Bubble King Skimmer Club

[moondoggy4]

Do you need a picture of the Laguna 900 block? I have one laying around.

[UWUALineman]

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

Do you need a picture of the Laguna 900 block? I have one laying around.

Does it look like the block of the 960 I posted the link to?
If you could post it just for reference that would be great.

[slief]

Originally Posted by UWUALineman

Not a problem.
Yes of the block itself, for a rough idea. If not, no big deal. I will have one here by Monday. Possibly Saturday, I think fedex delivers on the weekend.
His reaction would make it so much fun to instigate. LoL.

The dimensions of the 1350 block are:
3.5" x 4.75" x 4"

[slief]

So the numbers I got were a bit off. Here are some pictures with the tape measure. These came off an ATB/Askoll 1350 block but they used the same Askoll 1350 that you would find in the Max-Flo 1350. Thanks to forum member Mr. Brooks for taking these for me. Hope that helps you.

[Socaltoaz]

Hi all. I'm in The middle of my build on my 1000 gallon build and am debating which skimmer. I read through some of the warranty and support issues of bubble king- has that been resolved? Where is the best place to buy one and which one would you recommend? Finally- do they still sell thir dreambox sumps in the us? I've emailed the royal exclusive website support email but have had no luck with a response. Any input would be appreciated or should I plan on going with another company? Was also looking at My Reef Creations Orca iii and having them build skimmer and sump. Feddback appreciate.

[slief]

Originally Posted by Socaltoaz

Hi all. I'm in The middle of my build on my 1000 gallon build and am debating which skimmer. I read through some of the warranty and support issues of bubble king- has that been resolved? Where is the best place to buy one and which one would you recommend? Finally- do they still sell thir dreambox sumps in the us? I've emailed the royal exclusive website support email but have had no luck with a response. Any input would be appreciated or should I plan on going with another company? Was also looking at My Reef Creations Orca iii and having them build skimmer and sump. Feddback appreciate.

First and foremost the there is no excuse for any lapse in service or support that has transpired in the past. I am privy to a bit of into that most are not aware of. An official announcement will be made in the next several days. There are some MAJOR changes happening right now to address those issues and moving forward things are going to be a lot different. There are still some minor logistical issues that are being addressed as far as email and contact info but things are in the process of changing for the better in a real hurry. There is absolutely no reason why one of the highest quality skimmers on the market shouldn't have service and support to match. The bar is being raised to a level that will match or surpass the best names in the aquarium industry. Rest assured.

As far as which skimmer would be best, a bit more info on your display size and stock plans would be helpful. As to where to buy, Premiums Aqautics has always taken great care of me and generally has a very good onhand inventory. Dream Boxes are available in the US but are special order at the moment. As such, I would reach out to Premium Aquatics for pricing.

[Socaltoaz]

Silef- if you recall, you had posted on my build thread regarding open ce closed system. The thread can be found here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2477486

With regards to the service and support issues- can you offer more insight? I need to place my order for sump and skimmer soon as the tank is going to be delivered in the next 3 weeks. I'd like to go with Royal Exclusiv but 4-5 emails have gone unanswered to their corporate site as well as their facebook page. I'm ready to move on but frankly I'd be willing to wait it out a week or so to see what the big announcement is. Aesthetics is as important to me as function and the aesthetics of the RE line matches what I'm trying to accomplish. Can you pm me details? I've got MRC crew on standby to build my sump and skimmer if this doesn't work out.

On another note, I'm on my way to our home in Porter Ranch as the kids just got out for summer. If the opportunity exists, would love to swing by and see your tank in Simi Valley. I promise I'm not a stalker. Lol. Pm me if a visit can be arranged. Would love to get your help with the sump design.

[slief]

Originally Posted by Socaltoaz

Silef- if you recall, you had posted on my build thread regarding open ce closed system. The thread can be found here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2477486

With regards to the service and support issues- can you offer more insight? I need to place my order for sump and skimmer soon as the tank is going to be delivered in the next 3 weeks. I'd like to go with Royal Exclusiv but 4-5 emails have gone unanswered to their corporate site as well as their facebook page. I'm ready to move on but frankly I'd be willing to wait it out a week or so to see what the big announcement is. Aesthetics is as important to me as function and the aesthetics of the RE line matches what I'm trying to accomplish. Can you pm me details? I've got MRC crew on standby to build my sump and skimmer if this doesn't work out.

