Yet another DIY beckett.. :)

[aesop]

Finally got my beckett completed last a few weeks ago; leaktested and all. It's a big improvement compared to the prizm that was on there before. It took over 2 months (just running around getting parts; and getting the nerve to go out into the Canadian Winter to do some work in the garage

Only problem I have is the SMELL. Seems the carbon that I put into the collection container is not helping at all.

Skimmer after 1 week of running

Top down of the injector housing area

Skimmate & Collection Cup

Body shot (old PVC kalkreactor in front)

Collection Container

More Skimmate

Made a new Kalkreactor on the weekend

More pics can be found @
http://www.pbase.com/cowboy_coder/reef

 

[aliendomain]

Sorry to hear about the smell. Have you tried a finer grade of carbon? Also where did you get the plastic wing nuts?

 

[gbtower]

you can get plastic wing nuts at http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pr..._name=Nylon+Screws&product_id=Nylon+Wing+Nuts

 

[lemonyx]

aesop

Checkout snailman's site for the waste collector Basically, it's a 1 1/2" male,slipxthd fitting-pvc. This will go into the lid of your waste collector. Under this you will need a short piece or 2" dia clear tube or piece of pvc to hold a ping pong ball. On the end of this you will need a cap, a scrap piece of acylic with holes drilled in it. This is your auto shutoff for your skimmer. To finish off the top, you will need another short piece of pvc 1 1/2" dia, a piece of window screen to keep stuff from falling into the collector, floss, carbon and more floss. To "cap" it off a 1 1/2" cap with a hole drilled in the top for venting. No more "smell" hth

 

[lemonyx]

just don't know what I'm doing

 

[lemonyx]

dbl post

 

[lemonyx]

opps

 

[ron1guz]

Aesop,

Do you have the DIY plans? I've been wanting to build a skimmer and have not found any good plans. Your's looks like what I want to build.

thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

That is a fine looking skimmer Aesop. Clean looking! Nice job.

Let us know how you fix the smell problem. I'm going to try building a skimmer latter, after the MACO calcium reactor course. I'd like to here how you like this design over time.

Good luck!

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

aesop

Checkout snailman's site for the waste collector Basically, it's a 1 1/2" male,slipxthd fitting-pvc. This will go into the lid of your waste collector. Under this you will need a short piece or 2" dia clear tube or piece of pvc to hold a ping pong ball. On the end of this you will need a cap, a scrap piece of acylic with holes drilled in it. This is your auto shutoff for your skimmer. To finish off the top, you will need another short piece of pvc 1 1/2" dia, a piece of window screen to keep stuff from falling into the collector, floss, carbon and more floss. To "cap" it off a 1 1/2" cap with a hole drilled in the top for venting. No more "smell" hth

Do you have a link for this site? I need to make a waste collector and would like some detailed plans.

Had a big flood the other night when the skimmer decided to go craaaazy.

 

[Anonymous]

I had a big flood the other day too when my beckett went crazy. I had a 5-G overflow bucket too. My flood basically consisted of the 5-gallon bucket and all of the water that my evapration container had in it. Probably about 15 gallons in all.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, sounds similar.

The five gallon bucket overflowed onto the floor, and then the top off system was more than happy to make up for the water loss.

That reminds me, I just remembered I need to empty the shop vac! 8O

 

[Simms142]

Why not vent it outside?

 

[Anonymous]

Simms wrote:

Why not vent it outside?

I will probably do that. You'd just have to pay attention so that you would be aware when an overflow occurred. The influx of freshwater from the auto top-off system could quickly reduce the salinity of the tank and cause major problems.

I think I would devise a way that would limit the amount of makeup water that could be delivered over a 24 hour period.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Why not vent it outside?

You mean run the waste line outside? I never thought of that actually, and it wouldn't be hard to do at all in my case.


But, like Louey mentions, the top off system would create a problem. I often have 50 gallons or so in my auto top off, and if that all went into the tank because my beckett skimmer went nuts, that could be quite a disaster.

 

[Anonymous]

My solution for limiting the auto top-off is simply to raise the pump in the make-up container up high so that only so much water could get pumped into the sump before the pump starts to suck air. That would be an easy way for you to know that there was a problem too.

My make-up container is a 32G Brute.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

I actually have no idea how much make up water I can hold now that I think about it, it's just a big Brute can.

But I think 50 gal might be right. It is bigger than the trash cans we are allowed to use for city pick up, and the limit on those is 40 gal size.

I think I am going to fool around and see if I can't make a waste collector out of junk in the basement. They don't look that complicated.

 

[Sprayin70]

Does anyone have the link to the DIY Plans?

Thanks

 

[Rob Top]

http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman.htm

 

[Rob Top]

http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman.htm