Aquabee vs Eheim

[DonW]

I'm done playing with my beckett and decided to go ahead and build a nice new NW skimmer. I'd like take features from a few different designs like the deltec and the h&s. Pretty much only two pump options the aquabee or the eheim. This would have to be a external skimmer so I'm looking for input on the pumps. Any leak problems? Any noise problems? Overheating? Anything good or bad?

Thanks
Don

 

[reedman]

I have an eheim on my Ca reactor and love it. Silent, cool, and reliable. Only issue (if you want to call it that) is the metric pipe sizing, but I think there are adapters to take care of that.

 

[DonW]

Thanks, my main concern is leaks and longevity. At $300 for the eheim, I dont want to be replacing it often.

Don

 

[-=dieseldave=-]

I have four Eheim pumps, two 1262 returns pumps, one on my ca reactor Korallin 3002, and one on my Deltec skimmer ap701. The pumps on the Ca reactor and the Deltec are modified by Korallin and Deltec for the specific application. I run all the pumps external. They are quite, cool running, use very little watts (lower than there own ratting) and totally under rated for the flow. I have not had any leaks from the pumps I have had the return pumps running for 2 years.

 

[tomz]

Don,

Where do you find an Eheim with a needle wheel?

 

[DonW]

Don,

Where do you find an Eheim with a needle wheel?

Fins Reef in the H&S parts section. Sit down they are not cheap.

Don

 

[tomz]

Wow, $170 to have a venturi and needle wheel added. Guess they have to protect the protein skimmer mfgs from DIYs.

 

[meitzler]

Where does one find the metric to regular thread converters. I have an ocean runner (they also make a needle wheel) but the regular thread doe not seem to work.

W

 

[Scooterman]

I ran an aqua bee for over a year with no troubles on my aqua medic skimmer external, it would get a little sticky at times but easily cleaned, also had ocean runners no real problems but still needed regular cleaning.

 

[Skimmy]

aquabee's are the most popular nw pumps in europe for skimmers, and you gotta figure if theyre good enough for deltec...
i've only worked with a couple, but was really pleased with the foam they made, i'd say they were comparable to seda nw pumps.

i cant believe euro-reef switched to using gen-x pumps!!
(with their own nw though)

 

[Scooterman]

I have a gen-x 1,000 gph pump, it is loud & junk, also it has an exposed metal plate inside, I thought it was a defect so returned it & got another with metal that will rust on the back of the pump under a cheap plastic cover.

 

[Skimmy]

yup, supposedly they addressed that and the stainless steel sleeve issue for the nw impellars(the gen -x nw), but euroreef is just slapping in their own impellars into the gen- x pump, and putting their asperating venturi on it as well, of coarse.
i was actually impressed with the foam from the gen-x nw 2400, with their ocean runner style nw, but the air intake had to be muffled becase it was louder than hell. i was able to buy an asperating venturi(euroreef style) from kent of all companies, they carry it for their nautilus skimmer, and i was able to go onto the website, and order one over the phone, they charged me i think like 5 bucks for their little kit that comes with a regular venturi, and a pre impellar aperating venturi
also, using the gen-x nw impellar actually gives you more pressure than their regular impellar, because the "needles" are more like little paddles, i found that out while using the pump to power a regular venturi skimmer

 

[RandyStacyE]

I have been running a GX-2400 for 2 weeks or so and I like it. I am having trouble finding that kit you spoke of with the 2 venturis on Kent's site.

I was only able to find the standard venturi since their search function is out of order.

 

[vitor pestana]

Wow, $170 to have a venturi and needle wheel added. Guess they have to protect the protein skimmer mfgs from DIYs.

Hello!!!

Take a look at this, needle wheel from an ordinary bioball.

www.wrang.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=30

Best regards

Vitor Pestana

 

[DonW]

Wow, $170 to have a venturi and needle wheel added. Guess they have to protect the protein skimmer mfgs from DIYs.

I dont think $300 for the whole thing is all that bad. From what I can tell by asking around, their life span should be at least double the OR. They should last many times longer than the genx. Ive personally had bad luck with the genx powerhead pumps.
Recently I got to see the H&S, Deltec and or3700 running side by side with the same venturi. The OR did not even come close to the others which seemed identicle.

Don

 

[Skimmy]

I have been running a GX-2400 for 2 weeks or so and I like it. I am having trouble finding that kit you spoke of with the 2 venturis on Kent's site.

I was only able to find the standard venturi since their search function is out of order.

yup, it's not listed on the website, but if you call them (# is on website) and ask for the pre-impeller asperating venturi for their nautilus skimmer, they'll sell you one, they may or may not know that their asperating venturi fits on a gen-x pump.

have you guys seen this bad boy they just released in germany? BETTER than a needle wheel! it's the new THREAD wheel!!! this is an ATI aquaristik "bubble master" protein skimmer(500 euros, about $600 us plus shipping from germany). this is one of the companys royal exclusive (bubble king)used to emulate their skimmer body, ATI was making skimmers first, otherwise i'd say it's a bubble king knock off, but not so!
you can buy the modified eheim with thread wheel for about $100 euros plus shipping. here's where you can buy both:
http://www.aquazoo24.de/index.php?language=en

 

[RandyStacyE]

skimerwhisperer,

Does it look prety much like this one?

This is the one that came with my GX-2400. It is 1" male thread with O-ring on the one side.

 

[Skimmy]

yes it does look like that, that is a new addition to their pump, looks pretty nice! the old one was a piece of crap.
is it the same ocean runner style needle wheel, or did they upgrade that too?

 

[big t]

I second that their old one was a piece of crap. That new one looks like it would actually work. The needle wheel did work pretty damn good tho. What I didn't like about their pump is that on the 2 that I had the magnet was not fully enclosed in epoxy and was exposed to the salt water. I ended up throwing mine across the room and smashing it

 

[RandyStacyE]

I did hear about that magnet problem in a few other posts RE: GX2400 supposedly that was worked out, but I haven’t popped off the back of mine to check. This is the NW it came with ~ from Custom Aquatics. The needle wheel itself is 2 pieces clued together.

Yes the venturi does appear to work well – you can run it wide open without restricting the air at all. That led me to think that the lip inside of the venturi (shown below) may be the cause of that. The red dot is where the air hole is. I doubt that I’ll drill out the lip just to see if it will draw more air, but I’d bet that larger GX pumps with NW don’t have this lip in their venturi.