New Bullet skimmers

[titus]

Hello,

Just notice that PM has photos of two new bullet skimmers. Anyone know what price are they? My guess is that they are for use in sump and are cheaper to make.

The box actually is the most expensive thing to make.

Titus

[StirCrazy]

PM?

Steve

[ldzielak]

Precision Marine I believe
Precision Marine (http://www.precisionmarine.com/index.html)

[StirCrazy]

BLT1 Bullet-1 High-efficiency Protein Skimmer 288.75US

BLT1+ Bullet-1 High-efficiency Protein Skimmer + SEDRA 9000 Water Pump **This pump is recommended by Precision Marine** 320.25us
thoes are from a place in washington.

at J&L's
BULLET-1 20 Inches 3MDQ-SC 125 $499.00 CDN
BULLET-1 WITH LITTLE GIANT 3MDQ-SC $699.00 CDN

Steve

[DJ88]

Steve,

Me thinks Titus is talking about the new XL.

Looks pretty sweet.. No box at all.. That is a nice design..

And the box is a PITA next to flanges IMO IME.

[Silverfish]

The XL skimmers look pretty cool! 8"
acrylic.. looks expensive (for diy) images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

Curious about price too images/smiles/icon_wink.gif

Bruce

[titus]

Hello,

Yes I'm referring to the new XL versions. 8" OD tubing is a big step from 6" OD. However, I believe PM has a good deal on them as there are plenty of acrylic sources down in the US, as compared to Canada. Part of the reason I stopped making these things is that it makes no sense for me to buy material and pumps to get them into Canada only to sell them back to the US. Besides, the fact they don't have a box saved them tons of labor hours. Mind you these guys most likely give more bubbles in return, even though the regular Bullet already pumps out a ton of return bubbles to the sump. And if you haven't seen how little bubbles the Canreef CS-2 skimmer return, well you just have to see one for yourself. I'm just bragging. images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

[Reefmaster]

are these canreef reactors still being manufactured?? i wonder where i would see one. shane

[Troy F]

Shane, I have one that I think Scott took a picture of. If he sees this thread he could post it...hint...hint.

[Shadetree]

images/smiles/icon_razz.gif
http://shadetree.homestead.com/files/Troyskimmer.jpg

Scott

[DJ88]

I dunno.. but I dont think that be a reactor..


Tho I can't tell east from east to west on a good day.. images/smiles/icon_wink.gif images/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Shadetree]

I am assuming that Shane meant skimmer as this whole post was about skimmers, but for those who are interested images/smiles/icon_razz.gif
http://www.shadetree.homestead.com/files/careactor3.jpg

Scott

[DJ88]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote are these canreef reactors still being manufactured?? i wonder where i would see one.

Hmmm.. images/smiles/icon_wink.gif lol

Ya gotta read the WHOLE thing Scott.. images/smiles/icon_wink.gif

[Shadetree]

I stand my ground and say I read between the lines and think he was refering to skimmers. images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif I know Troy was.
That is my story and I am sticking to it.

Scott

[Aquattro]

Titus, is there a local source for those black nylon screws? ( I assume they're nylon)

[DJ88]

Industrial plastics will order any size you want Brad. I bought 3/8ths and 1/4 inch from them. No difficulties. Just ask for however many you want. You may have to buy in batches of 100 if they don't have any in stock. Can't remember. Been a while.

[Aquattro]

Thanks Darren. They don't stock them so I guess I'll need to order some. I just finished assembling my skimmer and although the white bolts/wingnuts look OK, I thought that black would be better. Next project is the Ca++ reactor.

[Aquattro]

Darren, Industrial Plastics says nay on the black screws...any other ideas? Titus??

[Silverfish]

Brad, try Indufast on Boleskine. I got some 1/4" nylon bolts there and they could also get in 1/4" nylon thumbscrews (white). They may even stock them now. Black I don't know about tho. Maybe try some of the other fastner shops in town too.

