beckett vs needle wheel

[vcruz17]

from what i've read, beckett skimmers are the most powerful out there. is this due to the huge size of the pump required to run a beckett skimmer or due to the mechanics of the becketts themselves. On the other hand, i've also read that needle wheel skimmers are very good and even better if you do a mesh wheel modification. so, what would one choose between a beckett or needle wheel. how hard is each to adjust and maintain. any thoughts? thanks

 

[deelucky]

oh boy its one of those threads again. i think this is one of the most debated subject besides barebottom vs. deep sand bed.the becketts mechanics are different from the NW.i run a NW,i would like to check out the mesh wheel mod.

 

[vcruz17]

MRC MR-1 vs. ASM G-3 with needle wheel mod

this is a little more specific. how would a MR-1 with a Mag 18 pump fare against an AMS G-3 with mesh wheel mod JUST in performane and maintenance. Cost aside, pump size, power consumption, customer service ect..ect... any input? thanks

 

[steveo32]

Ok well not to throw this off track but what is a beckett >? I thought it was a brand of skimmer ? how does it work versus a venturi b/c thats what I have I think. Its a Euro reef.

 

[deelucky]

uh if im not mistakiing the beckett has injectors where the needle wheel is connected to the pump.ok i traded some stuff with another member for a custom built dual beckett he was selling it at 250 now when i got it home and i was taking it out the trunk it slipped our my hands and shattered in some place where repair was out of the question.needless to say that it seemed like an awsome skimmer and it was huge.sad was not being able to expierence what it would be like only in my dreams.so now i have the asm g3.its an upgrade from my seaclone but i love it,and would like to try out some mods.there are other members here who can really tell you the difference though.

 

[zxcvJ123]

Ok well not to throw this off track but what is a beckett >? I thought it was a brand of skimmer ? how does it work versus a venturi b/c thats what I have I think. Its a Euro reef.

Euro reefs run on needlewheel venturis.
A beckett is a style of skimmer which uses the beckett foam head, which the feed pump pushes water through at huge ammounts for best preformance, and gets mixed with air in the way down into the skimmer box. Its like a very beefed up venturi, which sucks way more air and process alot more water.
, a beckett style skimmer uses a beckett injector assemly.

On my 75 I am going to run a custom built beckett skimmer measuring 24" high powered by a gen x pushing 2,300 GPH.

 

[vcruz17]

so beckett is better in a way right?

if i have a 100 gallon tank and a Mag18 pump it will process more water than a needle wheel with a smaller pump. does this make sense?

 

[loismustdie]

This topic isn't exactly debated. Becketts perform better. Period. But they use a lot more wattage. Wattage=heat, which means the chiller runs more=even more wattage. You can also mess around a little more with a beckett. On power alone, they are more forgiving. Not as finicky.
Certain NW skimmers are pretty damn good. They don't come close to a beckett in performance, but they don't come close in wattage either. A little less performance with a much lower wattage load sounds pretty appealing.
Becketts seem to do more in a smaller body. Effective NW or MW get a lot bigger and add more pumps.
As was said above, mesh wheels are promising. I made a mesh wheel mod to my ER (not exactly a RC mod) and it performed very well. I loved it and it seems Jon (scarface) likes it as well. I did a mesh wheel mod to a Dart, but I had to inject air. Bubble Masters are pretty impressive.
If I had to use a Mag drive... I would chose the other option.
I've used venturi's (berlin and sea-clone:shhh
Down drafts (ETSS)
Needle wheel/mesh wheel (Deltec and ER)
and beckett (MRC and DIY)
Beckett has fit my application best. Hope this helps.

 

[vcruz17]

pump recomendation for beckett

so what pump would you rather use than a mag? they have pretty good ratings and good pressure. wouldn't running the pump out side of the sump to avoid heat issues?

 

[loismustdie]

There are countless links to mags banging up tanks. (deanos... a little help)
A mag hit me as well.
While mags are cheap up front, in the long run there are better options. If you are going to run out of the sump anyway, look into blueline. Iwaki after that.
BTW, without appropriate silencers, Becketts are pretty loud. Another draw back of the beckett.

 

[cali_reef]

Most if not all skimmers requires a "venturi" to draw in the air, a beckett head is a quad port venturi injector. It uses water pressure to draw in the air then mixes the water and air very well before the mixture is forced into the skimmer body.

Needle wheel and mesh wheel are essentially the same types of skimmer, except mesh wheel uses finer and longer non linear "needles\pins" to blend the air drawn in with the venturi with water pumped thru the venturi. I personally is a bit concerned about the longevity of a mesh wheel pump due to the mesh wheel design and manufacturing short comings.

Bottom line, beckett skimmers are the most effective skimmer for a mid size system (90-250), using one or two beckett heads. But you need a pressure rated pump (ie. Iwaki type external pump, with higher noise and heat) that are energy hogs. Good designed needle wheel skimmer are the better for smaller tanks. They are also for people wanting less noise and heat, and is willing to pay more for super sized needle wheels(due to inaccurate rating given by the manufacturers) for their tanks.