Anyone have some really good pump mods that they've made?
Skimmer pump modifications
- Thread starter Reefing Madness
- Start date
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Bartmmackey
Active Member
Coralife that came with some other stuff on craigslist....I added mono filament through the impeller, then increase the size of my Venturi air tube to 1/4" id. Relocated my pump to the bottom of the chamber to make the entire thing creat more surface and volume. It's a beast now...and what's funny is these are everywhere and folks hate them....they just need some field mods that cost all of a nickel....ha
OP
OP
LOL, right on. I did kinda the same thing to mine. But I had to get another pump as the original froze up on me, and I used Plastic Mesh, 3 layers.
I put this mod up there with the big boy skimmers now.
Anyone else got anything?
Anyone else got anything?
Bartmmackey
Active Member
Cool!
OP
OP
OP
OP
That seems to be the big step in the mods of a skimmer pump, getting in more air and using a mesh impeller. I think they do a better job than the needle wheels.
OP
OP
Oh yes, quite worth it. Much better than the Needle Wheels if you ask me.
Bartmmackey
Active Member
I read some folks have bought wrong mesh and the mesh fell apart. I used monofilament and made a mesh with that. Also increase your venture tube if you can...
OP
OP
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Bartmmackey
Active Member
No that's service!
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BPBELL
Community Member
From my experience whenever I've bought things from eBay and it came from Hong Kong like this one is, the quality just sucked. The component is nice but I'd get it from somewhere else
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OP
OP
It is and has been running on my Skimmer for some time now. No issues or complaints here.
OP
OP
cdness
2006 - Present
Well here are the mods I have done and the views on each one:
1. Mesh-wheel impeller on PSK-2500 on MSX-160: It pulled more air and made smaller bubbles, but it also had major startup issues after adding the mesh. Also the mesh would wear out requiring maintenance and replacement every 6 months or so. I used 3 layers of quality Enkamat with zip-ties to hold it into the impeller. The impeller was a special one created specifically to use the mesh as well.
2. Increasing the size of the air intake line on Sicce PSK-2500 on MSX-160: This helped greatly and turned the skimmer into a loud monster
Even with the silencer it pulled so much air it sounded like a small vacuum.
3. Red Devil Pinwheel mod on PSK-2500 on MSX-160 and MSX-200: This was 100% better than the mesh mods. No startup issues and pulled about the same amount of air. The increased reliability and reduced maintenance was enough to never go back to a meshwheel.
4. PSK-1000 replacement for the PSK-2500 on MSX-200: This pump has about the same performance, but it doesn't interface with the skimmer well. Also I cannot get the Red Devil pinwheel to fit so I am running a stock wheel. It would be much better if my existing parts worked with this pump, but in the end it is a better pump for the skimmer.
5. Lengthened air intake line on MSX-200: I was having PH issues due to higher than normal winter CO2 in the house. I ran a longer tube from the silencer to the top of the tank to suck in the air higher in the room (CO2 is heavier than Oxygen). I thought this would help with the PH but to be honest it didn't have much effect at all.
1. Mesh-wheel impeller on PSK-2500 on MSX-160: It pulled more air and made smaller bubbles, but it also had major startup issues after adding the mesh. Also the mesh would wear out requiring maintenance and replacement every 6 months or so. I used 3 layers of quality Enkamat with zip-ties to hold it into the impeller. The impeller was a special one created specifically to use the mesh as well.
2. Increasing the size of the air intake line on Sicce PSK-2500 on MSX-160: This helped greatly and turned the skimmer into a loud monster
Even with the silencer it pulled so much air it sounded like a small vacuum. 3. Red Devil Pinwheel mod on PSK-2500 on MSX-160 and MSX-200: This was 100% better than the mesh mods. No startup issues and pulled about the same amount of air. The increased reliability and reduced maintenance was enough to never go back to a meshwheel.
4. PSK-1000 replacement for the PSK-2500 on MSX-200: This pump has about the same performance, but it doesn't interface with the skimmer well. Also I cannot get the Red Devil pinwheel to fit so I am running a stock wheel. It would be much better if my existing parts worked with this pump, but in the end it is a better pump for the skimmer.
5. Lengthened air intake line on MSX-200: I was having PH issues due to higher than normal winter CO2 in the house. I ran a longer tube from the silencer to the top of the tank to suck in the air higher in the room (CO2 is heavier than Oxygen). I thought this would help with the PH but to be honest it didn't have much effect at all.
