Bubble King Skimmer Club

[sensei]

Thank you Scott!

is there any spare parts for this skimmer that would be good to have handy at home?
I believe somewhere I saw a protector for the inlet of the pump to avoid a snail or something to be sucked that can damage the skimmer pump?
I do not know is royal exclusive USA sells something like this?

waiting for your reply

[slief]

Originally Posted by sensei

Thank you Scott!

is there any spare parts for this skimmer that would be good to have handy at home?
I believe somewhere I saw a protector for the inlet of the pump to avoid a snail or something to be sucked that can damage the skimmer pump?
I do not know is royal exclusive USA sells something like this?

waiting for your reply

No real need for spares. We always have the RD3 skimmer pumps & impellers on hand for warranty replacements but I have yet to see a skimmer pump failure with the RD3's. The service side of Royal Exclusiv is being handled much better now that I'm overseeing it and I have new counterpart in Ft. Myers who knows the stuff well. Not only that, like me, he too is a long time reef hobbyist which is a huge change as we both understand how important this stuff is. Between him and I, the rare customer issues are getting taken care of in record time and with the sense of urgency that should be expected. Long gone are some of the service/support issues we faced in the past. Other than pumps, there isn't anything on these skimmers that would be needed.

As for the inlet strainer. That is something that is coming but as of yet, isn't available for the skimmer pumps. Those new strainers are made out of titanium and won't be cheap either. I've been running my RD3 skimmer pump without one for the last year and it's not a necessity unless you have a lot of critters in your sump. Every now and then and snail manages to get past my filter socks and into my skimmer pump. It's easily noticeable because it always causes the skimmer to overflow due to the airflow being reduced which is displaced by more water going into the skimmer. If you were really concerned about that, you could always make something out of a 1-1.5" PVC pipe with slots cut in it or holes drilled or make a small acrylic box with holes or slots to sit over the inlet.

[sensei]

Thank!

[jshepherd]

I have read the last 50 pages and must say that without the addition of Scott's input I would have stayed away from RE.

I have an order placed with PA for a SM200 w RD3. I am second guessing my decision and would like some reassurance before it ships. Reading earlier it appears Jeremy at PA used to suggest larger skimmer like the SM250

My tank is a 300DD w 90g sump. I am not sure how to rate my stock.

Large Powder Blue
Large Yellow tang
Med. Scopas Tang
Fox Face
Royal Grama
2 x Clowns
Rock Beauty Angel
Melanurus Wrasse
Pygmy Angel

I really do not plan to add much more. I am light on corals.

Thanks for any insight or reassurance. I need to make any changes (if need be )in the morning before it ships.

Thanks !

[Dread Pirate]

I posted before and was helped by Sleif (Thanks again). I am setting up a 72gal mixed reef tank with what will most likely be a medium bio load and around a 40gal sump. Slief recommended the Double cone 150. I am afraid to get a skimmer that is to big for my system because of the trouble people seem to have calibrating these skimmers when they are a bit oversized.

[Dread Pirate]

I noticed online there is a double cone 130 available at very few places. Is this a discontinued model. If it is not would this be a better fit for my system.

Thanks in advance for the expertise

[slief]

Originally Posted by jshepherd

I have read the last 50 pages and must say that without the addition of Scott's input I would have stayed away from RE.

I have an order placed with PA for a SM200 w RD3. I am second guessing my decision and would like some reassurance before it ships. Reading earlier it appears Jeremy at PA used to suggest larger skimmer like the SM250

My tank is a 300DD w 90g sump. I am not sure how to rate my stock.

Large Powder Blue
Large Yellow tang
Med. Scopas Tang
Fox Face
Royal Grama
2 x Clowns
Rock Beauty Angel
Melanurus Wrasse
Pygmy Angel

I really do not plan to add much more. I am light on corals.

Thanks for any insight or reassurance. I need to make any changes (if need be )in the morning before it ships.

Thanks !

As I mentioned, I run an SM250 on a much larger system with a MUCH heavier load. I think the 200 will be perfect for you. You could get away with the SM250 but might face some minor inconsistency issues and have to run it really wet to keep it reasonably consistent. If it were me, I'd likely go with the SM200.

