Turning a cheap ebay skimmer into an elite skimmer project

[JLAudio]

This is my current plan, recently I ordered a Bubble Magus skimmer (a cheap knock off skimmer from Hong Kong) that basically copied the design of bubble masters and bubble king skimmers.

Here is the reefcentral thread on them and there getting pretty good reviews and overall have a good design.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1335995&perpage=25&pagenumber=2http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ostid=11779824

My thought is purchase this skimmer
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bubble-Magus-BM1...ayphotohosting

and change the pump to a psk 2500 sicce (the one bubble master uses)
http://www.marinesolutionsinc.com/catalog/Pumps/c25/p135/Sicce-PSK-2500/product_info.html

here is a link to it in action with original pump and it looks decent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyqSd_s9zxw

So I found this skimmer online for 109$ combined with the pump which is expensive at 140$ making a total of $250 and in my estimation will be comparable with a bubble master which goes for $500 (I own one so this is a just comparison, hopefully) so the same pump and beyond the pump and venturi line the actual body of the bubble master is fairly basic, so I look forward to seeing the results and will post pics of the experiment and comparison to the bubble master I have currently running.

 

[marrone]

A problem that can happen is the skimmer may arrive broken, this is something that happened when a number of members here purchased a bunch of Bubble King Knock-offs. It costs a lot of money to ship them back.

 

[Scion_TC2005]

Good Stuff. I would like to know the results on your little Experiement. Good Luck!!

 

[JLAudio]

A problem that can happen is the skimmer may arrive broken, this is something that happened when a number of members here purchased a bunch of Bubble King Knock-offs. It costs a lot of money to ship them back.

This definitly one of my concerns, but according to one member on reefcentral who describes the skimmer in detail in the later threads that its actually fairly solid and not that flimsy, but it is shipped in a cheap package.

Another good thing is I found a distributor in brooklyn so I could always drive to him with broken product

 

[Lubu]

Shipping is expensive from HK. Why not just get the Octopus MSX?

 

[JLAudio]

As I said I found a distributor from brooklyn online (have info if anyone needs). MSX are always out of stock and this could possibly be an alternitive to MSX (hard to get), Bubble master (overpriced, when essentially the pump and good open venturi are the only real novel parts).

This combination would be roughly $20 cheaper than the MSX and 50% cheaper than the bubble master.

 

[chazertis]

i'd love to see the results too. tagging along! and best of luck! lets hope it arrives in pristine shape

 

[autoponicz]

sounds like a fun project...lets see how this thing skim

 

[fernandokng]

awesome! I read the thread before. this sounds fun.

 

[JLAudio]

My only hope is that its made solid and the gate valve works, besides that I feel the power is in the pump and the venturi. It should be in tommorow. I am going to use my sicce pump from my Bubble Master to check to see what kind of difference it makes, if its a huge one, im going to buy it and put it on, if not im going to switch it with the viaAqua pump the way the guy did in the thread. This would bring down cost dramatically but if performance is hindered as well I will stick with the sicce for 140

 

[JLAudio]

This plan might be halted. I just got an email message for paypal saying now I have to pay an additional $68, when I checked out it just stated 109. Usually when you go to checkout it gives you your total and it did, and said 109 and it was coming from brooklyn, now 24 hrs. later its coming from Hong Kong and an additional $68.

Im not sure whats going on

 

[nycitaliano9]

Buy a Used Skimmer and save your self the trouble

 

[autoponicz]

looks like the guy dont have it in stock...he just lied to you then.....

 

[marrone]

You need to check the auction but I thought all the skimmers, and all the other knock-offs products, were being shipping from HK.

 

[Adamc1303]

Reefscience.com has them in stock and they are in the US. The price is $159.00 though. You can trust them I have purchased allot of livestock from them

 

[Reef Reaper]

May not be worth the headaches!! Just a proven skimmer and save yourself the trouble!!

 

[Lubu]

Reefscience.com has them in stock and they are in the US. The price is $159.00 though. You can trust them I have purchased allot of livestock from them

You can get it from http://www.nuocean.com/skimmers for $119. They are in Brooklyn so you can pick up!

 

[inked]

to bad was looking forward to seeing the outcome. The pics on Reefscience.com look good with the standard pump. I am with you I think the fun in the hobby is experimenting!

 

[Adamc1303]

Hey I purchased one of these from the importer. I picked it up from him he lives in Brooklyn. Go to nuocean.com

 

[JLAudio]

Hey I purchased one of these from the importer. I picked it up from him he lives in Brooklyn. Go to nuocean.com

keep us posted on what happens, im curious