Questions on my Skimmer/Equipment (1 Viewer)

[BrianPlankis]

Hey all,

I just returned from Indiana with all my old reef tank equipment. I had some stuff I didn't even know I had I have a couple of questions on the equipment I hope some knowing people on here can help with.

The first questions are on my skimmer:

I believe this is a reef devil 3(that is what my notes said). In my notes it says with a Rio 3100, however, I could not find a Rio 3100 in my equipment.

1. Would a Rio 2500 or Rio 1700 be able to run it effectively?

2. It looks like the pump should be attached to the right side tube and the outflow coming out of the left side?

I'll attach more questions later....

B.

 

[djreef]

I wouldn't mess with a Rio for drive purposes. They're crap for pushing water. If you're going to do an in sump then I'd opt for a Mag 950.

DJ
= 8-->{I>

 

[cparka23]

not sure about the rio question, but the pump looks like it would attach to the right side as you suggested. Are you going to use this as a hang-on skimmer? It looks like it was designed/modded that way, minus the output aimed at the living room floor.

 

[BrianPlankis]

Thanks djreef,

I'll have to experiment with the Rio pumps for now as I doubt I could purchase another pump at the moment. If the Rio2500 won't work then I'll have to go with my CPR bak Pak2 as my skimmer for now.

I also got a free pump from one of my friends in Indiana, but I'm not familiar with it, is this pump any good?

I'm used to splicing coax cable and such, but this pump does not have a finished power cord.

1. It says on the pump that it is designed with a ground fault circuit interupt, so I probably couldn't use it on a regular circuit?

2. To finish the plug, could I splice it to a standard plug or would I need to use a special plug?

On the cord leading to the pump it says:
SJTW-A Water Resistant 3/18

My available power cord to splice:
SVT E159216 VW-1 3x18AWG LL112007-1

B.

 

[cparka23]

well, eheims have a good reputation for one. It might be a good idea to find out how old it is.

I was browsing around and found this It looks a lot like your skimmer, plus the TF in the picture would support my guess. You could probably find a list of recommended pumps for it if you can find the manufacturer.

 

[Guest]

That's a good pump. It's equivalent to a Rio 1700 flow wise, but much better quality.

Just splice a standard 3-prong power cord onto it. I use old computer power cords for stuff like that (we have a box full of them here at work). Use wire nuts and seal the ends with a squirt of silicone, and you should be set.

 

[BrianPlankis]

cparka23,

Thanks for the link, you jogged my memory and now remember buying the Top Fathom skimmer. I'll look at it closer tomorrow and see how I can mod it to fit in the sump. Or I might just put the pump in the sump and keep the skimmer on the side as designed.

Looks like I'll be splicing the cord and testing it tomorrow also, my friend said he used it for 1 year, but had it sitting in storage much longer.

B.

 

[Guest]

Just clean it up real good and it should be fine. They don't make that model anymore, but if he only used it for a year - well, it's not uncommon to hear of Eheim pumps that have been in service for 10-15 years.

 

[BrianPlankis]

I have removed one of my MH sockets from the pendant and am planning on mounting it inside my canopy. Attached are a couple of pics.

Will it be as simple as buying a mounting bracket and reflector and attaching this socket via the two screw posts, or am I missing something harder?

Where would I buy the mounting bracket and reflector?

B.

Is the blackened part of the connector cap in the first pic heat damage? Should I replace that one?

 

[DonnieKim]

yeah that wirenut looks burnt, I would replace it and silicone the wirenut full when you're done

Donnie

 

[BrianPlankis]

In going through my equipment I also found 2 Icecap ballasts, a 430 and a 660. I never used these in Chicago, so all I have is the ballast brick, no wires or anything.

Can Icecap ballasts be used to run T5 bulbs, it only says VHO on the ballast? If so, am I screwed since I don't have any wires, or can I buy those too?

If I can use one of these I would probably want to use it for my fuge lights, so probably 2 or 3 24" bulbs. From the ballast that seems the 430 would be sufficient and draw less electricity.

B.

 

[ShaneV]

They can run T5's and you can buy just the wiring harness.

The 430 can run up to 4 24" bulbs.

 

[Guest]

I have an extra 660 harness if you are interested.

 

[ShaneV]

And no the 430 and 660 wire harness's are not compatible

 

[BrianPlankis]

Mike,

I might be interested, still researching all this stuff. This transition from "go into the store and buy whatever lighting the sales guy says" to DIY'er is a bit confusing, but a lot of fun

Anyway, does the 660 harness you have also supply power to the ballast? I can't find a power cord on it either. looks like from the diagram I would just need a computer power cord with white green and black and splice it onto the harness?

Would my power draw on the 430 and 660 be similar if I'm running the same number of bulbs or is the 660 just higher draw?

B.

 

[Guest]

Yes, the power cord splices into the harness.

That's a good question about the power draw. I don't know for sure - you might try asking in the Icecap forum on RC.

 

[Guest]

I would imagine you could fund the wiring harness and maybe a bulb or two by selling one or the other of the ballasts, ice caps fetch better prices than WH

 

[BrianPlankis]

Mike,

Power usage is pretty much based on draw according to RC. So I would be interested in your wiring harness, how much were you looking to get?

B.

 

[Guest]

I looked up on Marine Depot and they sell for $26 new, so I'll take the norm for used equipment, which is half.

 

[BrianPlankis]

I spliced on the power cord to my EHIEM 1060 pump and it works GREAT! Huge flow compared to my RIO 1700. So I have my return pump now.

A couple of questions:

1. where can I get tubing for the return? My tank already came with an overflow kit, so all it need is a piece of tubing from the pump to the bottom of the 75, connectors are already there. HD? Am I correct in stating that a flexible tube would introduce less head pressure than using a 90 degree bend PVC pipe?

2. I put my tank on top of my stand and there is one corner that is about 1/16" to 1/8" of an inch lower than the other 3, so if pressed on hard the tank wobbles just a bit on the stand. If I put a wooden shim under that corner, is that good, or should I also put down some foam to even out the load even more?

3. What kind of silicone should I buy to put my sump together? I have pieces of acrylic that I would like to put in my 20long AGA. I have heard some silicones are bad and want to make sure I use the right kind.

B.