Do Beckett's clog more than neddle wheel skimmers?

[Anonymous]

As some of you know from this thread, my beckett skimmer has been getting clogged alot with these little crustaceans. It's clogged nearly every day.

The main reason the critters are making it into the beckett is because of the very high flow in the tank. It's probably too much flow and I'll probably end up throttling it back before I start stocking. But for now, I like the flow. It is keeping all the stuff on the rock in suspension and, well, if my skimmer were working the water would be getting cleaned up nicely. I do have sponge filters in the sump, so alot of the stuff is getting taken out there. I also order an Ocean Clear Filter that I am going to use to polish the water in the tank.

I just wonder how a needle wheel skimmer would hold up to this?

Louey

 

[Len]

Louey, with needle wheels, there's no beckett heads to clog. It might work better for you. I expect any needle wheel would make mince meat of these guys. I haven't had a needle wheel clog due to small critters getting into it.

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't had a beckett clog due to small critter getting into it. What pump are you using to feed your skimmer? Is there anyway you could get a mesh filter bag or some such thing to cover the intake to your pump?

 

[Anonymous]

Len wrote:

I expect any needle wheel would make mince meat of these guys. I haven't had a needle wheel clog due to small critters getting into it.

These "Zuzara venosa" have really hard shells. Do needle wheels spin really fast? If so, I am sure they would chop up even the toughest "marine pills".

I really thought the shear pressure of the water and air going through the beckett would mince them too, but so far not.

I hate the idea of dropping $1000 on the proper Euroreef skimmer when I know my beckett will do the job, assuming I get rid of these damn bugs.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Pitpat wrote:

What pump are you using to feed your skimmer?

Iwaki RLT 40, pressure rate version.

Is there anyway you could get a mesh filter bag or some such thing to cover the intake to your pump?

My sump deep (31") and it would be impossible (or close to it) to get a filter down at the intake.

Louey

 

[Len]

A possibility to consider is getting a recirculating needle wheel. The needle wheel pump draws air from within the skimmer's chamber only, so you'll have a lot less chance of the needle wheel sucking up one of those pesky crusties. You can feed the skimmer via a pump with a media reactor in between (stuffed with mechanical filtration or just carbon) to reduce the number of Zuzara getting into the skimmer body. Just food for thought

 

[coralfarmin]

I used to use a hsa 1000 years ago..what a pain with the clogs..imo

The asm g6 needle wheel I have now has given no probs...if the hsa beckett chamber was better designed, I would have kept using it..but try to unclog one of them jokers

 

[Anonymous]

Len wrote:

You can feed the skimmer via a pump with a media reactor in between (stuffed with mechanical filtration or just carbon) to reduce the number of Zuzara getting into the skimmer body. Just food for thought

Prehaps I could somehow plumb my skimmer with the Ocean Clear Filter ahead of the skimmer. The Ocean Clear is rated for 800 - 1600 GPH, so that is more than enough to handle the Iwaki 40.

I may try that before I shuck out the money for the Euroreef or ASM. But with well over 10K invested in this setup already, I'll pull the trigger on the needle wheel skimmer if need be. Heavy skimming is in the design of this tank. I just thought I already had the skimmer covered.

Louey

 

[ChrisRD]

Didn't you build the skimmer you're currently running? If so, it seems like a DIY needlewheel could be another option (or maybe just conversion of your current skimmer).

The prefilter thing sounds like it would work too.

 

[Anonymous]

ChrisRD wrote:

Didn't you build the skimmer you're currently running? If so, it seems like a DIY needlewheel could be another option (or maybe just conversion of your current skimmer).

Yeah. I built this skimmer in the Maco course. I really don't know anything about the workings of a needlewheel skimmer. I should look into that option too.

Isn't the needlewheel a part of the pump on these type skimmers?


Louey

 

[coralfarmin]

if you built the beckett a needle wheel should be a piece a cake...the g6 I have uses 3 sen 900's and the body is 8" i think...though the drains are totaly differant than a beckett so a mod....mabey just a whole new skimmer build....but i say do as len suggests first...sound like a good idea

 

[coralfarmin]

all this g6 is, is 3 pumps with elbows on top connected around the skimmer body, all the air shreading is done in the pumps

 

[Anonymous]

I don't get it...if you have a filter sock draining down to your sump, how exactly are these things getting down there?

 

[Anonymous]

Matt, I don't have a filter sock. Sump is too deep for me to reach the intake bulkhead that the skimmer's pump is connected to.

 

[Anonymous]

Is there any way to put a filter sock on the water that is being fed to the portion of the sump that your skimmer pump draws from? That seems like it'd be the easiest and cheapest solution. I haven't really looked at diagrams of your sump so maybe this is not a feasible solution...

 

[Anonymous]

Let me just say that as simple as a filter sock may sound, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to install. If I were able to get one installed on the drain pipes where they dump into the sump, I would not want to have to preform the maintanance that would be required.

My sump is too big for my stand. Dammit.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

The bulkhead that feeds the the pump that serves my skimmer is the second one on the lower right. I can't reach it. Even putting those conduits on the drain pipes, to quiten the splashing noise, took the assistance of a kids with real skinny arms.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Whoah, it looks like your stand is only a couple inches above the sump?!?!

Hmmm, just a thought. Create a standpipe that goes into that bulkhead (just an upward pointing elbow and a short section of PVC) to raise the point where the intake sucks. Then put a foam filter over the standpipe, like the filter on the output of a Euroreef. This would be easier to grab.

Dunno. Just trying to troubleshoot w/o having to buy a different skimmer.

 

[Anonymous]

MAtt wrote:

Whoah, it looks like your stand is only a couple inches above the sump?!?!

Ding ding ding.

I didn't account for the 2X4 bracing when I designed my setup. It sucks, but so far I have overcame every obstacle that the oversized sump has thrown at me. I'll probably overcome this one too.

I am going to hook up the Ocean Clear Canister Filter in-line with the the skimmer. That should take care of this too.

This skimmer skims like a motha when it's not clogged, so I am not going to rush out and replace it.

 

[Anonymous]

I used the Ocean Clear Filter and the friggin pills still got though.

I also siphoned out all of the marine pills that were in sight when the lights came on Saturday Morning. Must have gotten 60 of them.

Used a turkey baster to get more of them over the weekend every time I saw one.

Now when the lights come on, you only see one or two, instead of 60.

Skimmer still gets clogged with them within a few hours to a half day. Sucks.

I sent Premium Aquatics an email inquiring about a Euroreef CS12-3-RC.

I really don't want to wait 6 - 8 weeks for a new skimmer. But it appears to me that beckett's just are made for system with such high flow that the bugs get sucked in rather quickly. I need high flow more than I need to stick with a beckett skimmer.

I don't feel up to making another skimmer. Not when I know if I lay down the bread for the Euroreef, I will probably never look back.

Louey