Stuck in the middle - 50g tank, which Deltec skimmer?

Buddyboy · #1 11-26-2006, 03:50 PM

Something else to consider. The MCE300 is a brand new skimmer in the Deltec line and the bugs haven't been worked out of it yet. I have been following this thread about another reefers experiences:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=963923

Seems to be a mixed bag? On the plus side, it should be considerably cheaper than the MCE600 when they are available.

Or, you could also just splurge for the MCE600 if you have the $$$!

Funky_Fish14 · #2 11-26-2006, 04:10 PM

I'd definetly go for the larger unit, because of all the reasons mentioned above. Upgrades in the future, etc... Or, say you have a mishap in the tank, something dies overnight. The larger skimmer will pull more out than the smaller, ofcourse. And you cant really overskim, just set it to skimmate that is more dry.

Which reminds me... I STILL havent set-up my deltec yet, cause I havent set-up the new system

Chris

Rippin · #3 11-27-2006, 01:51 AM

Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions.

I decided to go with the MCE600 unit. Purchased and installed it today. Pretty much plug and play. I'm very happy with the noise level (or lack of). The pump is quite quiet. I can hear the air intake over the pump

Much better (in terms or noise level) compared to the Prizm Pro.

Two things that I could nit-pick about.
1. The power cord is way too short! Forget about a drip loop. It needs to be double in length.
2. The collection cup should be transparent on both sides. I have the skimmer mounted to the side of my tank and it's difficult to see what's collecting in the cup and how high to adjust to create the proper skimmate consistency.

Chad · #4 11-27-2006, 01:53 PM

yeah, I have the same complaints. Plus add to the clear intake which gums up nicely with coraline etc.

The collection cup and be turned around as well if you need to see the clear side.

But I am happy with its performance over all.. Beware it will FLOOD when you do water changes!!!!!!!!! Raise the collection cup after water changes for a good hour or so.

Rippin · #5 11-27-2006, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad

yeah, I have the same complaints. Plus add to the clear intake which gums up nicely with coraline etc.

The collection cup and be turned around as well if you need to see the clear side.

But I am happy with its performance over all.. Beware it will FLOOD when you do water changes!!!!!!!!! Raise the collection cup after water changes for a good hour or so.

Yes, I could turn around the collection cup, but then the overflow pipe would not have a nice hole to fit in

Also, how would this unit flood? The overflow pipe would prevent the level of the water from escaping the top lid.

Chad · #6 11-27-2006, 05:59 PM

Really? Cuz mine has a hole on both sides. So you can turn it around.. If it doesn't it has to be a mistake. Its designed to go both ways.

Trust me.. that overflow pipe is worthless unless its just overflowing some skimate.. When the surface tension changes it overflows easily.

Rippin · #7 11-27-2006, 09:41 PM

I was referring to the cover that has the small hole that the return pipe goes into. The cover is only on one side, but, yes there is an open area on the opposite side for the return pipe to fall in to.

I have the skimmer on a new tank right now (nothing in it but saltwater) and the bubble action rose overnight to spill water in the collection cup. The collection cup was at its lowest position and the airflow was at the 2 o'clock mark. The overflow pipe did it's job and returned the excess water back into the skimmer. So it worked for me. But I'll still keep an eye out, thanks.

Rippin · #8 11-30-2006, 11:06 PM

Well, I've had it set-up for a few days now and made a few modifications to hopefully improve operation and reduce the noise even further. Note: This unit is already quiet, but I am always looking for ways to reduce noise. The fan on my Coralife lighting unit is louder than the skimmer

The intake pipe was way too long, vertically. I wanted to bring the strainer closer to the surface. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as it seemed. The rigid tube that connects to the PVC elbow bend is glued in, so that ruled out a simple shortening cut, and then slipping it back in to the elbow bend. Also the diameter of the tube and the size of the elbow is metric. I searched high and low trying to find a 20mm PVC connector sleeve or another elbow, but could not get one. It seems the imperial measurement PVC fittings are more common in Vancouver.

I eventually found a rigid, clear tube that was slightly larger than the provided tube and used that as a connector sleeve.
You can also see the amount of micro-bubbles this new unit is outputting in the picture.

As mentioned, the unit is pretty quiet, but you could still hear the hissing air valve. Because it is fairly high pitched, it could get annoying. Again, the OEM tubing is not a typical size and type that I could find at an aquarium store. The tubing reminded me of medical tubing, so off to the medical supply store to see if I could find a suitable match - and found something that would do quite nicely. I could not get it in the colour black, but the medium weight is (hopefully) good enough to prevent tubing pinching due to bends. These rubber tubings come in various wall thickness - thin, medium, thick, extra thick. If I went with the thicker walled tubing it might have been more difficult to stretch it over the air intake valve. I purchased about 4 feet of it and fed the tubing behind the aquarium and under the table.
The air hissing sound has been reduced considerably.

And finally here is a pic, just for reference, of the skimmer cup. Note: There is absolutely nothing in the tank right now except for the aragonite substrate.