On another note, I'm on my way to our home in Porter Ranch as the kids just got out for summer. If the opportunity exists, would love to swing by and see your tank in Simi Valley. I promise I'm not a stalker. Lol. Pm me if a visit can be arranged. Would love to get your help with the sump design.

Lets just say I know the person (personally) that will be directly involved with US support and I know this person has a very long history in this hobby. This person also has a very long history in the service industry outside of this hobby and intends to see to it that the one of the best manufacturers in the industry has support & service to match the quality. There have been some issues with email routing between RE and RE USA but those are being addressed so that there are people both on this side of the pond as well as at the factory that will be cc'd and responding.

I won't fault MRC. They make good products. In fact, I have some old MRC stuff still floating around here. That said, from a build quality standpoint, I don't think the two companies are even close. You are welcome to swing by anytime. In fact, I should be around all weekend. I have a Supermarin with an RD3 pump as well as an RD3 Speedy pump running recirculation duties on my system. It would give you a chance to check them out as well as the rest of my system of course. I am not one to cut corners and as you will typically realize, I tend to only run what I feel are the best and most reliable products on my tank.

It's always nice to have fellow hobbyists come by as my wife and kids don't share the kind of passion that us reefers have.. As such, you are welcome to come over anytime. I'd also do my best to help you with regards to your sump design. Seeing my setup may give you some ideas as well. I custom designed mine and it's worked out better than I ever expected. Feel free to PM me and I will send you my number.

[moondoggy4]

Originally Posted by UWUALineman

Does it look like the block of the 960 I posted the link to?
If you could post it just for reference that would be great.

My bad for not coming back to this, I will do it today.

[moondoggy4]

SO GOOD to hear that someone with a great rep will be taken on the C/S for BK, I cannot wait to hear it is, I guess I have my own idea who that should be, if I am right I will toast a beer in celebration.

[moondoggy4]

https://ca-en.hagen.com/File/bb252fc...6-86df232985f6 It does look just like the 900 model as well, I can text a picture if you like, not really computer savvy here.

[UWUALineman]

Moon doggy I believe I am GTG with the 1350 block.
I will say this, within the past 2 days I have had WAY more interaction, positive movement to a resolution, and constructive dialogue with the individual to be involved with this CS makeover. This is an overdue makeover for BK, and I'm hoping this changes the face of their reputation for after purchase support. Great things to come I do believe for those who invest in a top of the line product.

[kavatica]

Joining the club. Got me the BBK mini 200 with speedy dc pump couple days ago.
Question though when measuring the unit of water to sit it in in the sump, do you go off the base plate or where the bottom of the actaul body meets the base?

[slief]

Originally Posted by kavatica

Joining the club. Got me the BBK mini 200 with speedy dc pump couple days ago.
Question though when measuring the unit of water to sit it in in the sump, do you go off the base plate or where the bottom of the actaul body meets the base?

Congrats! You got a great skimmer! I measure from the base of the skimmer (bottom of the sump) up.

[kavatica]

Thanks you very much Slief. Another question the amount of power running these Dc pumps is it best to run full blast or adjust to a diffrent power setting?

[papasreef]

Joined the club also. I got the BK Supermarin 250. Quick question what would be the best water level in the sump? Thanks

[slief]

Originally Posted by kavatica

Thanks you very much Slief. Another question the amount of power running these Dc pumps is it best to run full blast or adjust to a diffrent power setting?

More often than not, you best setting will not be full power. My RD3 on my supermarin is a 50 watt pump but I found the ideal setting for my tank to be around 38 watts. Every tank is different. Things like salinity, sump depth dissolved organics/bio load etc all have an impact on the skimmers tuning. With the non variable speed Red Dragons, we would have to reach into the sump and adjust the volute a fraction of a turn at a time to adjust the water to air ratio. With the RD3, the same very fine tuning is handled with the push of a button. Increasing and or lowering the pump speed, increases or decreases the amount of air and flow into the skimmer. This has a direct impact on the bubble size as well as water level/foam head height inside the skimmer. As such, you will be using that feature/pump controller to fine tune the skimmer and you will also find some power savings because you will most likely not be running at full power.

