protein skimmer topic again

[weisoon]

There will never be a best skimmer. One of the most important attributes of a good skimmer is spare parts availability and ease of maintenance. However, do remember to slightly over rate the skimmer, else you will end up not happy with water quality and then sell and buy a bigger unit and then lost money in the process.

[blueheaven]

There will never be a best skimmer. One of the most important attributes of a good skimmer is spare parts availability and ease of maintenance. However, do remember to slightly over rate the skimmer, else you will end up not happy with water quality and then sell and buy a bigger unit and then lost money in the process.

I agree with this

That is what is happening to me now

Well anyway, I'm still a true believer of running 2 skimmers for the best results

[letdoit]

running 2 different type of skimmer of course is better.

if consider abt spare part, does H&S easy to get?

if skimmer all abt the same, then i think needlewheel will be better.

using less power to drive = save electrical = less heat = less power for chiller again. LOL

but i don't think so, i using 2011, look like nothing one le. using 2000l/h pump.

don't tell me that 2011 can compare those abit expensive method skimmer.. LOL

[blueheaven]

Don't really understand what you mean by the weipro part but the only downside of the needlewheel is that it is not cheap if you are talking about the good ones.

And for Beckett, although it uses a strong pump, those magnet ones like MD55 do not add any heat to the water as it is fan cooled.

In fact, if compared to a needlewheel, the needlewheel might add more heat to the water than a Beckett

[dreamzcape]

u going to try second hand skimmers? even if you do get your hands on 2nd hand deltecs and H&S and AquaC and all that...do realise that good 2nd hand skimmers are still expensive so your cost may be cheaper but still high.

Just share what i know:

Needlewheel:Deltec,H&S,BK,macro(much lower end),schuran(i think)

Venturi:Weipro macro.and i think beckett skimmers are a more powerful venturi...bros correct me if i'm wrong

Aspirating venturi:not sure but needlewheels use it coupled with needlewheel impeller.Difference between this and normal venturi is:

Normal venturi the water is channelled through and then draws air in whereas aspirating venturi takes in air and water at the same time at the inlet of the pump.

spray injection:AquaC

hope this shines some light.

btw anyone knows tunze skimmers use what technology?

[weisoon]

In fact, if compared to a needlewheel, the needlewheel might add more heat to the water than a Beckett

Do you have any conclusive results? Or you just based on personal judgement? If yes, please post your theory on why running needlewheel will heat up the water more than running a beckett.

[framerunner]

Perhaps BH is refering to a insump needlewheel where the pump is submerge in sump.

[aquabeAnz]

Perhaps BH is refering to a insump needlewheel where the pump is submerge in sump.

but even so, how much can its fan cool the MD55 down.. compared to a needlwheel??

anyway, BH, duno how u got the feeling? heheh ahhaha

[ozy]

Do you have any conclusive results? Or you just based on personal judgement? If yes, please post your theory on why running needlewheel will heat up the water more than running a beckett.

Probably he has tried using a MX70 needle wheel...

[aquabeAnz]

Probably he has tried using a MX70 needle wheel...

hehehe* nice one

[Melvyn Tan]

Do you have any conclusive results? Or you just based on personal judgement? If yes, please post your theory on why running needlewheel will heat up the water more than running a beckett.

Will be interesting to know BH's conclusive results.

[Melvyn Tan]

Anyway, i feel that needlewheel is one of the most cost effective way (long term running cost) to run a skimmer. Believe all 3, H&S, Deltec & Bubbleking are very easily maintained. And the spare parts wise, H&S is very easily obtained, believe Deltec & BK will be the same if the local agent/distributor carries spares.

[zorden]

hehehe...now i am thinking of gettig a smaller skimmer that can fit into my sump tank...don know if go for HnS, Aquamedic or maybe deltec...

how how??

now got lights.., tunzes and last is skimmer...or should i stick to my skimmer.....

[midnight angel]

hi all bros , juz to chk is it easy to get macro nw spare parts and who is the local agent for it, thks

[weileong]

From my point of view, Beckett is more suitable for large systems with heavy bioloads as the turnover rate is high as compared to needlewheels.

Base on what do you say that?

Needlewheels on the other hand, has its advantages of consistent bubble production and run on lesser power than the Beckett.

Again based on what do you say about the power consumption?

[alanseah]

hehehe...now i am thinking of gettig a smaller skimmer that can fit into my sump tank...don know if go for HnS, Aquamedic or maybe deltec...

how how??

now got lights.., tunzes and last is skimmer...or should i stick to my skimmer.....

Well skimmer is your only source of filter so if want go get a slightly over size skimmer to help clean the water else u will always faint with p04 and n03 problem.

[weisoon]

Anyway, i feel that needlewheel is one of the most cost effective way (long term running cost) to run a skimmer.  Believe all 3, H&S, Deltec & Bubbleking are very easily maintained.  And the spare parts wise, H&S is very easily obtained, believe Deltec & BK will be the same if the local agent/distributor carries spares.

