BeanAnimal
Premium Member
As I read this it appears that you seemed to like the pictures of the Mojoreef skimmers bubbles? Were you able to confirm what size and brand of stones he was using?
5' Skimmer Build in Progress
- Thread starter tinygiants
- Start date
DrBDC
Active member
I can't wait to see how that LT19 works out. I'm using the LT15 and was thinking maybe I need more air. The LT19 approx. doubles the air at that depth. I cleaned my ceramic stones today to see if that helped some (it did) and I noticed that I don't seem to be diffusing o2 throughout the whole stone just near the top. I could have got away with shorter stones (I have the 9" sweetwater II) if that's the case. I do skim a lot and very dark but I have a very fine line between so dry that it doesn't break down in the collection cup and wet splatter. I seem to get the darkest when it splatters more into the collection cup. Nitrates are 0-5 and I'm a heavy feeder so I have a successful skimmer I just would like it to be better yet.
jnarowe
New member
piercho You know I talked to the guys at Coralife and that's not what they said. It does make sense that a piston would provide more CFM, but the Coralife tech said to go with the Luft pump. I got one on ebay and I'll see how it goes. If it is no good, I'll use it on my saltwater holding tank and get a piston pump. It was very confusing to me since the piston pumps have CFM as a spec. but not the Luft pump. That's why I called them to find out.
Dale Where did you get the 13%? Is that some magic number that is supposed to be the most efficient?
Dale Where did you get the 13%? Is that some magic number that is supposed to be the most efficient?
tinygiants
New member
To quote Mojoreef, he is using the sweetwater ultra fine pore stones (not the generation II) from the aquatic eco catalog. Only problem with that is there is no ultra fine pore stone un less you get the aluminum plate ones, and they cause a 25 psi backpressure. I am assuming he is using the ozone/oxygen fine pore stones by sweetwater. I think he was using 12 inch stones.
Dale
tinygiants
New member
13% is the magic number of bubble volume before it causes bubble joining. I got that number from the bulleting boards here and at another site (RF). I have been told that it comes from Peter Escobals book Aquatic Engineering. I have not personaly read that book, but I find refference to it all over the internet.
Dale
DrBDC
Active member
A tetra luft pump will work well on a little hang on the back cc skimmer with about a 2 or 3 inch pipe and maybe a 1-1/2 ft depth. I have one and it won't make any bubbles at 5 ft. Occasionally it will put out a little bubble like when the sandbed releases one. I just hooked mine up to see for curiosity.
Maybe coralife owns tetra! :lol:
Maybe coralife owns tetra! :lol:
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I am waiting to see how your numbers pan out before I start my build. I have to have a near silent pump thought... so a blower or big load piston pump driving those ultra fine stones isn't going to happen.
What brand of water flow gauge did you end up with and how much did you pay?
What brand of water flow gauge did you end up with and how much did you pay?
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Anybody try the stones that biggt 2k1 used in his square skimmer? Last I remembered he seemed to have good luck with the stones and sweatwater pump.
tinygiants
New member
Bean,
On page 3 I posted a picture of it. It is from TOM Aquarium Products. I got it from Ebay. I think I paid $21.00 for it. It is a plastic unit, but it is consistent. It reads in GPH or LPH. As you know, my skimmer body is PVC, so I will be relying on my gages to tell me what is going on inside. I believe that by careful tracking, I can identify a repeatable setup (feed rate, recirc rate, and air feed rate to get the desired results).
Dale
On page 3 I posted a picture of it. It is from TOM Aquarium Products. I got it from Ebay. I think I paid $21.00 for it. It is a plastic unit, but it is consistent. It reads in GPH or LPH. As you know, my skimmer body is PVC, so I will be relying on my gages to tell me what is going on inside. I believe that by careful tracking, I can identify a repeatable setup (feed rate, recirc rate, and air feed rate to get the desired results).
Dale
jnarowe
New member
The Luft pump I am talking about is this one:
Available from most suppliers. Produces 7.0 PSI. Coralife tech claims it puts out more CFM than the linear piston pumps. I spent a lot of time on the phone with them and no matter how much I argued with him, he held fast that this pump would produce more air than the Whitewater piston pump.
