ETSS Beckett upgrade?
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I dont quite understand what you are trying to do. Downdrafts and becketts rely on different theories.
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I guess what Im saying is that having a beckett downdraft is lke saying you have a chevy/ford car. They are not the same.
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protein_skimmer&action=edit§ion=9">edit</a>] Beckett skimmer[/B]
The Beckett skimmer has some similarities to the downdraft skimmer but introduced a foam nozzle to produce the flow of air bubbles. The name Beckett comes from the patented foam nozzle developed and sold by the Beckett Corporation (United States), although similar foam nozzle designs are sold by other companies outside the United States (e.g. Sicce (Italy)). Instead of using the plastic media that is found in downdraft skimmer designs, the Beckett skimmer uses design concepts from previous generations of skimmers, specifically the downdraft skimmer and the venturi skimmer (the Beckett 1408 Foam Nozzle is a modified 4 port venturi) to produce a hybrid that is capable of using powerful pressure rated water pumps and quickly processing large amounts of aquarium water in a short period of time. Commercial Beckett skimmers come in single Beckett, dual Beckett, and quad Beckett designs. Well engineered Beckett skimmers are quiet and reliable but the powerful pumps used in larger Beckett skimmer designs can take up additional space, introduce additional noise, and use more electricity than less powerful pumps. Unlike the Downdraft and Spray Induction skimmers, Beckett skimmer designs are produced by a number of companies in the United States and elsewhere and are not known to be restricted by patents.
If I am following you . You pretty much want to remove bioballs or media and replace it with a beckett. I see no reason why it would not work as many downdrafts were converted over. The main concern would be retrofitting the beckett in the old downdraft tubes. I will search as well for a retro. I know I read where it was done but can't remember where. If I recall correctly. it was pretty easy.
The Beckett skimmer has some similarities to the downdraft skimmer but introduced a foam nozzle to produce the flow of air bubbles. The name Beckett comes from the patented foam nozzle developed and sold by the Beckett Corporation (United States), although similar foam nozzle designs are sold by other companies outside the United States (e.g. Sicce (Italy)). Instead of using the plastic media that is found in downdraft skimmer designs, the Beckett skimmer uses design concepts from previous generations of skimmers, specifically the downdraft skimmer and the venturi skimmer (the Beckett 1408 Foam Nozzle is a modified 4 port venturi) to produce a hybrid that is capable of using powerful pressure rated water pumps and quickly processing large amounts of aquarium water in a short period of time. Commercial Beckett skimmers come in single Beckett, dual Beckett, and quad Beckett designs. Well engineered Beckett skimmers are quiet and reliable but the powerful pumps used in larger Beckett skimmer designs can take up additional space, introduce additional noise, and use more electricity than less powerful pumps. Unlike the Downdraft and Spray Induction skimmers, Beckett skimmer designs are produced by a number of companies in the United States and elsewhere and are not known to be restricted by patents.
If I am following you . You pretty much want to remove bioballs or media and replace it with a beckett. I see no reason why it would not work as many downdrafts were converted over. The main concern would be retrofitting the beckett in the old downdraft tubes. I will search as well for a retro. I know I read where it was done but can't remember where. If I recall correctly. it was pretty easy.
A beckett would probably also require an upgrade to a pretty powerful pump (high wattage draw), as that is what drives the bubble production in a beckett based skimmer.
I used a mag 18 on mt MRC-MR1.
What you might try first is to simply pump more air into the venturi than is being drawn in passively. There are some pretty powerful air pumps out there that only draw 15 watts, like this one, the DAPMH-15:
I used a mag 18 on mt MRC-MR1.
What you might try first is to simply pump more air into the venturi than is being drawn in passively. There are some pretty powerful air pumps out there that only draw 15 watts, like this one, the DAPMH-15:
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This makes it a beckett, not a downdraft modded beckett. The ebckett injector will completely replaced the downdraft tube (which is proabbly quite a bit longer than the beckett.
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The ETSS800 requires BL55 pump and a MR2 beckett style recommends a BL55 as well.