HTH, Bruce


ps, if you can get black ones but need to buy a bunch only, I could use about 30 1/4" thumbscrews for my skimmer, waste collector, and reactor. let me know

[ 11 December 2001: Message edited by: Silverfish ]

[Troy F]

I have no idea what you're talking about Scott. images/smiles/icon_razz.gif images/smiles/icon_cool.gif

[titus]

Hello Guys,

The nylon screws are indeed a bit to find, like anything else up here in Canada. The black ones are even harder to find. I bought them from Pacific Fastners in Burnaby. Last time I bought what.... 500 of the black ones? Maybe. I cleaned out their stock. images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif

I see that people need odd items for DIY every now and then. Maybe I should put the parts up for sale or something. Things like flanges with keyhole slots, die cut gaskets, custom cut tubes, CO2 regulators, solenoids, needle valves, etc. I've got a whack load of these stuff left over. images/smiles/icon_eek.gif

But it's stupid to make a $5.00 sale once every 2 months for 10 screws or something. How many are interested in buying acrylic flanges and circular base for the DIY skimmers/reactors?

And I'm still getting e-mails inquiring about the availability of the reactors. Maybe I should make them on order or something. I don't know. images/smiles/icon_confused.gif You guys tell me.

[DJ88]

Making one or two from time to time might not be a bad idea.

Tho I'd be interested in a flange set. Want to make another Ca reactor.

I should stop in and see all the stuff you have.. images/smiles/icon_wink.gif I am a pack rat as it is.. may clean you out.. lol

[Reefmaster]

titus,
don't take this the wrong way, but i don't get you. it seems there was significant interest in the reactors you were building --you might even recall i posted and enquired about buying one from you, but you said you weren't making them anymore. however after i spent a G on a PM622, it sounded like you were rethinking things a little.

the part i don't get is the bulk of the work and costs would be up front. once you get to manufacturing these things, its just a matter of time before it starts paying off.

if they were as good as you say they are (your earlier post on this topic) then they should be a recipe for success. if they have a fatal design flaw i expect we would have heard about.

anyway, just curious, man, and i think you should have hired someone to do the grunt work and then put the word out, just sit back and wait for the us$$ to come to papa. shane

[titus]

Hello Shane,

Oh it's just that after I've spent so much time and effort and money (the business is at a loss), there's always a part in me that wants to go back. So whenever I see people talking/inquiring about availability, it gets me thinking.

But....

I am in no shape to run the business at this moment because of school. And I also can't hire anyone if I can't employ them full time. A lot of the acrylic work require someone with very good experience/skill (afterall this is not a DIY product, but product manufactured by a business) and therefore anyone operating at that level would be a full time type.

After about half a year of development, prototyping, testing, marketing, customer supporting, etc the business is at minus $9889.00 CAD on the income tax report my accountant did, and I still haven't been paid for my time and the money that goes to fund and operate this board. I believe I can break even if I keep doing it but I decided finishing off my master is more important and my salary (when I find a job) is more worthwhile.

The biggest problem in this business is I can not possibly compete with Precision Marine and sell products at their price range. So I have to sell cheap. But if I sell cheap, a lot of customers went to the DIY people in the US. These DIY people don't have the operating overhead a business incur.

Let me give you an example. It costs me $270.00 CAD to make a ca reactor for just the material/CNC/manual cost. The online retailers want to buy it at $200.00 USD. This mean I get paid at $300.00 CAD after the credit and bank charges. Then UPS break a few of my shipments. After including my labor costs, business overhead, customer support time, and battling with UPS over a 4 month period of who's right/wrong, I can't possibly make any money. And no one in the right mind with an engineering degree would be willing to do this when all of his friends are getting paid $60k - $80k USD for salary. I'm doing this because I'm completely addicted.

The material I use are brought up from the US. So I pay shipping on both ways, plus the duty I pay for the Eheim pumps. I therefore can't get the discount similar companies get in the US.

So yes I'm tempted by the e-mails I received but no, I'm not making anything soon (at least not until summer 2002). And if anything is up for sale, it'll only be the parts for DIY.

[ 11 December 2001: Message edited by: Titus ]