skimmer plans need input

[wahoo_drew]

I want to make a skimmer, it will sit under my tank next to my sump but I dont want to drill the sump so could someone tell me if this idea will work

its a simple mspaint picture I just need an ok on the basic design pretty much just the exit line im wondering if it will travel back up and over the lip of my sump which is a 10gal the pump will be a mj1200 because I have one lying around

 

[wahoo_drew]

sorry forgot to press add attachment

 

[foma2000]

k. so there are a cupple of problems with this design (this was the 4th design i tried out of 7 befor finding a good design. so the problem is that for the water to flow back into the sump the output line needs to be gigantic(around 1 inch pipe) or the skimmer has to be high above the sump. (from trial i found that the base of the skimmer has to be at the top of the tank) what will happen if you use this method is that water wont flow back to the tank fast enough and it will come shooting out the top. so to make it work i would eather use a slow moving pump(slow water movement is good for skimmers anyways), make shure the return pipe is as large as posible, and defenatly raise the skimmer (at least a cupple of inches)
oh. i just noticed something else. i would switch the output and the input so that the input goes to the bottom and the output comes from the top. this is very important. im having a hard time explaining why but for it to work like this the water needs to spill out the top as an overflow. i know that it wont be counter current that way, but the output has to come out the top.
the only reall way to know is to make it and see. sory for the long post and good luck

 

[wahoo_drew]

thanks for the input and since youve already gone through the trial and error and you might be in the same boat im in can you tell me what style you ended up going with and if possible add a little drawing like the one I made

 

[Serge]

Hi wahoo_drew. Have a look at the follow link and see if this could be your ticket. It is a very good article for a DIY skimmer. Good luck.

http://www.tonmo.com/cephcare/DIYskimmer.php

HTH

8)

 

[wahoo_drew]

Thanks Serge, I've seen that skimmer and would love to build it but I dont have the time or patience to build that. Also that needs a really big pump to run and I dont want to buy a large pump just for a skimmer but thanks anyway

 

[foma2000]

so what i ended up doing was using a diffrent method compleatly, that just sat in the sump. but thats cause im lazzy, and it was the simplest to construct, because i didn't have to wory about leaks. the plan that you have should work if you switch it around. look at the pic below.

 

[foma2000]

heres the pic

 

[swissfish]

for some reson i think lots of bubbles will be released to the sump.

BTW i cut the parts for the diy skimmer serge posted yesterday. I will do some different things for ease of cleaning and have to use the lathe for that later next week. I will post results later.

 

[wahoo_drew]

bubbles in the sump are not a problem because the skimmer will be in the first chamber and there are baffles so it wont matter.

so foma what if I put the input at the top also? or maybe ill put it at the bottom and angle it to get it spinning

also think a maxijet 1200 will be strong enough to power a skimmer like this?

 

[foma2000]

the input at the top wouldn't be a bad idea, you could make it so that it goes in the top then down to the bottome inside. just make shure that the output is at the top or youll have problems. about pump power. unless your going with a vernuti drive pump(i wouldn't on your fist skimmer) the less gph the better. with a slower flow(not to slow though) the water is in the skimmer for longer alowing the bubles to attatch to more waist befor it goes away. i noticed that the maxijet 1200 was the biggest in the line. something alittle slower might be better. you really shouldn't need more then 100 gal per hour so the maxi jet 400 should do well. i know people are going to say the more flow the better, but its not so. skimmers are much more eficient at lower gph.

 

[wahoo_drew]

man forma youve been a huge help. so you think i shouldnt use a venturi drive pump? is that different then a mj1200 or is that the air intake system, thats what ive always thought it was.

so ill probably go with the input at the top and then down to the bottom and the output at the top like you say

 

[foma2000]

i would suggest to go with an air pump on your first skimmer. its just easyier. with a venturi drive you need special attachments on your pump and they only work with high power pumps. i would go with a slower pump(easyer to work with) and an airstone with a wooden air defuser. that way you have much more control over the amount of skimate you get. make shure to get a wooden air defuser. they give out smaller bubbles. what your shooting at is super fine bubbles. lees makes a really great wooden air stone. the lfs will tell you that other air stones will work fine, but it really needs to be wood to get the fine bubles. one other thing. you should make the output come from a bit down the skimmer. this will make it so that less foam will get taken out from the out put. check out the diagram. if you see. the output will take water from below the actual water level causing it to not take out the foam thats collecting at the water level. you could also put a 90 degree angle at the bottom of the input. and on the diagram i put the output and input on oposit sides but when you make it they can be on the same side. i just drew it that way so you could see it better

 

[Booboo33062]

wouldn't it be better to get output from closer to the bottom to make sure you don't get any bubbles?

 

[greenmaji]

I think the output on the bottom would have a tendency of draining all the water out of the skimmer to that level.. Is this a correct assumption?