I got a new (used) skimmer!

[ichthus]

I just got a Reef Octopus 202-S that I found for sale on Craigslist. It was pretty dirty, but it had it pump replaced about six months ago. I took it home and soaked it in water and vinegar for a day, disassembled it completely, cleaned the pump and all of the parts.

Before:
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After:
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Here it is doing its job:
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I was able to hook up my waste line, but the air intake is a different size. I need to get a new adapter and hose to run my airline outside. It seems good so far.

[LynneC]

That is a really nice skimmer! What size does that go up too? You got a good deal.

[ichthus]

That is a really nice skimmer! What size does that go up too? You got a good deal.

Reef Octopus advertises this model for up to 264 gallons. Most of the information I have seen seems to say that this is a good skimmer for a 125 to 150 gallon tank with a pretty heavy bio-load. It is a little noisy, but I think that when I hook it to the outside air intake most of the noise will disappear. It looks to be built well. I was impressed with the quality of the valve, as well as the thickness of the acrylic.

I have been thinking of upgrading for a while because I have been thinking of adding additional fish to my tank. When I saw this for sale I made an offer and the seller accepted immediately. The price was much better than I usually see on the forums. Now I am planning to setup a quarantine tank so I can add some more fish. Hopefully this skimmer will handle the load without a problem.

[Ken Higgins]

Before I started reading I saw the picture and said OMG.....he made a skimmer with the 3D printer!!!! LOL...Nice find after reading

[LynneC]

ha ha that is funny ken!

[ichthus]

Before I started reading I saw the picture and said OMG.....he made a skimmer with the 3D printer!!!! LOL...Nice find after reading

There may be some 3d printed parts in its future. I already have some plans. Stay tuned...

[JasonR]

Very nice. I’m curious on the outside air. I don’t think I can do it in my basement. I might increase ph if needed by a calcium reactor later or using 2 part I think.

[ichthus]

Very nice. I’m curious on the outside air. I don’t think I can do it in my basement. I might increase ph if needed by a calcium reactor later or using 2 part I think.

I have a piece of pvc through the wall, with a screen on it to keep unwanted things out. The pvc has a push connect fitting inside of the house. The flexible line from the skimmer is connected to the push connect on pipe forcing it to draw air from outside of the house.
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I run a calcium reactor, so I use the outside air to help raise the PH of the tank. I found that my PH reading on my Apex increased by about .1, which is a typical result, when I connected my original skimmer. You really only need a hole that is as large as the line on the skimmer, unless it is a really long run. Make sure that you don't spray anything to kill weeds or bugs near the intake because they also kill fish and coral. However, there are other ways to increase oxygen concentrations in the air supply to your skimmer. One option would be to leave your windows and doors open year round, but this is probably not the most practical solution for most people.

A better option to consider would be to run a CO2 scrubber. You can install the CO2 scrubber on the intake of your skimmer and let it remove the CO2 that is in the air. This is an option that I have heard good things about, but have never done personally. The reactor uses calcium hydroxide, which is commonly known as kalkwasser, to increase the available oxygen, changing the kalkwasser it into calcium carbonate through the addition of CO2. This media typically has a color change that occurs to indicate that it needs to be changed. Some people report an increase of .2 by using this method. The biggest drawback I see is that you need to change the media about twice a month and spend extra money on the media.

The most effective option would be to combine the two options. Putting a CO2 scrubber on an outside airline usually yields about a .3 increase in PH. Many people find this to be very effective with a basement tank. However, this is also the most difficult and expensive option.

I would try running a line to the outside first, if possible. However, this is limited by the length of the run, hose diameter and ways for the hose to exit the house. For a run over 10 feet you will probably need to increase the size of the hose. If this doesn't get the desired result, then I would add the CO2 scrubber to the outside line.