# Help on skimmer Questions please



## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

OK right now i have a corallife , it pretty much sucks and lots of particles in my water it just dont look nice .
I happened across a 
Berlin 25-250 gal tripple pass .i really want to use this as it was basically free ,how would the best way to get optimal skimming (volume)action out of this ? 
bad idea using the pump then from my coralife ?
what sized pump would be good ? i think the pump i have is 5meg and my return is 9.5 mag.
Would i need to consider my overflow and sump into these calculations ?
From what i see this berlin is expensive but most people use the euro .
How you the berlin rate to the euro?
Thanks 
D


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

Berlin compared to Euro-Reef  No comparison, ER wins out right.

What are your tank specs? What version of the CSS do you have?

One trick I did with my CSS 220 (needle wheel version) was I hooked up an air pump (with a control valve) to the venturi and skimming was 2 fold, but still doesn't beat the ER. There are other great skimmers out there as well, I'm just speaking from experience with ER. Bubble King, Octopus are also good skimmers and very popular.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

i would prefer to try the berlin as they arent cheap and i really dont want to spend more
berlin iz a red sea brand


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

If you have a needle wheel super skimmer, with the air pump it will out perform the berlin on any day.  One good thing about this hobby (as in life) is a lot of experimentation will go on


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The only cheap mod that can be done is replacing the air intake for the venturi from the 1/8"OD to anything larger (Home Depot irrigation section). It's been awhile since I had done the intake swop and can't remember off hand the dims to get you off and running but hopefully the air intake of the venturi is on the skimmer body and not rely of the pump to chop up the air. If the latter, get a needlewheel pump to replace the pump.

JME/2C/HTH


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

yehhhhh now i understand (i think)
yes now that you explained the pump does chop the air on the corallife.......but i see an air intake on the berlin skimmer body.
So if i replace my skimmer pump on my corallife then there will be no noise ?
What a friggen easy solution!
IF i get a better pump then i can better my turnover?
So i could even use both skimmers lmao .
Im calling the store see if they have one woohoo
thanks!~
Im thinking if i have to get a pump then i might as well get it for the berlin then or should i stay with the corallife?


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

You may want to check to see what the price is on a new pump. If it's around a $100 or more I would suggest putting up your two skimmers in the classifieds and getting one very efficient unit. If you are running two units it will more than likely be drawing more power than a good skimmer. Put that $100 you are going to spend on a pump in a piggy bank, sell off the skimmers you currently have ($300-$400) and for $500 you can have a supreme skimmer. Kinda funny cause I originally purchased the CSS 220 needlewhere for my setup and then I was given a 110g setup complete which included a triple pass berlin. I ran both on my system for a couple of months trying to figure out the superior unit. For me it was the CSS with the air pump mod.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

hOW DID YOU MOD THE PUMP ?
i just called the store and they havent a clue what im talking about 
I have the mag 5 for the skimmer , i give up . 
Am going to get my friend up here to help with tubing and connectors and get this berlin going with the mag 5 .
When i called the store they told me the berlin is far more better then the corallife.
Honestly i dont want to spend money on this tank anymore .
I have plans to have a costom tank made in the near future(sometime this year)
My friend needs a skimmer and i really cant charge for it as we pitch in and help eachother with this kind of stuff.
So hopefully tonight or tomorrow i will really see how this berlin is !


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

HEY while im at it , do you make your own frag plugs?
and where do you get the egg crate stuff?
i need to make some frag racks.
Thanks 
I would prefer to make my own plugs ,could buy some kind of stuff to mix from home depot ,but what would be safe to use in the tank ?
thanks

i was too slow on the cheto lmao cant even spell it lol
waaaaa


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

If you need a hand full of Chaeto I can spare some.

I do make my own racks and plugs. For the plugs you have to use Portland and I'm not sure of what number though. I use St. Mary's Portland. Look in my gallery there is a pic of the bag I use to make my own rock.

Eggcrate is available at Rona or HD.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

What do you use to hold up the racks?
Magnets? or suction cups ?