[slief]

Originally Posted by papasreef

Joined the club also. I got the BK Supermarin 250. Quick question what would be the best water level in the sump? Thanks

Congrats! You should love that skimmer. I absolutely love mine. Hopefully it is appropriate for you size display and load. I have mine on a heavily stocked 480g display with a 650'ish gallon overall volume and it's been one of the most consistent skimmers I have ever owned. Those skimmers are beasts!

I have my Supermarin 250 at about 9" sump depth and my RD3 pump running at about 38 watts. I will double check the depth when I get home but I am pretty certain that is where it's at. I have my sump setup so I can easily raise or lower the depth by moving my float switches up or down. I have used that sump depth control to fine tune my skimmer a bit beyond just the pump control and wedge pipe. That 9" depth works well for my load but I also tend to run my skimmers a bit more to the wet side.

[Klaus Jansen]

Slief is right : ... full power of Airintake is not always better. Every tank is different in bioload and surface tension... Any tanks running better with lower airintake. Thats one of the reasons, why RE was the first company, where developed controllable DC-pumps for skimmer. Permanent overflowing of skimmers has to do with overkill Airintake and bad balance. Speedadjustable Skimmerpumps are one of the most important Points for perfect skimming. And the feeling, what speed is good for my tank...

best regards ... Klaus

[Bigfish93]

Just bought a mini 200 and was wondering what level of water everyone is running in their sump. Right now my water level is at 10 inches but was wondering if I should cut it down to 9 inches. Any input would be appreciated!

[kavatica]

Originally Posted by slief

More often than not, you best setting will not be full power. My RD3 on my supermarin is a 50 watt pump but I found the ideal setting for my tank to be around 38 watts. Every tank is different. Things like salinity, sump depth dissolved organics/bio load etc all have an impact on the skimmers tuning. With the non variable speed Red Dragons, we would have to reach into the sump and adjust the volute a fraction of a turn at a time to adjust the water to air ratio. With the RD3, the same very fine tuning is handled with the push of a button. Increasing and or lowering the pump speed, increases or decreases the amount of air and flow into the skimmer. This has a direct impact on the bubble size as well as water level/foam head height inside the skimmer. As such, you will be using that feature/pump controller to fine tune the skimmer and you will also find some power savings because you will most likely not be running at full power.

Thanks again Slief, I had a RO sss regal 220 with a dc pump and couldn't really get a good explanation on the use of the Dc pump, I did finally read through some of the old post you wrote. I really liked the explanations you given, I'm also curios as far as bubble size going up the neck should i be seeing little bubbles in the neck at all and the foam start their or is the foam started below the neck and the water level never exceeding the the max water level line that BBK has labeled on the skimmer.

[kavatica]

Originally Posted by Klaus Jansen D

Slief is right : ... full power of Airintake is not always better. Every tank is different in bioload and surface tension... Any tanks running better with lower airintake. Thats one of the reasons, why RE was the first company, where developed controllable DC-pumps for skimmer. Permanent overflowing of skimmers has to do with overkill Airintake and bad balance. Speedadjustable Skimmerpumps are one of the most important Points for perfect skimming. And the feeling, what speed is good for my tank...

best regards ... Klaus

Thanks Klaus.

[slief]

Originally Posted by kavatica

Thanks again Slief, I had a RO sss regal 220 with a dc pump and couldn't really get a good explanation on the use of the Dc pump, I did finally read through some of the old post you wrote. I really liked the explanations you given, I'm also curios as far as bubble size going up the neck should i be seeing little bubbles in the neck at all and the foam start their or is the foam started below the neck and the water level never exceeding the the max water level line that BBK has labeled on the skimmer.