That doesn't mean it's correct, but I am willing to try it out!
Available from most suppliers. Produces 7.0 PSI. Coralife tech claims it puts out more CFM than the linear piston pumps. I spent a lot of time on the phone with them and no matter how much I argued with him, he held fast that this pump would produce more air than the Whitewater piston pump.
That doesn't mean it's correct, but I am willing to try it out!
tinygiants
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6399252#post6399252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
The Luft pump I am talking about is this one:
Available from most suppliers. Produces 7.0 PSI. Coralife tech claims it puts out more CFM than the linear piston pumps. I spent a lot of time on the phone with them and no matter how much I argued with him, he held fast that this pump would produce more air than the Whitewater piston pump.
That doesn't mean it's correct, but I am willing to try it out!
Here is what I found on your pump.
7.0 psi and 4 lpm (.15 cfm).
I found this here.
It is in the verbal description. The pic on the page of there other models looks alot like the whitewater. Either there are a lot of knockoff brands out there, or a single supplier is getting rebranded by multiple companies.
Dale
tinygiants
New member
These photos are during wet testing.
I adjusted the recirc rate to 240 gph (4gpm). It is well above what my goal rate is.
This is the air meter at max pump output. It is reading about 25 SCFH. That is about .4 SCFM. With the current bubble size I am 50% short.
Dale
I adjusted the recirc rate to 240 gph (4gpm). It is well above what my goal rate is.
This is the air meter at max pump output. It is reading about 25 SCFH. That is about .4 SCFM. With the current bubble size I am 50% short.
Dale
tinygiants
New member
The LT19 will be here this week.
The pump curve shows it providing a little over 1cfm at 3 psi. Even with my current bubbles I only need .9 cfm at 2.5 psi. I do expect that the new stones will improve my bubble size and thus the bubble rise rate. If the bubble stays around longer, it does not take as much air to maintain the 13% goal.
Now I am reinstalling it into the sump. From a skimming stand point it is useless. There is not enough air to push the foam up to the cup. I am installing it so I can test out the new feed flowmeter.
Dale
The pump curve shows it providing a little over 1cfm at 3 psi. Even with my current bubbles I only need .9 cfm at 2.5 psi. I do expect that the new stones will improve my bubble size and thus the bubble rise rate. If the bubble stays around longer, it does not take as much air to maintain the 13% goal.
Now I am reinstalling it into the sump. From a skimming stand point it is useless. There is not enough air to push the foam up to the cup. I am installing it so I can test out the new feed flowmeter.
Dale
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Do you happen to have an SPL meter (cheap at rat shack ... hint hint). I am curoius to as to the actual sound level of some of these pumps.
Have you updated the spreadsheet with any of yuor new information?
Have you updated the spreadsheet with any of yuor new information?
if sound is an issue Ill tell you now the whitewater wont work for you.
I will likely have mine up for sale shortly as soon as Im done testing. its just too loud.
Im not sure about decibals, but Id say its about as loud as your average conversation, kinda sounds like a running car mixed with an electric bike pump. it gets quieter the more backpressure it has, wide open its downright obnoxious.
I will likely have mine up for sale shortly as soon as Im done testing. its just too loud.
Im not sure about decibals, but Id say its about as loud as your average conversation, kinda sounds like a running car mixed with an electric bike pump. it gets quieter the more backpressure it has, wide open its downright obnoxious.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Maybe put it outside behind the landscaping in a little pump house with insulation and a fan?
Bean
Bean
that would certaintly do the trick, its not so loud as youd hear it through a decently insulated wall. I pondered building a small enclosure for it inside my stand with a fan and some padding.
I believe if sound was the only problem in my setup Id figure a way to combat it. thats why I still have it. but thus far bubble size isnt working for me either, so untill I have atleast 1 of these things solved Im not happy with it. honestly Id rather pay a few extra bucks each month for some power hungry pump if it means a better skimmer.
I believe if sound was the only problem in my setup Id figure a way to combat it. thats why I still have it. but thus far bubble size isnt working for me either, so untill I have atleast 1 of these things solved Im not happy with it. honestly Id rather pay a few extra bucks each month for some power hungry pump if it means a better skimmer.
