Air to neck size question for the skimmer guru's

[A sea K]

Need to boost skimmer performance and need to know how much air a 3" neck can handle without become too troublesome.
Skimmer in question is the Reef Octo Prime 150int, it comes stock with an Aquatrance pump rated by the manufacture @420/660lph air draw. I know this same simmer is available with a DC powered pump that list a 900lph air draw. I have on hand a Sicce PSK1000 that is listed at 1000lph, a little more than what the DC offers so I think it might be safe.
Looking for opinions from the experts as I would have to permanently modify the skimmer to make this work.

 

[Snoopy 67]

You could always reduce the air intake with a mini valve.

 

[A sea K]

I had thought about that but I was worried the increased water throughput may cause too much turbulence? I assume the DC pump gets around this by simply regulating or reducing both air and water by simply reducing pump speed.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Correct.

 

[jda]

Yes, you are better off restricting the inlet and reducing the water and the air both. Contact time is also important.

 

[jda]

Sicce PSK is an awesome skimmer pump... best RO out there had these as their pumps. All pumps since have not been as good. IMO.

 

[A sea K]

Yes, you are better off restricting the inlet and reducing the water and the air both. Contact time is also important.

Something to consider but I'm sure it is easier in theory than application, I'll need to think on this one.

 

[jda]

I completely agree that it is easier in theory. This is why some skimmers are better than others, but I think that the builders mostly got lucky. For example, I have a RO skimmer with a Sicce PSK and it is a beast for a uniform bubble size skimmer - I had a handful of others that were junk. ER and ASM skimmers with Sedra pumps are great skimmers too. Three are some other good needlewheels out there, but most of them appear to have just "lucked" into a good skimmer.

That RO with the Sicce PSK, ASM, ER are as close as I have ever gotten to a well-done LifeReef, DownDraft or Beckett skimmer... of course DD or Beckets can really stink if not pumped and tuned well.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

If you need to boost the air, that is what Vertex did on theirs. It made them finicky. Examples of skimmers for your size tank that got lucky Euro Reef 135 or Bubble King 160, I-Tech small with the tunze 9410 pump.

 

[A sea K]

I still have a couple of beast skimmers, a euro reef rs-250 that I modified into a recirculating skimmer, still has an original unused 1260 pump with it. When I was running it I used a modded sicce 2500(meshwheel) . That and a two pump MSX-250 I believe, it came with PSK2500 but I updated them to the newer psk1000 just before taking the whole system down. It is one of the psk1000 that I am considering to use for this project.
It does not look very promising to try this so in line for upgraded skimmer is a toss between the Somatic(vertex) 90s and the aquamaxx FC-180. I am leaning heavily towards the Aquamaxx, it seems a better fit for me and I have had skimmers in the past that use a o-ring friction fit collection cup and that in itself is almost a deal breaker for the Somatic. Both are currently on sale with a mere $30 seperating the two price wise so I could go either way.
Thoughts?