Betta skimmer with Dolphin Robot

[Vanti]

Chip (Betta skimmer) and Dale (Dolphin Explorer E30), our rescue robots, are fantastic individually but together they just can't quite get along.

Is there a way for both of them to be in the pool at the same time so Chip doesn't get hung up on Dale's power cord? My initial thought was to devise a way to attach some weights to Dale's cord so it'll sink below the surface of the pool, but then I thought that might impact the anti-tangle swivel aspect.

I mean, I know we can take Chip out while Dale runs or vice versa but that sounds annoying and the pool looks so good when they do manage to work together. First world problems, y'all.

 

[Katodude]

Members here have tried to solve this problem for eons (ok maybe a few months). So far no luck. Most people just turn off the surface skimmer while the robot is running.

 

[Vanti]

I just saw a post on Facebook on a pool page where someone put pool noodles over their cord to keep it from tangling. I wonder if that might work -- the pool noodles would be a bigger object for the skimmer to want to avoid, and float the cord so the skimmer couldn't go over it as easily. Does anyone know if that's been tried successfully?

 

[Katodude]

Calling @MyAZPool

Who tried an entire deconfliction strategy. If anyone can point you in the right direction it him.

This is his thread.

Ariel Surface bot and Maytronics Dolphin Deconfliction

Last November, I pre-ordered an “Ariel by Solar-Breeze” surface bot. Before the actual delivery of Ariel, I had then decided to also make the switch from a suction-side cleaner to a Dolphin Robot by Maytronics for cleaning the bottom, sides and tile. In my research, I noticed several threads...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[gingrbredman]

I just picked up a solar skimmer (EVE-A) and she can not hang in the pool when the robot (WALL-E) is in there. I thought about trying the pool noodle idea, but I usually only run WALL-E for a cycle a day at most, so I just pull him out and drop the solar skimmer in. She lives in the pool most of the time if no one is in the pool, so catching all the stuff before it sinks seems to result in less stuff being at the bottom for the robot to pick up anyway.

I'd be interested to see some creative ideas of how to get them to work together. I love the idea from @MyAZPool pool, but my robot cords are behaving really well and do not want to introduce the possibility of tangles, had them before and hate it!

 

[Vanti]

Thanks for sharing MyAZPool's thread, @Katodude - it confirmed we're not total dummies! We started trying the thing where we pull Dale to the side of the pool each morning, leave him in the water but loop his cord on the deck and let him pull it in when he runs in the evening a few days ago and it seems to be working ok. The minor "issue" is that Chip seems capable of running 24/7 with the sunlight we're currently getting, so they continue to duke things out when they're both going.

@gingrbredman Fantastic robot names! It definitely seems like letting the skimmer bot run as much as possible is the best route. If it can suck things up before they fall to the bottom we don't need to run the cleaner bot as often. In fact, I'm vaguely miffed because we ordered our Betta at the beginning of May and the Dolphin at the beginning of June. Something went wrong with our order and we had eleventy billion delays from Betta's company so we ended up getting the Dolphin first, cancelling the Betta order through Instapark and re-purchasing it through the orange big box hardware store instead. We might not need the Dolphin for most of the season, and it would have been a heckuva lot cheaper to not have to buy both.

 

[Katodude]

Dont stress about it too much you really need both. A good surface skimmer does not eliminate the need for a robot. Stuff and dirt will still make it to the bottom of your pool. The robot also brushes which is an important function.

 

[gingrbredman]

Dont stress about it too much you really need both. A good surface skimmer does not eliminate the need for a robot. Stuff and dirt will still make it to the bottom of your pool. The robot also brushes which is an important function.

Right on! I have noticed with the solar skimmer running in the pool now, my robot has tended to pick up less than it used to, but still does a great job. I wouldn't want to have a pool without my trusty in pool robot, but the addition of the solar skimmer just makes the maintenance even better. is it cheaper to have one or the other? Of course it is, but I for one am sure glad I have both. Could I do one of the jobs these robots does manually? Sure I can, but like the fact that this automates it some a lot!

 

[Katodude]

If I could not have my robot army, I would not have a pool. If there is a tool that I can buy to make my life easier, I buy it.

 

[Orion7319]

We might not need the Dolphin for most of the season, and it would have been a heckuva lot cheaper to not have to buy both.

You need the dolphin. It will scrub your pool which is necessary to prevent algae. It will also get the fine dirt and dust particles that will settle to the bottom of the pool even though you have a beta.

 

[Vanti]

I mean, I don't *need* both. We were fine with the Polaris and brushing, vacuuming, and skimming manually before. It was just annoying -- but most of the annoyingness to me was the skimming. A robot army is pretty nice, though, and once fall arrives I'll love Dale's expensive self even more than I already do!