im just going to order it from MarineSolutions since the gate valve alone cost about $30 online..Might as well get everything I need at once through them. Thanks again!

[kaskiles]

AquaCave has gate valves with a steel screw holding in the knob instead of the plastic bolt that Marine Depot's has; it takes the price down 10 or 15 dollars.

[wattsupdoc]

3 days!!!!!!!
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff116/thewattsupdoc/3days.jpg

[NealNano]

No problem on the link LexSkizzle. let us know how it works out. I may no longer need to mod the out put tube. After a week and a halfish, my skim has gotten dryer. I no longer have to empty the cup every day. It may have needed a little time to settle in after moding. I will post more pics of nasty skim soon. If the Aquacave gate valve steel piece isnt stainless the corrosion will cause problems with corals. I would spend the extra $15 and go for the plastic one, better safe than sorry.

[JCTewks]

actually, steel won't cause any issues in your tank other than your green corals getting greener :D Some oldtime reefers still put a steel bolt in their sump to supplement iron used up by the corals :lol:

The issue with the steel is that when it finally corrodes clear through (and it will) you will have to replace the valve!

[NealNano]

Know a guy, all is corals started to die off. Couldnt figure out why, water quality was great, light was good. I helped him take down his tank and start over. I found an old rusted razor blade in the sand bed. After a magor water change and new sand minus a razor blade, all was well. So yes mild steel in salt water rusts lke crazy and will kill sps, lps and clams. Most of the softies could have cared less it seemed. There is a very minut amount of iron in sea water and it is desovled and solid and rusting way. You can over dose any kind of trace element. Now back to the skimmer. :)

[LexSkizzle]

Has anyone tried adding an airvalve to the air intake tube to control the air/water ratio for adjustments after the mods? I read on another thread that this can help a great deal? Any thoughts on this?

NealNano-I'll let you know, Im definitely going to go with the plastic gate valve just to be safe. Im gonna shop around at some plumbing stores in my area and see if I can pick a gate valve up then just go from there.

[NealNano]

I would want to add an air valve to my octo. It would cut back on the amount of air the skimmer takes in. My skims great with just the silencer on, doesnt seem to reduce the amount of ait that much.

[wattsupdoc]

Lex, adding an air valve would only decrease the amount of air, wich would increase the amount of flow. I forget what issue it is your having and am too lazy to look back. Whats going on?

[J.russell]

I have a quick question since I cant get the search to work tonight.

How much water should the NW 200 sit in to work best? Ill be filling my tank this weekend and just wanted to know if I need to raise it up any.

I have the newer version skimmer also
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jasonsrussell/Fish%20tank%20build/Tank-012.jpg

[wattsupdoc]

8-10 inches. You going to mod it?

[kodyboy]

wow these look just like aquaeuros, I hope the pumps are better:)

[LexSkizzle]

LOL..Im not having any issues, but I read about it on one of the older octo mod threads and was wondering if it would add an extra performance. Its funny, initially I never wanted to mod this skimmer, but now im having fun messing with this thing trying to maximize its performance thanks to you guys wattsupdoc and nealnano! sort of like my cars..lol

We'll see how this gate valve mod goes tomorrow..lol..thanks!

[J.russell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13255548#post13255548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by wattsupdoc
8-10 inches. You going to mod it?

Im gonna see how it skimms first once I have a bioload and take it from there :)

[LexSkizzle]

Well, I went to HD this weekend and bought everything I needed for the gate valve mod EXCEPT an actual gate valve! I even tried local plumbing stores, but no luck.

I found one at http://www.savko.com/ but just curious if anyone ever ordered from them b4?


Thanks!

[J.russell]

How high are you guys running the water level in the body and about how high are you keeping the output tube?

I have had my skimmer running a week and it hasnt pulled anything. Im not even getting bubbles into the neck :(

[wattsupdoc]

I run the water level just below the bottom lip of the funnel. But if you don't have a lot of air, then setting it higher, like to the bottom of the neck, or even up into the neck might be what you need. Of course it may just be breaking in and needs a few more days. Just give it an hour or so between tweaks when adjusting. Then, if still no foam, tweak it again.

[J.russell]

will do. Thanks again. I don't have much of a bio load yet but have water from a established system and live rock from an established system also

[NealNano]

Need some opinions. For those of you who have been following this thread know I mesh and venturi moded my NW110. I am very happy with the results. However I still feel I could be skimming a little drier. Here are my ideas 1 remove 1 of 2 layers of enkamat, 2 remove both layers on enkamat or 3 shorten the stand pipe/ outlet pipe. I need to empty the colection cup ever 2 days, I get a medium dark skim.

[wattsupdoc]

Shorten the stand pipe.

[NealNano]

cool does anyone have pics of this mod

[J.russell]

So far Im not too impressed with this skimmer. Im not getting a damn thing in my collection cup instead its all gathering ontop of the funnel neck. Its nasty looking water too and once I pull the cup off there isnat anyway to get theat water out without it falling back into the body of the skimmer.

In order for me to get anything in the cup, its really wet. Like need to dump the cup every 30 minutes wet.

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13282055#post13282055 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LexSkizzle
Well, I went to HD this weekend and bought everything I needed for the gate valve mod EXCEPT an actual gate valve! I even tried local plumbing stores, but no luck.

