Protein Skimmer Question

choosymother

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I have a Kent Marine Nautilus TE which works pretty well, although I feel like I could get more out of it. Its running on a QuiteOne 3000 (780 gph). Would it make a difference if I replaced this pump with a 1300 gph pump that I already have? The manufacturer recommends a 700-900 gph pump.
 
Probably not. Manufacturers don't just go throwing pumps on acrylic tubes all willy nilly (well most of them anyways) without a bit of research. If they recommend 700-900gph, that would be the one to go with. It may be possible to get a better pump, or different impeller that could improve efficiency or air intake, but that probably wouldn't be worth it...
 
I'm betting a pump with a needle or pin wheel impeller would do much better in that application.

If you decide to sell the Quiet One 3000...let me know.
 
Thanks for your responses. The 1300 gph pump I have has a venturi intake on it. The skimmer also has a venturi intake on it. I am assuming that I will get more bubbles in the skimmer if I use the 1300 gph pump ..... ? Is the 1300 gph going to have any negative effects on a skimmer that is rates for 700-900 gph?
 
The pipe that allows water out of the skimmer may not be able to flow enough water out and the skimmer might just constantly overflow. I'm confused, how does the skimmer have a venturi intake? The venturi comes before the pump and as water rushes through the nozzle a pressure differential is created and air is sucked in, and finally chopped up by the wheel (wheels range from standard, to pinwheel, to mesh). ALL of these parts have an impact on air intake (usually measured in lph), water intake, bubble size and amount, and overall efficiency.

Is it possible the larger pump would increase performance? Yes. But unless you have the tools to measure the air intake and some way to base the performance change it's probably not worth the hassle.

As for the pump having any negative effects? None that I can think of other than it just might not work well and larger pumps generally draw more power.
 
I ran the 1300 gph pump and didn't seem to get any more bubbles than I had before. I decided not to use it as a return from the sump and not use the venturi feature at all. Thanks for all of the comments, I really appreciate them.
 
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