Protein Skimmer question

[hayabusa2003]

That's what turned me off ... the fact that they say it can be run externally using a feed pump, but it's NOT a recirc skimmer. If you look at the design, octo added a barbed-input to the sicce pump where you would feed the sump water to the skimmer. So you would be using a pump to feed directly into another pump (sicce)...how do you match the flow rate then? If the feed pump is slower or faster, that'll lead to pressure conditions on the sicce and I would think shorten the lifespan of the motor. You're never going to be able to match the flow rate 100%. If the feed pump is to slow, you'll burn out the sicce pretty fast. You'll probably have to run a feed pump that's more gph than the sicce, but not too much faster. What did PA recommend to use as the feed pump?

FYI, I thought about it back and forth, and ended up getting a recirc skimmer (used H&S).

 

[AngelPete]

PA said the feed pump should be at least 1 to 1.5 times the skimmer pump. The model i inquired about is rated at 200gph so he recommend at mag-350. BTW the Octopus skimmer DO NOT use a sicce pump. They did updgrade the previous Octo pump though. The skimmer with the sicce are the ones made by SWC and sold by marine solutions which they dont have in stock yet anyway. So which skimmer are you considering extreme or recirc? now the both cost about the same so does that mena the new extremes will do just as good a job?

 

[harryk]

[/quote]
Harry
so did you decide on a skimmer yet ? I havent bought one yet but im leaning towards the new Octopus Extreme line
[/quote]

I'm leaning towards an octopus. It seems like a pretty good value and they seem to to work well. I'm not sure about the xtreme yet. I was planning on using it insump but now i'm concerened about keeping the water level steady. where did you guys hear this that the water level has to be steady or it won't work right

Harry

 

[AngelPete]

Harry
i was only inquiring with PA about the external models so you may want to contact PA about the insump only models. Jason usually replies within a day. Ive never heard complaints from the people that i know who own the in sump models.

 

[hayabusa2003]

Pete, thx for clearing that up...I got the Extreme and Xtreme skimmers mixed up. I was originally looking at the Xtreme models, since they are more similar to the ATI bubble-masters which were my original option, but PA stopped carrying them. The SICCE pump touts 1000 L/H of air at only 30watts. Not sure what the octo pumps are rated at.

I ended up getting a used H&S A150-F2001 recirculating skimmer.

Harry, I think any insump skimmer will have varying performance depending on the water level they sit in. Most recommend a specific water level range. Not that it's bad, but the skimmate that gets produced (wetter/dryer) will vary if your water level fluctuates. Most people I know that have in-sump skimmers also have an auto-topoff system.

Recirculating skimmers are more "set-it-and-forget-it", but they take up more real-estate.

 

[harryk]

ok good to know, i'll send them an email, i definately want an in sump model. that's one less pump i have to worry about, not that it's a big deal.

thanks
Harry