sachabballi reef March 2, 2013 Share March 2, 2013 If anyone is using one of these skimmers can they pretty pretty please take a picture of it so I can see how it is plumbed? I bought it used and I am a little lost in plumbing it...I found the manual on line but hubby needs a better visual than that.... thanks in advance to anyone that can help!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExoticReefCreations March 2, 2013 Share March 2, 2013 One of the best skimmers IMO! I have the MR7 running all the tubs, As far as plumbing, ill send you a pic how I have mine plumbed should be the same concept just one a smaller scale, do you have 1 or 2 injectors on the skimmer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef March 2, 2013 Author Share March 2, 2013 good question.2?..lol...as my husband always says...."good thing you are cute..." cuz I usually have no idea..(I was really intelligent before having kids...they robbed of me of my brains when they handed me the babies) ..I knew I wanted this skimmer from talking to different LFS and seeing their tanks being run on them etc...so jumped at the chance to grab this one from someone here on WAMAS last year...but now that I am actually trying to get it plumbed in I am not sure even my cuteness can save me here lol.... Save me from myself Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 3, 2013 Share March 3, 2013 (edited) Heres a pic of your skimmer setup as a recirculating type. You can plug up the center holes with end plugs from lowes and run only 1 tower or run as it is and run 2. A trition deep blue 5 will pull 37 watts and run 1 tower great. A DC10000 will run 2 towers and pull only 60/70 watts. Both of these pumps should be run internal. Plenty of options that draw high watts are also a option. Heres a bad video of my becket run on a DB trition 5 pulling 37 watts.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV_Lq6L8oPQ Edited March 3, 2013 by basser9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef March 3, 2013 Author Share March 3, 2013 ok talk me through the numbered pipes like I am a four year old...where do these flow to? The angle is hard to decipher it for hubby and I.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 3, 2013 Share March 3, 2013 I'm going to guess here based on the photo. 1) Feed line. Water from sump to skimmer. 2) Pressure side of the recirculating pump driving the Beckett nozzles. This setup splits to feed two Becketts. Note the two adjustments near the Beckett nozzles to adjust air into the Beckett. 3) Return side to the recirculating pump. Water from the box to the intake of the pump. 4) Skimmer exit. Water leaving the box and heading back to the sump. Adjust gate valve to set water height in the skimmer. Nice skimmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 3, 2013 Share March 3, 2013 (edited) plug up 1/3......4 is your output. run a hose from a pump to 2 its your input. You can run a hose from a pump to only 1 tower like my skimmer in the vid. Edited March 3, 2013 by basser9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 3, 2013 Share March 3, 2013 basser, is that your skimmer in the thumbnail or in the video? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 3, 2013 Share March 3, 2013 My skimmer is in the video...... The idea of recir becketts is something that has never made since to me as they rock because of there high flow.......They are beast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k March 3, 2013 Share March 3, 2013 I use a couple of these types of skimmers with the Beckett type injectors- they are very easy to use. Once dialed in, you won't have to adjust them ever. I have heard of instances where Asterina starfish tend to get into the injector assembly and clog it up, but it's simple to open it up and clean it. This skimmer is best used with an external drain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 3, 2013 Share March 3, 2013 A simple foam prefilter on any beckett makes them a no hassle skimmer. I dont even touch a thing on mine for months at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 4, 2013 Share March 4, 2013 My skimmer is in the video...... The idea of recir becketts is something that has never made since to me as they rock because of there high flow.......They are beast. Nice. I've had several Beckett nozzles for a few years with the intent to build one to play with some day. Your video brings back that urge. However, my "to do" list is rather long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 4, 2013 Share March 4, 2013 http://waterwallandgarden.blogspot.com/2009/10/sunterra-305314-foam-jet-nozzle.html Heres a beckett nozzle thats twice the size of a standard one. I modded one into my skimmer and they are something to behold. Less backpressure twice the air ......really are nice. Will post a build on my mod in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 5, 2013 Share March 5, 2013 Heres a great vid of a 2 tower beckett run with 1 tower that should help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef March 6, 2013 Author Share March 6, 2013 OMG this thing is a beast!