[slief]

Originally Posted by Dread Pirate

I noticed online there is a double cone 130 available at very few places. Is this a discontinued model. If it is not would this be a better fit for my system.

Thanks in advance for the expertise

I don't think there are any DC130's in the states at this point in time. There may be some coming in with the next shipment which is due to arrive in a couple weeks. I think you will be OK with the DC150.. The 150 should be perfect for your tank. It's max rated size is 92 gallons. The DC130's max rated size is 80 gallons. You could go either way assuming your going to keep a low load but if you end up wanting more fish down the line, the 150 would be better suited.

[jshepherd]

Originally Posted by slief

As I mentioned, I run an SM250 on a much larger system with a MUCH heavier load. I think the 200 will be perfect for you. You could get away with the SM250 but might face some minor inconsistency issues and have to run it really wet to keep it reasonably consistent. If it were me, I'd likely go with the SM200.

Thanks for the prompt reply, I certainly trust your opinion more than anyone. I did not mean to imply that I was second guessing your suggestions. One other thing that helps sway one way or the other is the sump dimensions

I have a 14x18 and a 16x18 sections. I assume there is a little wiggle room but the Sm250 is 14x18.5.. and is out of stock at PA.

I am running on an old xp2000 from my 150g build now so I am sure the 200 will be a nice upgrade

[Dread Pirate]

That what I thought Slief. I was getting a bit apprehensive in getting a RE skimmer after reading all the trouble people were having keeping them consistent.
But I think RE is the only skimmer on the market that you shouldnt oversize? It seems most people having problems dont have enough waste to skim off and have an oversized skimmer?

Love all the help. Cant wait to get my tank and get to reefing!

[slief]

Originally Posted by Dread Pirate

That what I thought Slief. I was getting a bit apprehensive in getting a RE skimmer after reading all the trouble people were having keeping them consistent.
But I think RE is the only skimmer on the market that you shouldnt oversize? It seems most people having problems dont have enough waste to skim off and have an oversized skimmer?

Love all the help. Cant wait to get my tank and get to reefing!

I wouldn't say it's the only skimmer you shouldn't oversize. In fact, companies like Coralvue/Reef Octopus and others don't recommend oversizing their skimmers. It's one of the main reasons why so many people start threads on the forum seeking help because they can't get their skimmer to produce or work properly. While you really can't overskim a tank which leads people to think they should get as big a skimmer as possible, that common misconception leads to the fact that getting too large of skimmer isn't always a good thing. This holds truth to pretty much any skimmer out there. You need enough dissolved organics (DOC's) to make any skimmer work properly and the larger the skimmer, the more DOC's needed.

That said, the BK's are among the most efficient skimmers in terms of their ability to outperform similar size and similar rated skimmers. This is due in part to the skimmer body and bubble plate design and in large part due to the Red Dragon pumps which have always been coveted as about the best skimmer pumps on the market. Royal Exclusiv puts a lot of R&D into their skimmer design and pumps. Klaus is kind of a mad scientist and works 6 days a week designing & testing this stuff. He pretty much never stops. While Royal Exclusiv designs both their own pumps and their skimmer bodies and does so to work in conjunction with each other, I can't think of a single other skimmer company that not only designs the skimmer but also their own pumps. Most companies put minimal effort into the skimmer body design and use somebody elses cheap pump. Some might design their own volute and impeller but that is as far as they go. On the flip side, most of the cheaper Chinese skimmers are copies of somebody elses design and include a cheap pump meaning they don't really put any R&D let alone serious testing into the design. This is what seperates Royal Exclusiv from pretty much every other skimmer manufacturer out there and it's also a key reason why the Bubble Kings perform as well as they do. Then of course there is the build and material quality which speaks for itself.

