DAS skimmer club - Page 42

Vinny Kreyling · 06/14/2017, 07:57 AM

All pumps on skimmer are 2000/1
New pump is the RED DEVIL brand.

Vinny Kreyling · 09/01/2017, 08:21 AM

Another supplier for Aquabee pumps:
in Canada this time:
philgilbert@videotron.ca
Spoke with him @ MACNA & he has them in stock, around $120 US if I remember correctly.

moondoggy4 · 09/01/2017, 10:48 PM

Thanks for the link.

Vinny Kreyling · 09/02/2017, 08:18 AM

Stewart from D&D claims that if there is any indication of movement from the pump the block is good & some kind of repair is needed, no reason to toss the unit.
Phil has everything for both style pumps, new & old, except possibly impellers, he was unsure of it.
I have gotten by with teflon tape around a rubber bushing to make it seat better in the hole & it is still running.
Glad to help, I need them too.

HBtank · 01/09/2018, 10:16 AM

Still in the club!

Just updated my EX-1 to 2018 with a Varios 2S pump; I like the skimmer too much to be tempted by other pieces of plastic, newer and certainly more expensive skimmers often seem less well built when I check them out, or inclusive of many real advancements over the last 10 years (and nothing is external). This thing has stood up to the test of time and still feels solid.

A few hours in:

HBtank · 01/19/2018, 01:10 PM

Stoked, this pump works really well with the EX-1. First week below.

Cleaned it pulls strong on 3/5 max power, and after a few days I set it at 4/5 and it pulls flawlessly until you simply have to clean due to lid/cup debris blocking foam. Being able to adjust the pump like that as the skimmer get dirtier is awesome!

moondoggy4 · 01/20/2018, 12:37 PM

So you have a external skimmer, are you running Varios 2S external as well or is it submerged?

HBtank · 01/20/2018, 02:00 PM

Yeah it is external, runs cool to the touch and very happy with it.

moondoggy4 · 01/20/2018, 09:22 PM

So you were able to retrofit the Varios skimmer pump to work, are the fittings metric? My H&S skimmer is.

pecan2phat · 01/20/2018, 11:12 PM

That would be interesting since I never see any of these DC pumps with the input unions that would make them usable on an external skimmer setup.

HBtank · 01/21/2018, 05:41 AM

Yeah, I chose it since it is the pump RO uses on their external Regal skimmers, and it is also sold for external use as a circulation pump. They just don’t have a model with the 2s (start at 4s) and partially why I did not just buy a new skimmer.

Ended up using three of the unions that are sold with it (1” slip out), 1” fittings, and a 1” venturi I had picked up a long time ago, to retrofit it. Had to cut the original skimmer body union stubs and glued to new 1” ones from the pump over them.

USC-fan · 08/12/2021, 10:17 PM

I'm still going strong with my das ex-2 in 2021. A couple of years ago, I brought an extra pump since red devils were starting to get hard to find. I still haven't had to use it.

Still, clean up pretty as day 1.

One of the easiest skimmers in the world. It is set and forget. More companies should clone these designs with new dc pumps.

Vinny Kreyling · 08/13/2021, 08:48 AM

IF the pump gets noisy it is usually the seat of one or more of the bushings or both the seat & the bushing.
I have found that wrapping the bushing with Teflon tape so you get a tight fit again it will run silent again. I have done this multiple times on the same end.
The newer set up with a ceramic insert is even nicer.
Red Devils are available from Ali Express in good old China. I have the EX-3

06/14/2017, 07:57 AM	#1026
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	All pumps on skimmer are 2000/1 New pump is the RED DEVIL brand. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

09/01/2017, 08:21 AM	#1027
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Another supplier for Aquabee pumps: in Canada this time: philgilbert@videotron.ca Spoke with him @ MACNA & he has them in stock, around $120 US if I remember correctly. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

09/02/2017, 08:18 AM	#1029
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Stewart from D&D claims that if there is any indication of movement from the pump the block is good & some kind of repair is needed, no reason to toss the unit. Phil has everything for both style pumps, new & old, except possibly impellers, he was unsure of it. I have gotten by with teflon tape around a rubber bushing to make it seat better in the hole & it is still running. Glad to help, I need them too. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

01/09/2018, 10:16 AM	#1030
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Still in the club! Just updated my EX-1 to 2018 with a Varios 2S pump; I like the skimmer too much to be tempted by other pieces of plastic, newer and certainly more expensive skimmers often seem less well built when I check them out, or inclusive of many real advancements over the last 10 years (and nothing is external). This thing has stood up to the test of time and still feels solid. A few hours in: __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA Last edited by HBtank; 01/09/2018 at 10:23 AM.

01/19/2018, 01:10 PM	#1031
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Stoked, this pump works really well with the EX-1. First week below. Cleaned it pulls strong on 3/5 max power, and after a few days I set it at 4/5 and it pulls flawlessly until you simply have to clean due to lid/cup debris blocking foam. Being able to adjust the pump like that as the skimmer get dirtier is awesome! __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

09/01/2017, 10:48 PM	#1028
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	Thanks for the link.

01/20/2018, 12:37 PM	#1032
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	So you have a external skimmer, are you running Varios 2S external as well or is it submerged?

01/20/2018, 02:00 PM	#1033
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Yeah it is external, runs cool to the touch and very happy with it. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

01/20/2018, 09:22 PM	#1034
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	So you were able to retrofit the Varios skimmer pump to work, are the fittings metric? My H&S skimmer is.

01/20/2018, 11:12 PM	#1035
pecan2phat Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Wallingford, CT Posts: 4,990	That would be interesting since I never see any of these DC pumps with the input unions that would make them usable on an external skimmer setup.

01/21/2018, 05:41 AM	#1036
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	Yeah, I chose it since it is the pump RO uses on their external Regal skimmers, and it is also sold for external use as a circulation pump. They just don’t have a model with the 2s (start at 4s) and partially why I did not just buy a new skimmer. Ended up using three of the unions that are sold with it (1” slip out), 1” fittings, and a 1” venturi I had picked up a long time ago, to retrofit it. Had to cut the original skimmer body union stubs and glued to new 1” ones from the pump over them. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA Last edited by HBtank; 01/21/2018 at 05:50 AM.

08/13/2021, 08:48 AM	#1038
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	IF the pump gets noisy it is usually the seat of one or more of the bushings or both the seat & the bushing. I have found that wrapping the bushing with Teflon tape so you get a tight fit again it will run silent again. I have done this multiple times on the same end. The newer set up with a ceramic insert is even nicer. Red Devils are available from Ali Express in good old China. I have the EX-3 __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.