Protein Skimmer

Anyone have any exp with the large AE Tech ( ETSS ) skimmers? I'm lookin for personal experience with the twin tube downdraft style, or any other large skimmer. I'm lookin for a good skimmer for my new 720 gal Acrylic aquarium. The ETSS 2000 can be bought used from marinecenter for a decent price. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Run them all te time what do you want to know ? I use a ETSS 5000 at the shop and We run a 800 here at home..And about to get my 2000 sent up for what I'm gettiung ready to do for a grow out system..

 

Is there anything to look out for, or any better pump to run this skimmer? Im gonna have another 100-200 lbs of tonga branch piled in the center to hide the overflow and provide cover. Im thinkin Im gonna do small Sharks and maybe a Ray, so i want an agressive skimmer thats up to the task.

 

Well I ran a 1 hp 17,000 GPH main pump and fed the skimmer off of that All the problems a ETSS ever had was people trying to cut back on pumps The 2000 and all of the ETSS in this class suck some serious air.. I mean you can hear them from the next room . And they require some heavy water flows and pressure. That skimmer will need more pump them most run on a large aquarium. Is this the dual tower 2000 skimmer ?

 

Hello Tangster,

I am having problems fine-tuning my ETSS 2500 skimmer. I am using and external 0.75 HP, and I think it is too much power! (above, you say otherwise!)

1. I have added max amount of bio-balls to both towers (10" from top)
2. Added valves to both air intakes and slowed it down, which really just created super small bubbles that do not form into an efficient skim.

question: at what point in the main riser tube should the foam be created? There seems to be a point in the riser tube where some bubbles go up, and others down - about half way, and if i tighten the outflow - the water rises and gobbles up any foam created. Open the valve to wide, and nothing skims.

I will leave my questions simple, and hopefully start a thread in the public area.

Super thanks, Darren

 

Kind of vague about the pump you say its a 3/4 HP pump ? what's the flow rating ? They require some serious water pressure and volume and not many aquarium pumps offer these and the ETSS make a sucking sound from hell when operating correctly But there are ways to fix that also..
On the 2500 you want the foam to start about 1/2 way up into the first reactor chamber . Now if you are not used to working with skimmers of the scale.. They never foam all the time like many want to see they will go flat with the slightest change of the waters surface tension .
This is a skimmer equal to all and better to many in its class and price range.. Mine ran great but put a hand in the tank or a pinch of food in a 750 gallon tank and poof foam gone for a hr or so..
It will come back and skim whats there then go back to nothing until there is work to do.. My just added Bullets does the same thing.. This tank here was to small for my ETSS 600 But I put the that 2500 skimmer on a 3000 gal system in Richmond and its piped to a I don't recall the exact pump I plumbed that one on Seems to me it was a sequence reef low Tiger shark I had my old one on a huge old Dolphin sea horse but as Ii said these skimmers are not for the tweakers LOL you break it in dial it in then let it be untill it stops doing the average skimming over a week you will need a collection vessle also.. I can find the pump info foe you in Richmond if you want ? But to say 0.75 HP pump to me means 3/4 HP and thats not that simple.. Flow's ad these pumps have a lot of head pressure also so that all has to taken into consideration like one we use at the shop here sets up 7 ft off the floor and we use a 1 HP Dolphin SAS 9700 just for the skimmer.

 

ETSS 2500 help

Hello Tangster - man is it nice to hear someone else comment on my skimmer; it is driving me nuts! Don't suppose you live in California?

1. Pump = 3/4 HP Iwaki MX-400, rated at 74 GPM, which sits at the base of the skimmer. The main 1.5" flex PVC is about 7 feet total in length (The skimmer sits on 2' of cinder blocks), so obviously not getting 74 GPM.

2. 2" gate valve drains about 10ft at a slight down grade to a large bin, but the tip of the drain pipe is submerged ~1".

3. Small gate valves on each air intake

A few questions from your post:

1. "On the 2500 you want the foam to start about 1/2 way up into the first reactor chamber" - ETSS names the first section "Riser", is that what you are calling 'reactor chamber'? (the second called the "Neck" which is longer, and smaller in diameter, and finally a "Waste collection cup"

2. How much should I throttle on the air intake?

3. From a fresh start, where should the water level be at minute 1: in the Riser tube or in the Neck, and should i control it with the air valves, or foam valve?

4. the instruction manual (which covers all models) states that commercial skimmers require TWO waste drain lines, and mine only came with ONE - one or two on your 2500?

My bio-load is really almost nil right now for ~1800 gallons (max=2500), as I am still dealing with design issues and leaks (a dozen sculpins, tegula, and a few anemones - did I mention the 2-ton chiller to get the water to 52F!!, but which is actually down right now so room temp+motors = 71F).

Can't thank you enough for any info!

Thanks, Darren

 

sorry have not been on much not really feeling that saucy these days LOL O.K you have pump way undersized to to to much head loss On that skimmer at 7ft you are looking a pump rated at about 5,000 GPH I always set mine with no air to get the desired water level to get them going then adjust it to a good sucking air sound and a strong mix then let them set for few days takes a long time to dial one in.. ETSSS has made several changes over the yrs with their design

I set my water level to about mid to 3/4 of way up in the very bottom reactor chamber This is set with all air cut off just water.. and not a bubble then I open the air until I get them mixing well and that Famous ETSS air sucking sound and let it run until I see where I'm at then open more air .. You may have to just use a huge bucket and wet skim for a week or so ? Until it settles in ETSS are a very finicky skimmer and in my opinion one of the best I have never seen any better But not for the average hobbyist ): It takes a little tweaking and adjustments and lots of experience to set them and keep them operating at peak performance.

They will foam like a rabid pit-bull on steroids some times and flat at a mud puddle other times .. Its just the nature of the beast at this level.. They don't make bubble to just make bubbles and a single little pinch of flakes in say a 2,000 Gal system will make them go flat for a 1/2 plus until they build back up. If you need more help ? P/M me I'll see that in my E/M I don't get in here much these days .. You will have to play with the water line but this will put you close and should be just about right.. But Your pump is to small I think ? with the 2 blocks and then the skimmer height and then the piping and valve.. But before you make a bunch of wholesale changes I'd add a gate valve to the drain and try to adjust water level that way and create a bit more dwell time in the reaction chamber..to get a better air to water mixture.

And also with this hobby seller's and manufactures can rate anything they want and all hobby pumps i have ever seen are way over rated in their ability to perform.. I worked with real pumps for yrs in my business in commercial plumbing and water chillier towers and boilers and main large building main water supply and I know what 74 GPM look like and that pump may pump that amount zero hydrostatic head pressure and on perfect temp say 80deg's and freshwater But I'd be willing to give you odds it not even close to that amount with a high head pump.. With out seeing it I'd say you are starving the skimmer really ..

 

I am not sure the numbers on my etss skimmersOne a littler one and one big older one but I over power them with iwaki motors and then I can throttle them back I dont have much problems after i dialed them in right I run ozone in one of them and it seems to work well. Ok I figured out what i have a 900 professional and a reefdevil