[ksed]

Scott,

Do you think we will see these types of grid wheels on future skimmers. Here is a picture that Klaus posted , post 695 it is the ones on the far right.
http://www.meerwasserforum.info/inde...5261&pageNo=35

[slief]

Originally Posted by ksed

Scott,

Do you think we will see these types of grid wheels on future skimmers. Here is a picture that Klaus posted , post 695 it is the ones on the far right.
http://www.meerwasserforum.info/inde...5261&pageNo=35

Good find!!! I've never seen those shots. I knew he was working on pressure impellers for the RD flow pumps but I've never seen that grid impeller before so I couldn't tell you. It does however bolster my statement about Klaus being more akin to a mad scientist. Give the man a 3D printer and a CNC machine and he will go to town and judging by all the crazy impellers he is testing, it's clear he's doing his R&D and looking to the future. If that grid impeller proves to improve skimmer performance and warrants the change, you can bet it will appear in skimmers down the road but at this stage, one can only speculate.

[SchnitzelReef]

Originally Posted by slief

Good find!!! I've never seen those shots. I knew he was working on pressure impellers for the RD flow pumps but I've never seen that grid impeller before so I couldn't tell you. It does however bolster my statement about Klaus being more akin to a mad scientist. Give the man a 3D printer and a CNC machine and he will go to town and judging by all the crazy impellers he is testing, it's clear he's doing his R&D and looking to the future. If that grid impeller proves to improve skimmer performance and warrants the change, you can bet it will appear in skimmers down the road but at this stage, one can only speculate.

Hey I had a quick question for you. I have a double done 250 with a speedy pump. When I got the skimmer, I had a stand built for it. In order for it to foam correctly, I have to have the wedge pipe almost 90% closed. I read a post from you earlier that said you liked to have the skimmer set where the wedge pipe is mostly open. In order for me to do that, would I need to lower my skimmer or raise my skimmer?

[slief]

Originally Posted by SchnitzelReef

Hey I had a quick question for you. I have a double done 250 with a speedy pump. When I got the skimmer, I had a stand built for it. In order for it to foam correctly, I have to have the wedge pipe almost 90% closed. I read a post from you earlier that said you liked to have the skimmer set where the wedge pipe is mostly open. In order for me to do that, would I need to lower my skimmer or raise my skimmer?

You are correct. I like to set protein skimmers up with the wedge pipe wide open so there isn't a restriction on the effluent line. I fidn the sweet spot as far as depth goes with the wedge wide open and then if I need to make slight adjustment to the skimmer, it can be done by closing the wedge ever so slightly. When the sump level is dialed in, it only takes a fraction of a turn of the wedge to make a decent difference. This typically results in better stability inside the skimmer. This is especially important with the smaller skimmers. In your case, you would need to either lower the skimmer or raise the sump level to compensate for the wedge pipe being closed so much.

I have my ATO float switches setup on magnet scrubbers which allow me to easily raise or lower the level in my sump for fine tuning of the skimmer. In your case, you could start by either removing the skimmer stand or modifying it. 1/4-1/2" of increased depth will probably do the trick.

[SchnitzelReef]

Originally Posted by slief

You are correct. I like to set protein skimmers up with the wedge pipe wide open so there isn't a restriction on the effluent line. I fidn the sweet spot as far as depth goes with the wedge wide open and then if I need to make slight adjustment to the skimmer, it can be done by closing the wedge ever so slightly. When the sump level is dialed in, it only takes a fraction of a turn of the wedge to make a decent difference. This typically results in better stability inside the skimmer. This is especially important with the smaller skimmers. In your case, you would need to either lower the skimmer or raise the sump level to compensate for the wedge pipe being closed so much.



I have my ATO float switches setup on magnet scrubbers which allow me to easily raise or lower the level in my sump for fine tuning of the skimmer. In your case, you could start by either removing the skimmer stand or modifying it. 1/4-1/2" of increased depth will probably do the trick.

Ok cool. I will just chop the legs down a bit. Maybe start with 1/2" at a time.

Thanks for the help!!!

[slief]

Originally Posted by SchnitzelReef

Ok cool. I will just chop the legs down a bit. Maybe start with 1/2" at a time.

Thanks for the help!!!

Glad to help!

[ksed]

is there anyway of finding out if he thinks this is a good idea. Or are there disadvantages to that grid impeller.

