Make your Berlin Turbo kick butt for $3!

[micagreenmachine]

I stumbled on this by accident. I've never been happy with the performance of my berlin turbo skimmer

so I started futzing with it. There never seemed to be enough air bubbles in it. If I cleaned the pump out it would work right for a day or two then the output would begin to diminish again.

I read somewhere on this board about someone using an air pump hooked up to a venturi line to get a venturi berlin to work better. I tried this on my turbo berlin intake line and got nothing but big gurgley bubbles no matter how I adjusted the air flow. Deeper in frustration, I UNplugged the air pump from the electric outlet and BLAM!

Thousands of tiny bubbles in the skimmer so thick you can't see thru at all!!! It looks like milk!

I had to turn the air flow down to keep it from overflowing. I disconnected the air pump from the intake, bubbles gone. Reconnected it, bubbles back! The air intake must have the air pulsating back and forth in the line instead of a nice steady draw. The air pump only let the air flow one way, like a check valve, into the skimmer. I ran out today and bought the last check valve on the shelf ($3.00) and tried that in place of the air pump. It works even better!

I guess I won't throw the darn thing out after all!

If anyone else is/was having the same problem, try my fix and let me know how it works. I want to know if this is just a fluke or if I missed something in the initial assembly of my skimmer. And if this is a solid fix, I want to let the people at Red Sea know so they can make a better product.

btw, they (Red Sea) are sending me a new impeller 'cause mine is making an awful noise too, but that's another story.

~Todd

 

[EmilyB]

My RSB Classic is now a paperweight. I did try converting it to the Turbo. Also got the new "improved" impeller for the Turbo pump, did you make sure you got that ? Anyway, it was still garbage. The pump seized after a few weeks and I sent it back.

I am however, curious as to whether what you have suggested might work with the Classic setup as well. I have a magdrive, so might just give that a try.