Oliver_Klosoff
Community Member
I was wondering what is everyones choice Venturi skimmer pumps or Pinwheel pumps?:neutral:
Venturi vs Pinwheel which is your pick
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The question doesn't make sense. The venturi is a non-moving part of the inlet that is shaped to create suction through an airline; whereas the pinwheel chops the air into fine bubbles. The pinwheel is at the end of the rotating part.
All modern skimmers (besides those with an airstone) use a venturi. Pinwheels are just one of a few designs that chop larger air bubbles into tiny bubbles.
All modern skimmers (besides those with an airstone) use a venturi. Pinwheels are just one of a few designs that chop larger air bubbles into tiny bubbles.
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Oliver_Klosoff
Community Member
Sorry guys lets rephrase the question. Would you rather have the venturi and a pinwheel or just the venturi to supply your skimmer?
Mesh Wheel over Pin Wheel.
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Oliver_Klosoff
Community Member
Thanks guys that is what I was looking for. Sorry I didn't describe the question better in the title and my first post.
mcarroll
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A well-made venturi skimmer I think is just as powerful as a similar well-made needle-wheel. I've got an old (~1994) Oceanic "Plus Series" Model 6 skimmer (true classic) that's on a venturi driven by an Eheim 1250 - factory spec pump! - and it rocks for its size.
There were a lot of crappy venturi skimmers on the market for what seemed like a long time before the needle wheels started appearing. I think the technology just got a bad rap....nothing really wrong with it.
-Matt
P.S. I suspect these days most people haven't used a "plain venturi" skimmer or I think more people would have known what you were asking in the first place. In fairness, there aren't many left on the market. Tunze's Comline series and Lifereef's skimmers are the only two that come immediately to mind. I suppose ETSS's and AquaC are technically venturis too, but I'd call them next-gen venturi since they're sorta open-air venturis.
There were a lot of crappy venturi skimmers on the market for what seemed like a long time before the needle wheels started appearing. I think the technology just got a bad rap....nothing really wrong with it.
-Matt
P.S. I suspect these days most people haven't used a "plain venturi" skimmer or I think more people would have known what you were asking in the first place. In fairness, there aren't many left on the market. Tunze's Comline series and Lifereef's skimmers are the only two that come immediately to mind. I suppose ETSS's and AquaC are technically venturis too, but I'd call them next-gen venturi since they're sorta open-air venturis.
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Oliver_Klosoff
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Thanks Matt
Yeah I have a SCW and the pump has gone. I have been having some problems with getting a strait answer out of them as to what the gph of the pump was (the pump he used has no specs on it at all). I know the guy that builds them and is life got complicated when he got caught smuggling LR into Canada. His local shop is shut down so I can't go and Corner him to find out. Lol So I was looking to see if I should just put a new pump on my skimmer and keep the Venturi system or on your thoughts change it over to a pinwheel Venturi system? My skimmer had worked ok in the past but I think it could be better. Let me know what you think guys.
Yeah I have a SCW and the pump has gone. I have been having some problems with getting a strait answer out of them as to what the gph of the pump was (the pump he used has no specs on it at all). I know the guy that builds them and is life got complicated when he got caught smuggling LR into Canada. His local shop is shut down so I can't go and Corner him to find out. Lol So I was looking to see if I should just put a new pump on my skimmer and keep the Venturi system or on your thoughts change it over to a pinwheel Venturi system? My skimmer had worked ok in the past but I think it could be better. Let me know what you think guys.
mcarroll
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If you can make a decent estimate of the skimmer body's volume (hello geometry!) you should be able to make a pretty good guess at the correct pump.
Let us know what you figure, or post your skimmers dimensions (body only) and shape and we can help.
You ever measure the power usage of the old pump before it died? That could also give a clue.
-Matt
Let us know what you figure, or post your skimmers dimensions (body only) and shape and we can help.
You ever measure the power usage of the old pump before it died? That could also give a clue.
-Matt
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Oliver_Klosoff
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Ok Matt here we go. Check my math. Lol it's a cylinder shape with a 8.5" base diameter and 22" tall:
Radius
4.25 x 4.25 = 18.0625
Area of the bottom of the skimmer
18.0624 x 3.14 = 56.71625
area times the hight of skimmer
56.71625 x 22 = 1247.7575
Divided by 231 to convert to gallons
1247.7575 / 231 = 5.4g
If I did that right it should hold a volume of 5.4g but the pump didn't fill all of that with water. The water level usually was running about 3" from the top of the cylinder. So I'm thinking it had 4.7g of water in it while running.
