Skimmer Thread

[alrha]

oy, does that leave me with the Turbo 1060S as my only choice?
it is the most expensive one and rated for the highest size so i'm guessing it would be the most poweful. just wondering how good those are as they are not very popular.
also of course the more silent a skimmer will be the better, silence is golden in a livingroom tank - i just got a red dragon return pump for the silence.

 

[Jonathan]

alrha,
you might check with brian at fins reef and see what he can do for you. I almost ordered a custom 110 with the pump placed underneath it. Maybe he can order an a 200-1260 (uses an eheim 1260 like an ap701 or 851) with the pump underneath it. Otherwise the new mini bk's will be out in supposedly three months or less, the largest size or the middle one might work for you. Its just going to cost more.

My DAS is still rocking. This is just under 24 hours worth of skimmate and my tank only has a clown and rbta in it right now.

Sadly I must let it go for something smaller and quieter. It is for sale for $220 if anyone is interested. new skimmer will be here today.

 

[alrha]

Otherwise the new mini bk's will be out in supposedly three months or less, the largest size or the middle one might work for you. Its just going to cost more.

i would love a BK, but Scott (from Captive Oceans) doesnt know how long it will be till they arrive IF EVER.
also will the smaller BKs be for smaller tanks? or will they have the same punch only in a smaller body?

 

[Jonathan]

alrha,
check out these threads
http://www.zeovit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7064
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=891568

klaus states it should be 90 days or less. I'm not sure why captive oceans is telling people (including me) they dont know when or if ever the mini bk's will be available. i had a conversation with klaus and he implied that he was ready to produce/send US versions over just waiting on gary from captive oceans.

 

[alrha]

thanks Jon.
if this is correct, the largest mini would probably still be too weak...

Mini Bubble-King 200
$1097 in europe
1000 liter (227 gallon)
42watt
H 55 cm (21.6")
footprint 190mm (7.5") X 250mm (9.8")

 

[Jonathan]

what tank size are you getting this for again. I hear alot of people say that BK ratings are right on, so if your tank is 227g it should be fine. Not like ASM saying a skimmer is rated for 200g, when it really can only handle 75g. but having not ever owned one I cant comment, thats just a comment i've read several times about them.

 

[alrha]

i got a 187gal tank. i feel that i've been trained to look for a skimmer rated for 400+gal

 

[cali_reef]

i got a 187gal tank. i feel that i've been trained to look for a skimmer rated for 400+gal

I have a BK300 on a 180:lol2: But I think the total water is about 350g.
Msher have a BK250 on his tank (I think a 120 or 150).
Moonpod have a BK400 on his 400g FOWLR.

Everyone I know with BK oversize it. Not much of a price difference at this point.

If you are using a Red Dragon due to noise, you won't find a pump that is silence enough to run a backett skimmer.

 

[spykes]

I have a BK300 on a 180:lol2: But I think the total water is about 350g.
Msher have a BK250 on his tank (I think a 120 or 150).
Moonpod have a BK400 on his 400g FOWLR.

Everyone I know with BK oversize it. Not much of a price difference at this point.

If you are using a Red Dragon due to noise, you won't find a pump that is silence enough to run a backett skimmer.

slamajama is running a BK400 internal on his 125 gallon tank. =D

russ a sedra will be efficent but not enought like what a baracuda sequence will do to that skimmer. Beckett skimmers require alot more pressure then you think. Even if the manufactor recommends it. Look at aqua C's website and tell me those pumps they recommend is crap.

albert if you want a good skimmer just go with whatever peacan2phat or calireef says, because these guys know what they are talking about.

 

[alrha]

If you are using a Red Dragon due to noise, you won't find a pump that is silence enough to run a backett skimmer.

ok, so i guess the BK is out. Russ's Bermuda looks good - what do you think?
what does that mean pierce, i didnt understand that. that i wont find a pump quiet enough? well i can always throw a RD on the Bermuda skimmer...

 

[cali_reef]

Go with a NW skimmer like a Deltec, H&S and BK if you want a quiet and efficient skimmer. They are hard to beat for the performace and the amount of electricity used.

As for a RD on a beckett skimmer; I don't know how much pressure RD pumps puts out, the only one I have seen is the one on my BK with the needle wheel. These are low RPM pumps which means they do not put out much pressure, my RD stalls when it trys to restart after I shut it off for feeding. You need a large pressure rated pump to drive beckett skimmers in order to get the maximum performace, that means lots of power consumption, heat and noise. I sold the best performing skimmer I ever used because these issues.

