|
04/18/2016, 08:02 PM | #1 |
fastest reefer on 2wheels
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: east alton il
Posts: 2,720
|
are beckett skimmers skimmers still worth a darn
im setting up a 300 dd with a 130 sump and a 125 fuge with a 40 gal frag tank. i found a great deal on a mrc mr6 that is basicly new and comes with a waste colector and a hammerhead gold recic pump and a panworld 200ps feed pump. i know it will use more electricity and make more noise. are they still worth useing or should i just get a sro 6000ext or comparable nw skimmer.
__________________
Pin it to win it !!! Current Tank Info: 300 dd up and running and growing sticks |
04/18/2016, 08:07 PM | #2 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 9,671
|
That is still a great skimmer.
__________________
rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. | 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank |
04/18/2016, 08:09 PM | #3 |
fastest reefer on 2wheels
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: east alton il
Posts: 2,720
|
i can get it for less than the pumps cost alone. everything is in great shape and hardly used.
__________________
Pin it to win it !!! Current Tank Info: 300 dd up and running and growing sticks |
04/18/2016, 08:09 PM | #4 |
Grizzled & Cynical
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Stamford, CT
Posts: 17,319
|
Laws of physics haven't changed .... beckett skimmers are still awesome (if you can stomach the power draw).
__________________
Simon Got back into the hobby ..... planned to keep it simple ..... yeah, right ..... clearly I need a new plan! Pet peeve: anemones host clowns; clowns do not host anemones! Current Tank Info: 450 Reef; 120 refugium; 60 Frag Tank, 30 Introduction tank; multiple QTs |
04/18/2016, 08:11 PM | #5 |
fastest reefer on 2wheels
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: east alton il
Posts: 2,720
|
well its not like a 300 with all the proper equipment is gonna be cheap by any means.
__________________
Pin it to win it !!! Current Tank Info: 300 dd up and running and growing sticks |
04/19/2016, 09:57 AM | #6 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 6,361
|
As stated above. They are workhorse skimmers and if you ever needed a replacement pump, they are readily available and cheap.
Corey |
04/19/2016, 10:13 AM | #7 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 9,207
|
I still think that are far better than most of the skimmers on the market today. Just need strong pump to use them.
__________________
-Joe TOTM Sept 2002 | Reefland April 2004 | CORAL Magazine Nov 2007 Featured Tank "Coral Reef Aquarium" 2011 | Reef Spotlight 2018 Current Tank Info: 270G SPS Tank, 140G sumps, 35G Frag Tank, Ultra Reef Akula UKS-200 Skimmer, Apex, Giesemann Spectra 3x250W MH 4x80W T5, 2xReefbrite Tech 72" Blue LED, Triton Dosing, ARID C30 Algae Reactor, Maxspect Gyre |
04/19/2016, 10:13 AM | #8 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 151
|
They are great for larger setups. If you don't care about noise, space, and power consumption they are proven to work. Probably much cheaper getting a used skimmer than a newer type.
|
04/26/2017, 02:20 PM | #9 |
Wanna be a reefkeeper
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Tampa
Posts: 1,158
|
Are Beckett skimmers generally easier to dial in and keep dialed in?
__________________
Reef Savvy 110g Tank | GHL Profilux 4 Controller & Doser | Royal Exclusiv Skimmer & Dreambox/Sump | ATI 8x54 Sunpower T5 | Ozotech Ozone Generator |
04/26/2017, 07:37 PM | #10 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 6,361
|
They are like most skimmers, once dialed in they stay put. However, they do need cleaned to keep that injector free of obstruction.
Corey |
04/26/2017, 10:37 PM | #11 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 9,671
|
About to find out myself as I'm doing a little playing around with converting my mazzei venturi injector on my MTC MVX to a Beckett.
But it looks like the Beckett will have two things I haven't needed to do on the mazzei. 1. Cleaning periodically - the mazzei has the advantage of being able to be submerged and still work. Being low enough to just be in the water I have been shutting down the skimmer twice a day for 10 minutes which back flushes the venturi and cleans it out. According to Jeff at MTC a Beckett to work right with the vacuum has to remain above the water line in the skimmer. This will not allow it to be back flushed and will require periodic taking apart to clean out. 2. Air intake adjustments - the mazzei has taken everything I have thrown at it with 0 adjustments to air intake. It does an amazing job of injecting the air under pressure into the water with anything from 12 scfh up to 30scfh so far from what I've done with various pumps. With the Beckett it looks like I will have to watch and make small adjustments to the air intake along with the gate valve for the water level in the skimmer. I do not know how often it may or may not need adjusting or how much of a pain it's going to be. But I'm looking forward to finding out.