As for checking the wattage no sorry never did that. Didn't want the wife to really know how much the tank set up cost to run. Lol I just blamed the washer and dryer for the higher electrical bills.
Radius
4.25 x 4.25 = 18.0625
Area of the bottom of the skimmer
18.0624 x 3.14 = 56.71625
area times the hight of skimmer
56.71625 x 22 = 1247.7575
Divided by 231 to convert to gallons
1247.7575 / 231 = 5.4g
If I did that right it should hold a volume of 5.4g but the pump didn't fill all of that with water. The water level usually was running about 3" from the top of the cylinder. So I'm thinking it had 4.7g of water in it while running.
As for checking the wattage no sorry never did that. Didn't want the wife to really know how much the tank set up cost to run. Lol I just blamed the washer and dryer for the higher electrical bills.
mcarroll
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One thing: Can you post a pic of your pump? (Maybe skimmer too?) I found a pic of a the 110 version of your skimmer and it looks like it came with an Ocean Runner pump. If so on yours, I think a measurement of the pump case will give us something to compare with and may help locate the correct Ocean Runner. There are even needle-wheel versions last I knew, if you'd want to convert.
BTW, everything below the neck of the skimmer would count toward the body volume...guessing it's more like 3.5 gallons or less. Check me on that?
Now just need to do some research to find another skimmer with a similar body volume and steal their pump.
Tunze, Euro Reef and Reef Dynamics are three websites off-hand that are going to have pumps and/or more skimmers (and data) to compare with. Some vendors publish more or less detailed into about the size of their skimmers, so you may have to estimate on some.
Assuming my ~3.5 gallons is close to correct, I think this is a similarly sized skimmer, so maybe start with the pump from that one (Modified EcoPlus 1584) and research from there? (I imagine there's a Sicce pump that may give similar air/flow numbers.) Maybe even call those guys at the link and see if they think that pump would be a good fit...they sell their pumps separately from their skimmers.
-Matt
BTW, everything below the neck of the skimmer would count toward the body volume...guessing it's more like 3.5 gallons or less. Check me on that?
Now just need to do some research to find another skimmer with a similar body volume and steal their pump.
Tunze, Euro Reef and Reef Dynamics are three websites off-hand that are going to have pumps and/or more skimmers (and data) to compare with. Some vendors publish more or less detailed into about the size of their skimmers, so you may have to estimate on some.
Assuming my ~3.5 gallons is close to correct, I think this is a similarly sized skimmer, so maybe start with the pump from that one (Modified EcoPlus 1584) and research from there? (I imagine there's a Sicce pump that may give similar air/flow numbers.) Maybe even call those guys at the link and see if they think that pump would be a good fit...they sell their pumps separately from their skimmers.
-Matt
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Oliver_Klosoff
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Thanks Matt I have been going through a few sites lots of cones out there now a days hard to find a simple cylinder as tall as mine. I will double check my dimensions on the chamber those numbers I put up were of the top of my head while I was at work. I would like to make the switch to a needle wheel for sure if not a mesh wheel. If I do, do I need to increase the gph of what ever pump I chose in order to compensate for the drop in gph that the needle or Mesh wheel will have?
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Oliver_Klosoff
Community Member
Here are the pictures you were looking for Matt.
kschweer
Moderator
That looks exactly like the OTP pump that comes on the reef octopus nwb skimmers. I believe hailea is the name brand. Maybe send a picture over to one of the guys at coralvue they are very helpful. If I were to guess its probably the OTP-1000 by the specs you gave.
kschweer
Moderator
Here's a link. The front cover is removed so you can connect the Venturi. http://www.coralvue.com/reef-octopus-otp1000nw-skimmer-pump
mcarroll
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Can you measure the pump casing? Should make matching which OTP pump it is easy since CoralVue lists the dimensions.
Unless you're looking to try the conversion to needlewheel, you want the non-"NW" version of the pump.
-Matt
Unless you're looking to try the conversion to needlewheel, you want the non-"NW" version of the pump.
-Matt
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Oliver_Klosoff
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Will do I'm at work right know I will measure it up tonight when I get home
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Oliver_Klosoff
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Thanks Reefing Madness
