Treadwheel pump

[mavgi]

since a lot of member interest on this mod so i post here some info about it.

the real credit belong to "acontia" because he was the first to start this project.

i decide to make this test because i wait to much time to my ATI BM250 (i test it now)

the material name it's "Enkamat® Nylon" i use with the PF5 i think but i am not sure that ati with the new pump use with the PF4.

i find out with the PF5 the best result and the optimum is to use with 3 layer more then that will reduce the air that the pump will pull and less will be not sufficient.

i compare it to 3 different pump with the original impeller and with the mesh one.

1. eheim 1260 H&S original pump

2. sedra SP3-C pump

3. gen x 6000 pump

there was one more test on aqua clear 402 power head (to check it on small hang on skimmer the jebo)

one more test on dart pump on DIY skimmer

one more test on 4 gen x 4100 on DIY skimmer

the different was big and the result was very good , there was one problem with the eheim pump wich back pressure lower the air in the pump in both the mesh and the original impeller and this was the real reason why ATI decide to change the pump.

when i connect the air meter on the pump i find out that the air in the meter not stabile and always it was change between 15l/min to 10 l/min.

on the sedra sp3-c pump the reading with the original impeller was 3-5 l/min with the mesh it's jump to 12l/min.

on the gen x pump the reading was with the original impeller 12-14 l/min with the mesh it's jump to 22-23 l/min

the result in the skimming was total big different what i skim in a day i never skim in a week.

i change more then 20 time the mesh on the pump and find out that if you don't cut it good you lose a lot of air.

when you do it the pump will make some noise and i put under my pump some pump holder to reduce it.

the best way it's to run the air pipe without the air valve and to reduce the water level it's take about 2 hour till it's start to break in but then the water level get high and the foam start to pull out.

you will going to hear a lot of air from the air pipe and it's a good sign.

the bubble in the begin will be very big but when it's start to break in they will be like the size of needle head you can adjust that to very tiny bubble to .

it's very important to check the watt in the pump if you want smaller bubble you need to know that it will increase the watt in the pump but you can optimum that.

for example :

the gen x pump with the original impeller take 60 watt

with the mesh impeller without the air valve 47 watt

with the mesh impeller with the air valve 67 watt

if it's not adjust correct it's can take 90 watt.

i try to different type of mesh more thicker but it wasn't good i am now waiting for some different type of mesh to test them to.

when i do it i cut all the pin from the wheel impeller and make more hole i put the tie strip on the impeller that it will not tuch nothing .

it's important to cut to the mesh to the same size of the wheel impeller like that it will not attach the pump body and will spin in the best way.

today i start to test my new ATI BM250 with the 2 pump i just want to tell that it's work the same as my ERCS250 skimmer work when it's start to break in and the bubble are big iat the begin to (i will post more info and compare between i know that i will need to modify the ATI to but it's soon to tell)

i can tell you one important things there are a lot great and good skimmer in the market but when i do this modify i never so any skimmer that pull out so much skimate in this short time more then that a lot of ppl want to change the pump to get a better result or can not afford a new skimmer this simple and cheap mod will give you better result then a very good skimmer or expensive one , you will just be amazed from what you see and it's hard to believe.

the bad things is that the pump (that siting in the sump) will be more noise the solution for that it's to put under the pump some round rubber or pump holder and to connect the pump to the skimmer with vinyl tube as ATI do on there skimmer to reduce the vibration .

on pump that connect on the skimmer like the deltec stile they will run more quite.

since i live in the us i bought the mesh material form store here i don't know where you can find it in singapore but here is the link for that material like that all can order it or get more info about it.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseac...d/4323/cid/1278

i don't know why i can't put here big picture (please excuse me ) but i will start now to show you some picture from this project :

here it's the wheel impeller how it's look like if you can make more hole in the impeller it will be better since it will not clog the air and will be less pressure on it

]My Webpage

]My Webpage

here is a big size of bubble

]My Webpage

here is small bubble

]My Webpage

here is very tiny bubble

]My Webpage

here is the skimmer body

]My Webpage

here is the foam in the collection cup

]My Webpage

here is when it start to skim

]My Webpage

here is the reading in the air meter 22l/min and i believe it can go up to 25l/min with different modify that i will test

]My Webpage

the collection cup after 20 hour (in the first time)

]My Webpage

and you can see the collection cup some days ago still pull out a lot of detritus

(i don't know why maybe because the size of the picture it's not shwon but you can click on the link and see it)

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3912636

here it's first picture on the ATI 250

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3922845

and on this project i will need to do more work as you know all that have the ATI skimmer it's skim very wet , here it's a first picture how it's can skim dry but the true it's too soon to tell because it's need more time and test :

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=3922845

meantime i can tell that my ERCS250 work better but again i need more time to give honest judgment.

i post all this info to try to give some idea and help for this mod i don't have nothing against any other skimmer brand i just think that it's possible to get better result with any other skimmer with simple and cheap expense and the picture can aprove that.

[madmac]

wow! thank you for this.

[cloud9]

hi great work :welldone: .where can i find gen-x and sedra needle wheel pumps in singapore.i am going to build diy large protein skimmer....... thanks