__________________
rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. | 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank |
04/27/2017, 04:52 AM | #12 |
Wanna be a reefkeeper
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Tampa
Posts: 1,158
|
Biecacka and Jason, thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it. I was looking at a brand that makes a becket style skimmer because they market it as both highly efficient and caim it has a set it and forget it design. It seems it's just a lot of marketing hype and needs a significant amount of care and feeding and needs a powerful pump at the same time.
__________________
Reef Savvy 110g Tank | GHL Profilux 4 Controller & Doser | Royal Exclusiv Skimmer & Dreambox/Sump | ATI 8x54 Sunpower T5 | Ozotech Ozone Generator |
04/27/2017, 07:56 AM | #13 |
Ancient Eskimo Legend
|
I've run Beckett skimmers for 17 years, one of the best skimmers out there!
Rarely does the injector clog, unless you let snails in your sump I cleaned mine 4 or 5 times a year just to make sure it was free of debris, usually just a little slimy on the inside. There's no hype They work better than any design I've used...FWIW, I have used Venturi and needle wheel skimmers as well. They do amazing with pressure rated pumps no doubt.
__________________
The wind blew, the chit flew, and then they came two by two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Tank Info: 375g Tanganyikan Tank & 470g mixed reef |
04/27/2017, 08:36 AM | #14 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 9,671
|
Yeah, I'm not sure where the hype is coming from. If anything there's a lot of marketing hype coming out everyday over the latest "greatest" needle wheel skimmers.
Though Jeff on LifeReef's site does hype up his skimmers a bit to much. But they are a good skimmer.
__________________
rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. | 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank |
04/27/2017, 01:03 PM | #15 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westminster, CO
Posts: 17,289
|
I've used several, wouldn't hesitate one bit to buy it. Great skimmer!
The becketts do take a bit of extra work to clean them once in a while. I converted my PM XL-1 from beckett to a needle wheel simply because it was not in a good place to service and the beckett housing wasn't as friendly to open as the MRC version. But the real issue I had were a ton of little tiny snails and limpets always getting into the beckett. I was having to service it weekly.
__________________
Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k. |
04/27/2017, 02:18 PM | #16 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 1,693
|
Love that skimmer. Only if it didn't need 120w + pump to drive the thing.
|
04/27/2017, 07:01 PM | #17 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 6,361
|
Yeah I think I cleaned mine 3 or 4 time a year as mine. Actually less frequently then I clean my pump on my current skimmer
Corey |
04/28/2017, 06:52 PM | #18 |
Wanna be a reefkeeper
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Tampa
Posts: 1,158
|
Do you all consider a Bashsea twisted skimmer to be a true Beckett? They claim some patent pending design so maybe it's not the same. Better or worse I don't know.
__________________
Reef Savvy 110g Tank | GHL Profilux 4 Controller & Doser | Royal Exclusiv Skimmer & Dreambox/Sump | ATI 8x54 Sunpower T5 | Ozotech Ozone Generator |
04/28/2017, 07:00 PM | #19 | |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 9,671
|
Quote:
They look nice and probably work great. I was looking at them before deciding on the MTC MVX I got now.
__________________
rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. | 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank |
|
04/28/2017, 07:13 PM | #20 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
I couldn't find one big enough so I made my own with 1" penductors in a 2" coupler to generate enough air to water volume. Then I made 2... highest density of small bubbles ever
__________________
Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
04/28/2017, 07:17 PM | #21 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
oh - forgot to mention that they were the recirculating injectors in a 12' DIY skimmer.
__________________
Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
04/28/2017, 07:30 PM | #22 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
I've converted them into air injectors into my sump now
but I started with a low pressure pump and a long pipe to the outside first: then I upgrade to a high pressure pump: then I added a booster duct fan to overcome the resistance of the duct from the outside: foamapalooza! and here's the external air intake booster fan and duct... it's 25' and I'm really big on fresh air so...
__________________
Failure isn't an option It's a requirement. 660g 380inwall+280smp/surge S/L/Soft/Maxima/RBTA/Clown/Chromis/Anthias/Tang/Mandarin/Jawfish/Goby/Wrasse/D'back. DIY 12' Skimmer ActuatedSurge ConcreteScape |
Thread Tools | |
|
|