Deltec has the self cleaning head! Not sure on the H&S and BK.

As for spares, well, ask yourself will you pay $200+ for a RD pump shaft and wait 1 to 2 weeks for it to arrive or rather a eheim 1260 shaft that cost only $70 from petmart and available anytime?

Do not think the local distributor for Deltec and BK keep any spares.

As for the Deltec & BK needlewheels, they should last a long time if one pre-filter the feed pump properly. Only thing that needs replacement after wear and tear is the shaft and the rubber bushings that hold the shaft in place.

[Melvyn Tan]

Deltec has the self cleaning head! Not sure on the H&S and BK.

As for spares, well, ask yourself will you pay $200+ for a RD pump shaft and wait 1 to 2 weeks for it to arrive or rather a eheim 1260 shaft that cost only $70 from petmart and available anytime?

Do not think the local distributor for Deltec and BK keep any spares.

As for the Deltec & BK needlewheels, they should last a long time if one pre-filter the feed pump properly. Only thing that needs replacement after wear and tear is the shaft and the rubber bushings that hold the shaft in place.

Oh yes...for the larger models of Deltec, it has the self cleaning head.

[Alvin Tan]

but even so, how much can its fan cool the MD55 down.. compared to a needlwheel??

anyway, BH, duno how u got the feeling? heheh ahhaha

IMO...the heat frm the MD55 cannot be compared to needlewheel pump...

jus my 2 cents...with the fan cooling the MD..heat is still dere..

[crispysg]

Eh sorry ah,

I thought the heat produced from a pump would be determined by the wattage it runs? higher watt hight heat produced? Would it not be easier to find out the wattage of the mentioned pumps in order to determine better?

[Gouldian]

Eh sorry ah,

I thought the heat produced from a pump would be determined by the wattage it runs? higher watt hight heat produced? Would it not be easier to find out the wattage of the mentioned pumps in order to determine better?

Not really true.

There are different factors contributing to the heat, it is not necessary due to the wattage.

Like for example a pressure rated pump will generate more heat than a non-pressure rated one. But that does not means that the formal pump is inferior.

[crispysg]

Hi,

You are right. However, a pressure rated pump requires more watt to run. Thus there is more heat produced.

However, if the pump is external, it will contribute less heat. as it is not submerged in water.

Either way, it is related.

Hope you agree...

Thanks for the contribution.

[iantoh]

Hi everyone,

well, just some thoughts i had, and to join the discussion for fun ya:

when i think of the differences between skimmers, i kinda look at it this way- as a percentage of dissolved organics which the skimmer is capable of removing from the water that passes through its chamber. so for example (not to discredit any brand of skimmer or anything),

1) an air stone skimmer is capable of removing 70% of dissolved organics that passes through it (for the first TWO WEEK period that the air stone is still efficient); whilst

2) a macro/weipro perhaps 80%??, and

3) a beckett/H&S maybe 90%??, with

4) BK's extracting maybe 90+%???

thing is, with how ive set that up, it becomes clear that skimming is more a matter of getting enough uncleaned tank water to pass through the skimmer's chamber, as opposed to the skimmer's skimming ability totally on its own.

thats where the cheaper skimmers fail. the air-stone skimmers are only capable of recirculating the water from within the limited area where it is positioned, so a large volume of water within the water column does not even pass through the skimmer to get skimmed, as there is nothing but rising air from the air stone to pull water through the chamber. these skimmers actually dont skim badly if you have super flow in a very small tank, and am willing to change the air stone constantly, but it suffers from its design limitations.

proportionately, slightly better skimmers than air-stone ones like the prizms and weipros and macros increase their flow rates and turnover capacity, but will prove inadequate for tanks larger than their capacity, whilst top of the line skimmers that are powered by large pumps (in excess of 5000L/Hr), are designed specifically to handle such high flow rates, and are consequenty better able to turnover larger water volumes, inject more bubbles per unit of time, hence improving skimmate output.

this is why lots of bros here often adivse me that the pump driving a skimmer is probably the single most important determinant of the skimmer's eventual efficiency and output, along with good flow within the aquarium itself.

well, hopefully that makes sense.

cheers all,

ian

[Gouldian]

Hi,

You are right. However, a pressure rated pump requires more watt to run. Thus there is more heat produced.

However, if the pump is external, it will contribute less heat. as it is not submerged in water.

Either way, it is related.

Hope you agree...

Thanks for the contribution.

Well you may be right.

Anyway, my chain of thoughts is coming from original made high flow pumps vs the China/Taiwan made followers products. The original products tends to run cooler based on the same specs.

[dominik]

does the color of the skimmate can tell who is more efficient? Currently i am using weipro 2013 and it is skimming very wet and dark green skimmate.