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!pics
Thanks a bunch...........
thats cool i can pick some when i get frags from you 
hopefully get my tank will be sorted in the next 2 to 3 weeks and me and my friend will come


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

I've sold off several racks I've made on ebay. It really depends on the size and the thickness of the glass. My Frag Rack is 24" long and holds about 50 plugs. My glass is 5/8 thick so magnets just won't hold it. I have it supported by the rock work. One of the easiest methods is to use an old magfloat.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

ok we set the skimmer the time of truth is almost near ..........wounder if it works lmao.
Gonna wait for hubby in case it dont work so i have someone to yell at lol


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Craaaap...sry blossom...the mod was for the Berlin Skimmer. Unscrew the air intake fitting and take it to HD and look in the irrigation section and they should have the fitting. Some HD's are incomplete, but places that usually have a complete section that I have visited recently are:

-Hwy 7/Woodbine
-Eglington/Laird

If they don't have it there, look in the plumbing section where they have Watts fittings.

HTH


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Well!!!!!!!!!!
besides mySUMP being too small i love this berlin skimmer WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Glad to get that out of my system .....other then a few tweaks ,like a new sump and a 9.5 mag pump (i read this pump makes them awesome )
But for now i use as is .
Wtac .....What am i doing ?
is there a mod neded for the berlin?
I have airintake on the skimmer not the pump .
you lost me what fitting am i looking for ??



Such a QUIET sleep last night lol


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

I got a craaazy few weeks ahead of me...I'll try to get pics out tonight


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

cool tyvvvm
Going to look at new sump today ,not sure how i feel lol


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Here is the pic as promised:










Remove the fitting where the airline is hooked up to. I was on my various HD runs and nothing at the irrigation section. The Watts will fit but I can't tell you the thread size as I can't find my calipers in my mess...LOL! The 1/4"(?) (pink strip on pkg) will do fine but do unscrew the fitting off the skimmer to take with you to match the thread. You will also need the vinyl tubing but since you don't need the whole roll, I can drop off a length. Pm me your addy.

HTH


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

yes the skimmer looks like that .
We were going to go to HD and get the tubing .
Great thanks ,as you said we dont need much .
Tomorrow i shall get the new sump (plastic) and today i got the new pump , japanise brand but was only 60 bux (but big)
for the price cant complain .
hmax 3feet
4000lph and im gonna use this pump on the skimmer .
the ienham(cant spell)for a 3400lph was 219+tax 
Thanks will pm you


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

PM sent  thanks!!
i just read your profile WOOHOOOO
i see you provide service .
We wanted to go camping this year for a week and then decided we cant because of the tanks lol
WELL maybe now we will go!
Do you do parrots too ? lol


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Parrots?!? WEEELLL...I got a grumpy, plucky duck of an African Grey and the wife Celestial parrotlettes. The X has my blue front amazon...bonded more with her than I...

What do you have?


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

2 senegals , im thinking of mating sometime this year .
The male is a meanie lol
The female is funny , they are 4 years old .
We have only gone on vacation once ,and i was paranoid the whole time my friend didnt water them ,i put enough food in the cage in a huge bowl was worried about water .
I got back and i was soo pissed it looked like she lived in my apartment and her kids helped themselves to my daughters toys .
Thats what you get for paying a friend (i paid her 150 for a week) so it wasnt cheap !


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Hee hee...Senegals are cuties! The trick w/water so that they don't poop in it is to have it placed higher up in the cage. 

My grey is quite PO'd w/me as it's the time of year that he gets aggressive (I'm apparently his mate...LOL!) and I haven't been home much to interact w/him. He did a number on my hand the other week when he climbed off the cage and made his way to my office...in the door way he said "Hey Dumbass"...I went to pick him up, stepped up and "BAM"...a chunk out of my thumb and bleeding like a stuck pig...LMFAO!!! 

I can't blame him for what he'd done...just part of having the PITA cherub...I wouldn't give him up for the world...LOL!


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Your lucky to have a finger!!!!
Looks like i wont be needing tube,(maybe)
The new sump i baught has tube with it ,hey its plastic and was only 60 bux's and will hold the berlin skimmer so im happy !
The only thing is it has 2 compartments?
mine has 3 ,i will wait and see if she missed an insert.
But really no big deal as the pump and the skimmer will work great .
And i cant break it lol
im thinking keeping the mag5 and the glass sump , mag 5 to pump my waterchanges lol
and the glass sump for copepods.
Im happy today ,but im behind in housework ,and have a pregnant poodle who needs a shave ,so i will probably be doing next weekend .


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