Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > General Interest Forums > Lighting, Filtration & Other Equipment
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 06/20/2015, 09:22 PM   #1751
LittleBurger
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 111
I removed the impeller from my mini 1200 red dragon pump. If your pump can use it then I dun mind giving away foc. But pls dun sell at eBay later.
If anyone needs it just pay for postage from Singapore.
Just paying it forward.








__________________
Tank size:36"x36"x24"
Skimmer:BK Double Cone 200 on Reef Octopus DC 5500s
Wavemaker:2xVortech MP40wES
Chiller:1hp Daikin compressor.
Lighting:2 x Kessil A360we

Current Tank Info: 3ft by 3ft crystal glass on 3sides

Last edited by LittleBurger; 06/20/2015 at 09:24 PM. Reason: Update content
LittleBurger is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/28/2015, 10:15 PM   #1752
swnoob
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: South Gate
Posts: 491
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueline12 View Post
I've had to replace my RD in my Alpha 200 with the Laguna 1350 and it worked great for the first couple of weeks until I had to turn it off to clean the tank.

For the past few weeks I have had serious overflow issues. So much so I had to reduce the depth by 4" or more. I also get a ton of micro bubbles out of the output. At this level I can get a really wet ski mate but it fills up fast as if all of a sudden it wants to overflow about once a day.

I've got the air inlet wide open. What could be the issue. I've taken it out and cleaned a few times. Maybe the gasket on the inside of the pump needs replacing? I can't think of anything else.

Any help is appreciated.
I gad the same issue when i replaced the original pump with a laguna 1350.

Worked too good for the first few weeks. After that it was never consistent. i increased the water height in the sump to 10" with the wedge 90% closed and i get a decent foam head.

Now in order to get the skimmer working after i shut it down to feed i have to restrict the flow for a quick second on the intake. If i don't it will not get a good foam head and it pulls about 3 amps according to my apex. Restrict the flow and it the amp draw goes down to .5

Any suggestions?


swnoob is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/29/2015, 11:11 AM   #1753
slief
RC Sponsor

 
slief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,173
The Askoll 1350 block spins at a lower speed than the 1500. The end result is that there likely is less vacuum on the venturi side which results in higher flow. I would try opening the volute up more which will increase the amount of air into the skimmer while decreasing the amount of water. The downside is that the air bubbles will be larger which could impact the quality of the foam head.


__________________
Director Customer Support Royal Exclusiv USA
For All Royal Exclusiv & Bubble King questions please refer to our Sponsor forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745

Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476
slief is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/29/2015, 11:51 AM   #1754
swnoob
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: South Gate
Posts: 491
Quote:
Originally Posted by slief View Post
The Askoll 1350 block spins at a lower speed than the 1500. The end result is that there likely is less vacuum on the venturi side which results in higher flow. I would try opening the volute up more which will increase the amount of air into the skimmer while decreasing the amount of water. The downside is that the air bubbles will be larger which could impact the quality of the foam head.
Unfortunately this is one of he first Alpha 200's built. It did not come with the adjustable volute.

Forgot to mention that I shipped the pump to Proline Aquatics and they couldn't find anything wrong with it.


swnoob is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/29/2015, 06:26 PM   #1755
slief
RC Sponsor

 
slief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,173
Unfortunately as I mentioned above, there is an RPM difference between the 1350 block and the 1500 block. You can always order the correct block from Royal Exclusiv USA. I was there last week and I am pretty certain I saw them on the shelf. I can double check if you would like. Just PM me your email address and I will send an email off to verify and CC you on it. Worst case, you could always sell that 1350 block here on the forum.


__________________
Director Customer Support Royal Exclusiv USA
For All Royal Exclusiv & Bubble King questions please refer to our Sponsor forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745

Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476
slief is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/29/2015, 06:47 PM   #1756
slief
RC Sponsor

 
slief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,173
One last thought. Since your skimmer is the older version that didn't include the adjustable volute, it should have come with two different length red inserts that go into the volute. If you have the 2nd volute, you could always try switching them out and see if that helps.


__________________
Director Customer Support Royal Exclusiv USA
For All Royal Exclusiv & Bubble King questions please refer to our Sponsor forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745

Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476
slief is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 06/29/2015, 07:57 PM   #1757
swnoob
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: South Gate
Posts: 491
Quote:
Originally Posted by slief View Post
One last thought. Since your skimmer is the older version that didn't include the adjustable volute, it should have come with two different length red inserts that go into the volute. If you have the 2nd volute, you could always try switching them out and see if that helps.
Yes. That second red insert was for users that had the surging problem if I remember correctly. A lot of Alpha 170 owners had that problem but a few of the 200's as well.

I gave that a try and it actually causes the skimmer to surge.


swnoob is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 07/01/2015, 01:26 PM   #1758
dg3147
Registered Member
 
dg3147's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 1,178
How can I tell if my skimmer/pump is pumping effectively?

It may seem like an odd question but the other day I was doing some work in my sump and I noticed the skimmer just doesn't seem to be pushing out as much water as I would think it should. I placed my hand by the pump intake and it seems to not have the suction I would expect. It seems to be skimming the same as always and is still drawing 50volts (DC skimmer).

Not sure if there is really a problem and just want a way to check....


