Skimmer mods! >MSX<

[BCT182]

Alright I have the MSX250 and have decided to mod it, rather than replace it.

I've come up with some ideas, and Matt at CFI is doing the work.

First, I wanted to add the extended neck. The one available online has a 4" neck.


Second, I wanted to upgrade my sicce pumps, as I am currently running mesh mods. Mods are great as long as you maintain them. Since I only re-thread my wheels once a year, I decided to switch over to another style needle wheel capable of pulling the air that the mesh wheels do.

Finally, one drunken night I had dropped my cup and broke the lid. Matt will be fixing that too.


More pics to come, and also possibly further mods, including a gate valve and also a custom bubble plate. I am looking at the i-tech and considering making a similar bubble plate. I've asked Matt to cut the circle, and I intend to lay out and drill it myself. I have no devices to test the performance upgrades, but I will take more pics!

 

[BCT182]

I forgot to mention, since the upgrade neck they offer is 4" I felt I had to go big, or go home. So this will be a 6" tall neck.

 

[BCT182]

Here is the new neck, I will update with more once the red demon needle wheels come in!

 

[BCT182]

I have no idea why they are sideways.

 

[mfinn]

Do you need a air meter?

 

[BCT182]

Yeah it actually would be fun to test the air with my old mesh mod, and then test with the new impellers. I haven't looked into them but I would imagine they can't cost that much.

 

[mfinn]

Plus if you ask around you might find improved reducers. Improved as in creating more air flow.

Any thoughts to changing the pumps all together?

 

[mfinn]

Yeah it actually would be fun to test the air with my old mesh mod, and then test with the new impellers. I haven't looked into them but I would imagine they can't cost that much.

I have one you can borrow.

 

[thatguy559]

have you looked at this one? http://reefbuilders.com/2009/03/11/atb-sicce-pinwheel-psk-2500-pump/ what made you go with the red devil one?

 

[mfinn]

Plus one of the problems I have ran into with the pinwheels on these sicce pumps, is if you don't have the right bushing inside the volute/impeller cover, it won't work.

On mine if you don't have the longer black bushing they won't work.

 

[BCT182]

Yeah I will order the reducers. They are $7.99 each. As for changing pumps, it's more than I wanted to invest right now.

That would be awesome if I could borrow the meter too.

 

[BCT182]

Where did you get the longer black bushings from?

 

[mfinn]

Yeah I will order the reducers. They are $7.99 each.

sent you a pm.


where did you find the reducers?

 

[mfinn]

I should have said,, on my sicce pumps, they wouldn't work with the white bushings.
I'm thinking there are alot of sicce pumps around for different brands of skimmers, with their own little tweaks.

 

[BCT182]

So I may just be SOL if I don't have the correct bushings?

 

[mfinn]

So I may just be SOL if I don't have the correct bushings?

I would hope that skimmerwhisperer or luke33 would see this and help.

 

[Skimmy]

here's the longer shaft end cap used with pinwheels.

when you bought the skimmer, you should have received pinwheels with these black endcaps as well as the white ones on the meshwheels...

http://saltwaterconnection.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=67

 

[BCT182]

Back when I ordered mine the only place that was importing them was marine solutions and at that time they did not include needle wheels.

 

[BCT182]

Ok here are some shots now that its been running a full 24hrs (without red demons):