I found one at http://www.savko.com/ but just curious if anyone ever ordered from them b4?


Thanks!



savko is the place, i have been there and they have everything you could need, nice guys too.

[J.russell]

Well I got it skimming good now but is it normal for it to have this much water under the collection cup?

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jasonsrussell/Fish%20tank%20build/Fish-Tank-060.jpg

I and getting the neck nice and full of foam not water.

[LexSkizzle]

-Thanks GSMguy!

-J.russel- ^ Yup! Looks right!

[J.russell]

Well it skimmed for about 2 hours and then the foam went back down and now its not making it to the cup :(

Im going to leave it aloe for the night and see what happens as the week passes. I just want it to do its job and work right :(

[NealNano]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13308781#post13308781 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by J.russell
Well I got it skimming good now but is it normal for it to have this much water under the collection cup?

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jasonsrussell/Fish%20tank%20build/Fish-Tank-060.jpg

I and getting the neck nice and full of foam not water.
Yes that is normal to have that much water there.

[wattsupdoc]

What adjustment did you make? Where was the water level at before?

[J.russell]

I raised the water level. It was just under the cone but now is right where the neck starts.

[Paulairduck]

That's the whole idea of the funnel neck is to have water in the lower neck," right". Maybe somebody can explain the funnel neck more in detail.:confused:

[NealNano]

Does anyone have pics of the mod for the water return pipe? The one where you cut it down to make it shorter. I need to shorten mine I am skimming too wet still.

[allsps40]

Call me Dr Frankenstein.
Is there anyone out there but me still using this skimmer design?? How has it been working out for you? I have had mine to 2 years now it has done well for me.

[sammy33]

I still have mine running on my 125g tank since April '08. Here is some skimmate yumminess. :thumbsup:

http://samsreef.com/images/zoom/KFMRWM/skim-5-08-08.jpg

[bla403]

I have a nw-110 that I have been using since I started. Its modded with a gate valve.

I was looking at this because of the venturi mod.

O yeah - I also drilled the side of the cup to drain it.

[allsps40]

I put my 1/4 inch ventri mod back on last night to try it out again. I used it for several months and it always skimmed wet even after I shorted the stand pipe. Pulls in a lot more air and water and still skims wet. I put my moded stock venturi back in. It works the best with the other mods I have done. Played around with this venturi for a while even got a second one to test other designs on. In the end I found that just drilling out the water intake so that all the baffle is removed worked best. Here are some pics of the moded ventris.
The one that works
http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/corals083.jpg
http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/corals082.jpg
http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/corals081.jpg
The one that does not work. There is to much flow threw the skimmer and it cant get a stable head of foam and skims wet.
http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/venturi.jpg
Skimming away, taken today about 2 hours after cleaning
http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/corals084.jpg
http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/corals086.jpg
Here you can see the micro bubbles
http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr93/intenseneal/corals085.jpg

[allsps40]

Ok found something interesting. You can kind of see in the pic above, third from bottom that I did the airline gasket mod. I have a small leak though that let in some fairly clean water. But it did help I think need to test it out some more. Anyways in the water below the cup which I just emptied out I was wondering if that traps anything good. I will pods and worms in there. So I drain the water into a glass up and let is settle for a little while. Came back with a flashlight and lite up the up of half skim. I found lots of zoaplankton in the water. I do feed a live culture plankton min so it seem that that I have a natural population in my reef now. I would post pics but the plankton is so small thaty you would not see it. I will be putting this back into my fuge and some in the tank to feed the plankton to the corals.

[allsps40]

bump

[RotaryGeek]

I know this thread is old and dead, but I just picked up this skimmer and was looking for reviews and mods. This thread has helped a bunch. My only thing is my skimmer came with a bubble plate on it, and a stand that connects the pump and body together. Has anybody done a review of this, and do you think this will be a decent skimmer for a mildly stocked 125?

[allsps40]

I think you have the new version. Is there a cone neck on the skimmer??

[RotaryGeek]

No its the same as the ones in the picture, but mine has a bubble plate and acrylic bottom stand thing that has the pump and skimmer body on it.

[sammy33]

RotaryGeek - Do you have any pictures of your skimmer?

PS: Still running my Reef Octopus NW-200...4 years now. :)

[allsps40]

None of this version of the NW RO skimmers had a bubble plate. The new NWB line has a bubble plate.

[RotaryGeek]

So did i get a NWB200?

[RotaryGeek]

Nope, def not a NWB200. Ill try to get some pics, but it looks exactly like these but with a bubble plate and acrylic strand for the pump built into it.

[RotaryGeek]

Ok here are some crappy cell pics of the skimmer. As you can see, it has the same exact body, but with a bubble plate and a bottom acrylic piece that holds the pump.

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1039/photoaxs.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/341/photoaxs.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)


http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/2645/photo1jve.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/38/photo1jve.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)


http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4613/photo2fj.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/407/photo2fj.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Its really hard to see, but the stand thing im talking about it on top of the egg crate. Please note that i am not talking about the stand i made for the skimmer lol. I know someone is going to point that out.

[RotaryGeek]

Anybody know what slimmer I got?

[RotaryGeek]

Anybody?