 

[alrha]

so this means the bermuda are not becketts? what are they considered, venturi?

what are the pros/cons of beketts vs. needlewheels vs. venturi, etc?

 

[masterswimmer]

so this means the bermuda are not becketts? what are they considered, venturi?

what are the pros/cons of beketts vs. needlewheels vs. venturi, etc?

No, the Bermuda's are not becketts. They are venturi.
Becketts will require a pressure rated (higher wattage ) pump.
Needlewheel just refers to the impeller on the pump. You can technically use a needlewheel as your skimmer pump for any venturi skimmer.
Venturi's can be run with a lower wattage pump. The Bermuda has a patented self cleaning venturi-mixer-injector.

R

 

[alrha]

No, the Bermuda's are not becketts. They are venturi.
Becketts will require a pressure rated (higher wattage ) pump.
Needlewheel just refers to the impeller on the pump. You can technically use a needlewheel as your skimmer pump for any venturi skimmer.
Venturi's can be run with a lower wattage pump. The Bermuda has a patented self cleaning venturi-mixer-injector.
R

so i can use a needlewheel pump and it would add even more air to the venturi?
i think i need to do a little more homework on these different types of skimmers.

 

[regal]

so i can use a needlewheel pump and it would add even more air to the venturi?
i think i need to do a little more homework on these different types of skimmers.

I don't think the needlewheel draws in more air. It just helps to break the air into finer bubbles to increase the efficiency of the skimmer. Venturi basically means the venturi effects created by the inlet of the pump to draw in air. So, BK, deltec and H&S etc are all needle wheel venturi skimmer.

 

[alrha]

with a needlewheel, the air intake is on the pump itself, no?
some skimmers (like my Tunze) have a special pump for the skimmer (that the pump sucks the air in) while others (like the Bermuda) can use any pump because the air is sucked in by the skimmer.
is there a significant difference between the 2?

 

[kimoyo]

Albert,

Heres a skimmer article you can look at for some info. I don't argee with everything (swirling increases contact time) but its a good reference.

All skimmers are trying to do is introduce small bubbles into the water and they do this in different ways. Air driven counter-current skimmers are tubes with air stones in them with bubbles going against the current.

Most of the popular skimmers today use the venturi effect (water going thru a smaller channel draws air in) which is just an application of Bernoulli's principle. The needlewheel, becketts, venturis all use this effect in some fashion. Becketts use the effect after the pump outlet whereas the deltecs, bks, etc. use it before the pump inlet.

Bombardment rate (# of collisions between clean air bubble bumps and drops of water) and contact time (time water is exposed to bubbles) are two things people concentrate on with skimmers. Bombardment rate - how much air the skimmer pulls in and how small the air bubbles. Recirculating skimmers try to improve contact time by recirculating the same water in the skimmer for a certain amount of time. Where becketts try to improve contact time thru longer pathways and increased velocity.

 

[masterswimmer]

Not all venturi's draw air through the pump. Using a needlewheel pump on a skimmer that draws air after the pump would not increase efficiency. Whereas a needlewheel pump used on a skimmer that uses the pump for the venturi would increase its efficiency. Have I confused you yet?

R

 

[alrha]

Thanks Paul, i'll have to read that article. i've been skimerless for 3 years, then picked up the Tunze which is just plug'n'play, so i really am not up to speed on all the different types, and dropping this much money, one wants to be sure he's getting his money's worth. the last thing i want to do is discover i got the wrong skimmer after blowing all that $$$$$$.

 

[cali_reef]

Not all venturi's draw air through the pump. Using a needlewheel pump on a skimmer that draws air after the pump would not increase efficiency. Whereas a needlewheel pump used on a skimmer that uses the pump for the venturi would increase its efficiency. Have I confused you yet?

R

I think you are confused

Venturi effect is based on the pressure differential(Bernoulli's principle like Paul mentioned) within the venturi device, a beckett(TM) is a form of venturi injector too and is by far the most efficient form of a air injector I have used in a skimmer.

Needle wheel pumps = no pressure = not a good pump to "push" water through a venturi device. Low rpm pump (RD) = low pressure = not a good pump to "push" water to a venturi device.

The BK, Deltec, and H&S have an air port on the intake side of the pump to suck air into the needle wheel, the needle wheel then chops up that air into tiny little air bubbles. The venturi on these skimmers are not the primary bubble making device, just a way to get air into the pump\needle wheel.