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!! got it fired up today to test it out and its simply amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 6, 2013 Share March 6, 2013 Looks good. New sand? What are you driving the skimmer with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef March 6, 2013 Author Share March 6, 2013 (edited) yea new sand...went with the larger grain because I have 1" glass on this tank (center overflow no bracing) so the tunze PH really have some power.....but seeded it from the current tank...the rock is pukani and mixed in some from the current tank to seed as well. going to be a while though...the ammonia is down to 2 and nitrites were somewhere between 2-5 this morning....the phosphates are at least down to 0.18 this morning...so thats good...they were 0.29 last night lol...decided to just let it cycle through and deal with phosphates at that point with water changes, cheato and necessary chemicals/removers...if needed. we have been playing around with the pumps....right now it is on a completely dialed back waterblaster 16,000 which I was going to use when I connected the tanks and sump and frag tank together....via a manifold...but also playing with a poseidon PS3 right now too.... at least the snow day gives us time to play with plastic parts all day Edited March 6, 2013 by sachabballi reef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef March 6, 2013 Author Share March 6, 2013 by the way that is NOT the level of the sand lol...I haven't bothered to evenly spread it out yet and may end up removing some once I start aquascaping... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 6, 2013 Share March 6, 2013 yea new sand... at least the snow day gives us time to play with plastic parts all day The color of the "skimmate" was the giveaway. Nice sandy gray. Sounds like a fun day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 6, 2013 Share March 6, 2013 (edited) Water level needs to be way lower always start at 2 inches below the box and wait at least 2 weeks before raising it up. When it breaks in you could have a massive flood . ....http://www.superskim... Containers.htm You must have a auto shutoff waste collector with any beckett skimmer any type with a pingpong ball in them works. Someone on wamas usually has a waste collector laying around. A 5 gallon bucket is a bad idea it will overflow 20 gallons in a heart beat. On that etss site you see they have a 90.00 one that fits over any 5gal bucket thats the kind i use. Edited March 6, 2013 by basser9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sachabballi reef March 6, 2013 Author Share March 6, 2013 Water level needs to be way lower always start at 2 inches below the box and wait at least 2 weeks before raising it up. When it breaks in you could have a massive flood . ....http://www.superskim... Containers.htm You must have a auto shutoff waste collector with any beckett skimmer any type with a pingpong ball in them works. Someone on wamas usually has a waste collector laying around. A 5 gallon bucket is a bad idea it will overflow 20 gallons in a heart beat. On that etss site you see they have a 90.00 one that fits over any 5gal bucket thats the kind i use. thanks...all great advice! We are just making sure it works...we bought it used a year ago and are just getting around to testing all this stuff out....do you think that since it was used it is already broken in and I don't have to worry about that or should I still do that? The 5 gallon was just a testing thing...I was wondering what to use for "real" ....so thanks so much for that heads up...a real time save!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 6, 2013 Share March 6, 2013 An Avast ATO can also be used to shut down the skimmer pump if a collection bucket fills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 7, 2013 Share March 7, 2013 You can get away without a AUTO SHUTOFF container only if you have the overflow in your sump. Water level for that skimmer is always around base of box if using a small pump you may have to run it half way up the neck. 2 weeks minimum for any beckett to break in .....old/new makes no difference. The problem i have with a auto shutoff that uses a ato cutoff is the overflow cup is a nasty place and hard on any electronic gizmo just dont trust them there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 7, 2013 Share March 7, 2013 The AVAST skimmate locker works on air pressure rather than mechanical motion of a float. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basser9 March 7, 2013 Share March 7, 2013 The avast model is great for a Needlewheel but i would never use anything that can fail [pressure sensor can]on a ETSS/DOWNDRAFT BECKETT because those skimmer are so strong that if there is a failure you can be looking at a major flood or tank crash. For a DOWNDRAFT SKIMMER a pingpong type works all the time for me. Now you can add a ato switch or AVAST pressure switch into a standard pingpong overtflow if you want and extra layer but the classic ppball design works very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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