That is assumming that the ratings are accurate
ETSS800 up to 400
MR2 up to 300
That is assumming that the ratings are accurate
ETSS800 up to 400
MR2 up to 300
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I think he said upgraded (not modded) perhaps he meant converted. I used the term retrofitted but we will use modded if you want us to.
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You dont have to use any term "for me". I just didnt undersatnd what he was trying to do. I assumed he was gonna try to fit a beckett into the downdraft tube, which I think would be quite impossible.
I disagree about it being simple. There are FAR more dynamics to skimmer creation than just fitting a beckett onto an acrylic box. Like backpressure, riser diameter, dwell time, etc. There is a reason everyone and their mother doesnt makes high end skimmers. IMO, it would be much less hassle, and maybe even less more (if the first designs of DYI dont work) to just buy the proper skimmer. JMO.
I disagree about it being simple. There are FAR more dynamics to skimmer creation than just fitting a beckett onto an acrylic box. Like backpressure, riser diameter, dwell time, etc. There is a reason everyone and their mother doesnt makes high end skimmers. IMO, it would be much less hassle, and maybe even less more (if the first designs of DYI dont work) to just buy the proper skimmer. JMO.
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If I recall correctly most of the mods, retros.conversion, or upgrades that people did from downdraft to beckett style downdrafts did produce smaller bubbles but not enough to justify the work. That was their opinion. I think one of them was the guy named Durso who did the standpipe. I decided that If I wanted a beckett style I would purchase a MRC or build one. I opted for the latter since I had some of the skills and tools.
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http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/filtration/beckett.htm">http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/filtration/beckett.htm</a>
This is the link that shows durso's mod.
He actually employed the beckett with the downdraft tubes. with some success but not worth it as Jeremy pointed out.
This is the link that shows durso's mod.
He actually employed the beckett with the downdraft tubes. with some success but not worth it as Jeremy pointed out.
Thanks for the link. That is exactly what I was interested in doing. I believe the efficiency of the the ETSS800 is limited by the short downdraft tubes. HSA makes a downdraft with Beckett 1408 injector. The Beckett head was designed to make foam not lots of fine bubbles. I'd like to use a larger injector hence the interested in the 1" injector from Mazzei.
The word "injector" is used for Beckett 1408 "foam" nozzle by many (most) people. My objective was to improve air flow by replacing the passive air system in the ETSS 800 with a Beckett 1408, or similar, device. Keeping the downdraft tubes in place and removing all or just reducing the number of balls.
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In all three of the skimmertypes that dkelly mentioned air has to be introduced into the water and all three use a device based on the venturi principle. Whether it be a Beckett style,Mazzei style and some are called spray injection. Even the downdraft style uses a barbed fitting to speed the flow and thereby reducing the pressure on the outlet side and creating a vacum. That is what pulls the air into the mix In most all types a pressure pump is used .
This explains it better than I ever could
The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe. The fluid
This explains it better than I ever could
The Venturi effect is the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe. The fluid
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dKelly
I think that was the problem for the etss was the short downdraft tubes. using the becketts. You can place the mazzei style any where in the tubes but probably up top.
I just set up 4 skimmers in a wholesale location and they were all downdraft/mazzei injected. These were 12" x 72" main bodies and 1 1/2" mazzei venturi. They were powered by a 7400gph dolphin. There were varying heights on the tubes and venturi placement,actually none of them were at the same height. I could not visually tell a difference in the foam production of any of the four . All of them seemed to skim well. But if you go with the mazzei I would start high and then adjust down if need be. what is the tube size on the etss800 diameter wise
I think that was the problem for the etss was the short downdraft tubes. using the becketts. You can place the mazzei style any where in the tubes but probably up top.
I just set up 4 skimmers in a wholesale location and they were all downdraft/mazzei injected. These were 12" x 72" main bodies and 1 1/2" mazzei venturi. They were powered by a 7400gph dolphin. There were varying heights on the tubes and venturi placement,actually none of them were at the same height. I could not visually tell a difference in the foam production of any of the four . All of them seemed to skim well. But if you go with the mazzei I would start high and then adjust down if need be. what is the tube size on the etss800 diameter wise