Glad to help. First, you really need to let the skimmer break in for several days. Once the slime coat builds up in the skimmer body and neck, the bubbles will change. That said, I run a wetter skim and tend to have the water level where water becomes bubbles just above the bottom of the cup. Much of that has to do with the amount of dissolved organics (DOC's) in the water. The more DOC's in the water, typically the lower the bubbles in the neck as the foam will build and rise easier. While I have a pretty heavy load in my 480g display with 60+ fish (many of which are large tangs), I have a lot of very well established live rock, a deep sand bed in my refugium as well as a lot of chaeto and a lot of soft coral. The end result is I have lot of biological filtration to reduce my nutrients. I also run four 7" filter socks to further reduce the DOC's in my water along with a good sized UV filter. As such, my nutrients are pretty low and I run my skimmer wetter to compensate. As mentioned above, every system is different. If I were you, I would start around 9" sump depth, set the pump to about 37-40 watts and let it run for a few more days before making anymore adjustments. You could adjust the wedge pipe if you want to increase the bubble height but things will change in the skimmer over the first 2 weeks making any adjustments you do likely only temporary. In my case, I fine tune my bubble height via my sump depth. My sump depth is managed by my float switches. If I raise them, then my sump depth is increased and if I lower them it's decreased. Even very slight changes in sump depth can make a big difference. Same can be said about the wedge pipe. My sump depth is set so that my wedge pipe is 99% open. If I make a wedge pipe adjustment, I only move it a hair. Like a mm at a time or less if I can. It doesn't take much to really fine tune things. Especially with the RD3 speedy pump which unlike the Chinese DC pump that can only be adjusted in a handful of increments, the Speedy can be adjusted in around 50 or more. This allows for some serious fine tune'ability! You just have to take it slow and only adjust one thing at a time so you get a feel for it the impact each adjustment (sump depth, wedge pipe and RD3 Speedy) does.

[slief]

Originally Posted by Bigfish93

Just bought a mini 200 and was wondering what level of water everyone is running in their sump. Right now my water level is at 10 inches but was wondering if I should cut it down to 9 inches. Any input would be appreciated!

8-9" or so is ideal but every system is different. If you have a low bio load, you will likely end up running it at the deeper end of the range than with a heavier load. The max depth for that skimmer is about 12" which is pretty deep and most would never need to go that deep. If it's skimming well for you now, leave it there. If it's really wet and you want drier or darker skim, you could lower your sump level in very tiny increments and note the results until you find a depth that works to your liking. If it's skimming really dry, you could close the wedge pipe slightly or raise the sump level but I think you're plenty deep unless you have no waste in your tank.

[kavatica]

Originally Posted by slief

Glad to help. First, you really need to let the skimmer break in for several days. Once the slime coat builds up in the skimmer body and neck, the bubbles will change. That said, I run a wetter skim and tend to have the water level where water becomes bubbles just above the bottom of the cup. Much of that has to do with the amount of dissolved organics (DOC's) in the water. The more DOC's in the water, typically the lower the bubbles in the neck as the foam will build and rise easier. While I have a pretty heavy load in my 480g display with 60+ fish (many of which are large tangs), I have a lot of very well established live rock, a deep sand bed in my refugium as well as a lot of chaeto and a lot of soft coral. The end result is I have lot of biological filtration to reduce my nutrients. I also run four 7" filter socks to further reduce the DOC's in my water along with a good sized UV filter. As such, my nutrients are pretty low and I run my skimmer wetter to compensate. As mentioned above, every system is different. If I were you, I would start around 9" sump depth, set the pump to about 37-40 watts and let it run for a few more days before making anymore adjustments. You could adjust the wedge pipe if you want to increase the bubble height but things will change in the skimmer over the first 2 weeks making any adjustments you do likely only temporary. In my case, I fine tune my bubble height via my sump depth. My sump depth is managed by my float switches. If I raise them, then my sump depth is increased and if I lower them it's decreased. Even very slight changes in sump depth can make a big difference. Same can be said about the wedge pipe. My sump depth is set so that my wedge pipe is 99% open. If I make a wedge pipe adjustment, I only move it a hair. Like a mm at a time or less if I can. It doesn't take much to really fine tune things. Especially with the RD3 speedy pump which unlike the Chinese DC pump that can only be adjusted in a handful of increments, the Speedy can be adjusted in around 50 or more. This allows for some serious fine tune'ability! You just have to take it slow and only adjust one thing at a time so you get a feel for it the impact each adjustment (sump depth, wedge pipe and RD3 Speedy) does.

OK Slief ill be patient with it and make the small adjustments down the road youve really cleared up allot for me man, one last thing i see allot of skimmers that have the foam just crazy going over into the pot is this something i should see down the road as well i mean i know theirs allot of variables and tanks being diffrent but im just curious.
Thanks.