Originally Posted by slief

Good find!!! I've never seen those shots. I knew he was working on pressure impellers for the RD flow pumps but I've never seen that grid impeller before so I couldn't tell you. It does however bolster my statement about Klaus being more akin to a mad scientist. Give the man a 3D printer and a CNC machine and he will go to town and judging by all the crazy impellers he is testing, it's clear he's doing his R&D and looking to the future. If that grid impeller proves to improve skimmer performance and warrants the change, you can bet it will appear in skimmers down the road but at this stage, one can only speculate.

[slief]

Originally Posted by ksed

is there anyway of finding out if he thinks this is a good idea. Or are there disadvantages to that grid impeller.

I will ask. My guess is that it was just one of the many experiments and didn't work as efficiently as the current impeller design or is slated for the next generation smaller skimmer. It it was the cat's meow, I think we would have heard more about it given that post is several months old. If I find anything out, I will let you know.

[ksed]

Thanks

[SchnitzelReef]

Originally Posted by slief

You are correct. I like to set protein skimmers up with the wedge pipe wide open so there isn't a restriction on the effluent line. I fidn the sweet spot as far as depth goes with the wedge wide open and then if I need to make slight adjustment to the skimmer, it can be done by closing the wedge ever so slightly. When the sump level is dialed in, it only takes a fraction of a turn of the wedge to make a decent difference. This typically results in better stability inside the skimmer. This is especially important with the smaller skimmers. In your case, you would need to either lower the skimmer or raise the sump level to compensate for the wedge pipe being closed so much.



I have my ATO float switches setup on magnet scrubbers which allow me to easily raise or lower the level in my sump for fine tuning of the skimmer. In your case, you could start by either removing the skimmer stand or modifying it. 1/4-1/2" of increased depth will probably do the trick.

Well I cut my skimmer stand down 1.25", and I was only able to open my wedge pipe about 5% more.. IF that. Wonder why 1.25" made almost no difference.

Skimmer is now in 11" of water

Ideas?

[slief]

Originally Posted by SchnitzelReef

Well I cut my skimmer stand down 1.25", and I was only able to open my wedge pipe about 5% more.. IF that. Wonder why 1.25" made almost no difference.

Skimmer is now in 11" of water

Ideas?

11" of water? Something isn't right. The sweet spot is around 8". Wat do you have the RD3 set to? Normally around 37 watts seems to be a good starting point for that sized skimmer. When was the last time you took the pump apart and cleaned it? What size tank and how many fish?

[SchnitzelReef]

Originally Posted by slief

11" of water? Something isn't right. The sweet spot is around 8". Wat do you have the RD3 set to? Normally around 37 watts seems to be a good starting point for that sized skimmer. When was the last time you took the pump apart and cleaned it? What size tank and how many fish?

It was in about 9.5" of water before I cut it, and yes it's at 36/37w.

Tank is 250g and there is around 15-20 fish.

It took me awhile to figure out the sweet spot, but this is where it performed best.

It's a double cone in case you missed that.

[slief]

Originally Posted by SchnitzelReef

It was in about 9.5" of water before I cut it, and yes it's at 36/37w.

Tank is 250g and there is around 15-20 fish.

It took me awhile to figure out the sweet spot, but this is where it performed best.

It's a double cone in case you missed that.

Double Cone 250. Your tank is on the small/minium side for that skimmer. Especially given that you have what I would consider to be a really light load for your display size. That kind of explains why you have been running it so deep. Are you running around 1.025-1.026 salinity?

Given your current load, you pobably do have much of a choice. You could increase the flow into the pump a bit but 37ish watts seems to produce the best foam in that skimmer. Incresing the power a bit might help. You may not have a choice but to run it deep or increase your load.

[SchnitzelReef]

Originally Posted by slief

Double Cone 250. You do have a pretty light load though and your tank is on the small side for that skimmer. That kind of explains why you are running it so deep. Are you running around 1.025-1.026 salinity?



Given your current load, you pobably do have much of a chice. You increase the flow into the pump a bit but 37ish watts seems to produce the best foam in that skimmer. As such, you may not have a choice but to run it deep.

Yea it's not working very hard in my tank, I should have gone with a 200.