simple recirculating skimmer plan

[jhale]

so, I'm slowly getting to these skimmers, I have two, one is an 18" tall body, the other is 15". They will be for out of sump use, the OR pumps will be plumbed using uniseals, along with the return and input lines.

what you see is just a basic outline. I want to use clear 3" pvc for the riser tube into the cup, and a pvc coupler to attach the tube to the acrylic flange for a quick disconnect.

The 18" skimmer will be fed by one of my 1.5" durso's

my questions are,
•will the flat top of the skimmer flange be a huge problem.

•how exactly do you plumb the return?

•do I need a diffuser plate or a center column in the body?

 

[masterswimmer]

Jon, is your entire overflow going into the skimmer? Or, is it split with some going to a sump or fuge?

 

[jhale]

I have two 1.5" durso's, one will go to the sump, the other I will reduce down to a size I can connect to the skimmer. I'll have to put a valve on it so the thing does not overflow.
I'm thinking spa flex from the overflow line to a union fixture in the skimmer body, 1" maybe. I don't want to restrict the line to much.

 

[jhale]

what's missing in the drawing is the guts,

I'll have 45 degree elbows inside for the ocean runner returns.

I need to figure out if a diffuser plate will help, or if just leaving the body open is the best thing to do.

 

[masterswimmer]

I was going to say, don't restrict the line much at all. But you've got a concern there, it is almost a closed loop, but the collection cup cap opens that loop. You've got to be careful in a power outage too.

Otherwise the skimmer looks cool from the drawing. Got any real pix of it started?

master

 

[masterswimmer]

I think a diffuser plate will be a detritus trap and create a nutrient sink.

Why the plate? 'Splain to me Loooocy.

Russ

 

[jhale]

I was going to say, don't restrict the line much at all. But you've got a concern there, it is almost a closed loop, but the collection cup cap opens that loop. You've got to be careful in a power outage too.

Otherwise the skimmer looks cool from the drawing. Got any real pix of it started?

master

no pics, right now it's just tubes and some blank flanges.

the diffuser plate is a bubble king thing. it's a disc with a bunch of holes a few inches off the bottom and the pump return is located under it. the idea is the plate spreads out the bubbles so they rise up in an even pattern.
I think part of the reason they do this is because the tubes they use are so damn wide. my tube is almost half the size of theirs, so I may not need this feature, especially if I use the two 2700 OR pumps.

 

[jhale]

with the power out there would be no more water flowing to the skimmer, it's not a siphon, it relies on the water from the overflow, which would be stopped. I will test this of course to make sure nothing will happen.

I still need to see ideas on return pipes, anybody have some decent pics of their skimmer returns?

 

[masterswimmer]

Ok, I can see that. Is it something that would be too difficult to add after you test it without the diffuser? I'm a big fan of KISS. Adding the diffuser just adds potential complications IMO. If it were to work, great. If not, it seems like it would be more difficult to remove it than add it.

 

[masterswimmer]

My skimmer return is just a mag 9.5 in the third chamber of my in sump skimmer.

Can you run your skimmer discharge into your sump and have a submersible pump return to your tank?

 

[jhale]

I want the skimmer to sit next to the sump under the stand.

will not the water entering via the overflow be pushed out through the skimmer return tubes? that's what i was planning, a gravity fed skimmer with two recirculating pumps.

there is a quiet one 6000 in the sump now acting as the return pump.

the diffuser plate could be made removable, the body will open the full width once the flange's are taken off. I guess it could also be made as a add on later, I just have to be careful where I drill the pump returns then. not to high.

I might have to do it that way and make different plates to try out.

 

[masterswimmer]

Gravity fed is fine. I don't see why that wouldn't work. I'm referring to the discharge side. Can you have that dump into your sump and use the quiet one 6000 as the return for the skimmer as well?

 

[jhale]

the return pump will return the skimmer water as well, so yes.

the skimmer will feed into the sump. basically one overflow pipe will be routed through the skimmer, so the return pump will be handling the same amount of water it's putting out, not an added load from the skimmer.
is that what you are asking?

 

[Deanos]

I have two 1.5" durso's, one will go to the sump, the other I will reduce down to a size I can connect to the skimmer. I'll have to put a valve on it so the thing does not overflow.

As Russ already mentioned, try to avoid restricting your overflow. I believe :scratch: Spykes told me that recirculating skimmers should not receive more than 2x system volume an hour to increase dwell rates. I'm sure one of your overflows exceeds that flow by quite a bit. Look into a low GPH feed pump.

 

[spykes]

yeap deanos that's right, to be efficent that is...

john try it tell me how it works out. you might have some violence in that chamber, but hell it would shoot in as much protein exactly like a beckkett. there are many skimmers that are defying the theory of 2x per day i think that protein skimmer might be able to handle it.

 

[cali_reef]

yeap deanos that's right, to be efficent that is...

john try it tell me how it works out. you might have some violence in that chamber, but hell it would shoot in as much protein exactly like a beckkett. there are many skimmers that are defying the theory of 2x per day i think that protein skimmer might be able to handle it.

Don't you mean 2X an HOUR?

Jhale, it looks good so far and I don't see anything wrong with your sketch. As for the internal "redirection" chamber, I am not sure how you would retrofit or remove one since it should be glued onto the bottom plate before the skimmer body is glued on. I don't think you can get your hands in there after the body is closed up(unless the skimmer body is larger than a 12" dia). What size is the skimmer body and the internal redirection chamber you plan on using?

 

[jhale]

the body for my skimmer is 7.5" x 18", I'm making one for shaun, that's 7.5 x 18, but his will not have the overflow feed.

Peirce you are right about the plate, I forgot they would just float up, maybe I could make some kind of simple notched system to hold them in place. some blocking on the sides of the skimmer and some notches in the sides of the plates? put it in and turn. that depends how the top of the skimmer comes out. I was planning on having access to the whole diameter of the skimmer.

my thoughts on the overflow are this. I have two 1.5" drains. each one is capable of handling the flow from the return pump on it's own.
I guess I would be giving up my back up protection if I routed one to the skimmer. But if I did do that and put a ball valve on it whatever flow is blocked would easily be handled by the other drain.

To keep to the 2Xvolume per hour rule I would have to do this, I estimate each drain has about 500-600 gph going though it now. that obviously won't work in the skimmer.

a small feed pump might be the best option, I was trying to avoid adding another pump. maybe I could split the maxi-jet that is feeding the phosban reactor, it is dialed way down.

 

[HobokenAddict]

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=58540

Take a look at this guys build for a nano skimmer recirc. maybe it'll give you some guidance....

Go to page 17 or 18

 

[jhale]

this plan is incorrect, it will be changed, thanks skimmer inspectors

thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

this is what I'm thinking for the diffuser plate, the holes in the plate
are .75"
not shown are the OR 2700 intakes.

the circle in the middle represents the 3" riser tube.

this is done in vector works so it's to scale.

 

[cali_reef]

Jhale, the diffuser plate on the BK is about 2/3 the diameter of the body chamber and the holes are less than 1/4" spaced about 1/8" apart, the water without bubbles goes to the bottom of the skimmer via this gap(1/3 of the body dia) for draining. The sketch you have does not match that design.

My Barr dual Beckett have similar diffuser setup. I find this additional contraption cause the water and bubble mixture in the skimmer body to be less turbulent and causes the bubble size to be more uniform and consistent.

The removable diffuser plate is a good idea to incorporate, I can't clean that area on my two skimmers because I can't my hands or a brush in there.