__________________
Elos 160XL | Powermodule LED/T5 | BK Double cone 200 | Pasadena, CA

Home page:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23482778#post23482778
dg3147 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 07/01/2015, 08:49 PM   #1759
slief
RC Sponsor

 
slief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,173
Quote:
Originally Posted by dg3147 View Post
How can I tell if my skimmer/pump is pumping effectively?

It may seem like an odd question but the other day I was doing some work in my sump and I noticed the skimmer just doesn't seem to be pushing out as much water as I would think it should. I placed my hand by the pump intake and it seems to not have the suction I would expect. It seems to be skimming the same as always and is still drawing 50volts (DC skimmer).

Not sure if there is really a problem and just want a way to check....
If it doesn't seem to be flowing like you would expect, remove the pump, dissasemble it completely, soak all the parts and the block in vinegar, clean the venturi and eliminate any salt creep, rinse it well and put it back together. These motors don't usually slow down unless they are obstructed or dirty/calcified inside. When the pumps go out, they usually die and just quit.


__________________
Director Customer Support Royal Exclusiv USA
For All Royal Exclusiv & Bubble King questions please refer to our Sponsor forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745

Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476
slief is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 09/20/2015, 01:01 PM   #1760
Dread Pirate
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Irvine,CA
Posts: 38
What skimmer to get

Hi guys-
I am setting up a mixed reef tank 30X30X18 and a 27x27x18 sump/refugium. I want a royal exclusiz skimmer and return pump. Can someone point me in the right direction as to what models I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance for the help


Dread Pirate is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 09/30/2015, 10:57 AM   #1761
funkyman
Registered Member
 
funkyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Lorain, Ohio
Posts: 1,811
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blueline12 View Post
I've had to replace my RD in my Alpha 200 with the Laguna 1350 and it worked great for the first couple of weeks until I had to turn it off to clean the tank.

For the past few weeks I have had serious overflow issues. So much so I had to reduce the depth by 4" or more. I also get a ton of micro bubbles out of the output. At this level I can get a really wet ski mate but it fills up fast as if all of a sudden it wants to overflow about once a day.

I've got the air inlet wide open. What could be the issue. I've taken it out and cleaned a few times. Maybe the gasket on the inside of the pump needs replacing? I can't think of anything else.

Any help is appreciated.
I'm having the exact same problems with the exact same skimmer.

Saturday: When I first moved it into my new sump, the water level was set at 10" by the sump baffle. With the wedge pipe wide open, it was overflowing non-stop with a thick foam. It was late, so I shut it off until the next day.

Sunday: I jacked it up to be in 8" of water. The overflowing foam problem went away, and I set the bubble level to be at the bottom of the collection cup (wedge pipe wide open). The output water from the skimmer was also void of bubbles.

Monday: Came home from work to find the collection cup full of weak skimmate, and the water percolating since it had been overflowing for a while.

Tuesday: Lowered the skimmer to be in 9" of water (wedge pipe still wide open). Foam was coming half way up the neck of the collection cup. There are also a "ton" of bubbles coming out of the skimmer output.

I have nothing to adjust air volume with (volute accessory on the newer pumps), and I'm really getting frustrated trying to get this thing tuned in.


__________________
150 gallon mixed reef, Kessil x 3, Gyre x 2, IceCap 48XL sump, Reef Octopus Regal 200-INT skimmer.
funkyman is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/08/2015, 12:07 PM   #1762
mgood
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 4
I have a alpha 170, on a 130 gallon tank. I bought a Bubble King® Double Cone 200 + RD3 Speedy adjustable pump. Anyone know what would be the best depth and watts to run this setup? I was having problems with the stock red dragon pump that came with it I thought I would try the dc pump. I know it is probably too big for my system but plan to upgrade later.Thanks in advance.


mgood is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03/28/2016, 01:55 PM   #1763
aravindk
Registered Member
 
aravindk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NJ
Posts: 488
I have a royal exclusiv alpha 200 and have a total water volume of almost 350 gallons. I may be pushing the skimmer to the max and might look to replace it soon. I see there is another outlet at the bottom. Can I add another motor block to improve its efficiency?


aravindk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/15/2016, 07:33 PM   #1764
slief
RC Sponsor

 
slief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 14,173
Quote:
Originally Posted by aravindk View Post
I have a royal exclusiv alpha 200 and have a total water volume of almost 350 gallons. I may be pushing the skimmer to the max and might look to replace it soon. I see there is another outlet at the bottom. Can I add another motor block to improve its efficiency?
No, that outlet is to relocate the pump to a different orientation depending on the sump configuration. That said, the Alpha 200 is just fine for your volume. They tend to starve for load and can be inconsistent. Royal Exclusiv designed the Alpha many years back but never released them and instead built them for Vertex until that relationship ended a couple years back.

If you are looking to upgrade, I'd probably suggest a Royal Exclusiv Bubble King skimmer. Having run an Alpha 300 for a number of years, I upgraded to a Supermarin 250 and there was no looking back. The BK's are much more consistent than the Alpha's. A Double Cone 200, Double Cone 250 or Supermarin 200 would be well suited for your tank depending on the display size and would run circles around that Alpha.

If you have questions about the Bubble Kings, check out the Royal Exclusiv forum here on Reef Central.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745


__________________
Director Customer Support Royal Exclusiv USA
For All Royal Exclusiv & Bubble King questions please refer to our Sponsor forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=745

Current Tank Info: 480G display mixed reef, 90G sump, 90G refugium, 60G display refugium. Check out my build thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1783476
slief is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:04 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.