5' Skimmer Build in Progress

T

tinygiants

New member
Tonight I started my skimmer build. It is based on the design I found here on Snailman's site. I am using the 6" version. My main body is 60" tall. The only real modification I am using is the addition of a recirc line and gages. I am measureing the recirc rate, feed rate and air feed rate.

These will help me validate the "Skimmer Calculator." If it functions in reality as it does in theory, then the value of the calculator can be proven. The good news is all the parts are off the shelf at local home centers.

Pics to follow.

Dale
 
your using the whitewater L15? with the 1.3cf/min output?

I just got mine, I planned to bleed much of the air for testing purposes with a very small sweetwater finepore stone.

yet no matter how little air I pump the bubbles still seem to large(unless its next to nothing, and then the bubbles are too few)

just curious how your experiences are going.
 
I have the LT11 pump. I have not yet put the stones in water. I may have gotten the wrong stones, but we will see. In the catalog, there was not much of a difference in bubble quality. To combat the bubble size, I am putting 4 stones in the skimmer. Unfortunantly, the interrior of a 6" body is actually pretty small if you are trying to build a manifold. So for now my manifold is sitting glued up. I hope to wet test it tomorrow.

Dale
 
cool let me know how it goes.

my mockup right now has a footprint of 2.6x7.6" so its a very small skimmer, as such, I have 2 1.5" stones. each rated at like .1cfm. needless to say; Im struggling to get so little air to the stones without going wide open on the release and losing all output.

just trying to figure out if its too much air or if its the stones.

the super fine pore stones are looking pretty cool right now. if only it wasnt 50$ just to fool around with them.
 
Dale:

Could you give a few details about the skimmer?
1. What size stones, how many are you using, and what does the manifold look like (veritcle or horizontal placement of the stones)?
2. Which pump are you using for the recirt?
3. Any pics?

thanks,
JC
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6302760#post6302760 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JC Pollman
Dale:

Could you give a few details about the skimmer?
1. What size stones, how many are you using, and what does the manifold look like (veritcle or horizontal placement of the stones)?
2. Which pump are you using for the recirt?
3. Any pics?

thanks,
JC
Click to expand...

I am using 1" X 3" stones. I unfortunantly ordered the medium pore ones. On the website, Inever found the fine pore. In the catalog though thier does not seem to be mych difference. I will know today if mine work.

My manifold idea sucked. I will be using a capped piece of straight 1/2 PVC. It will have 4 outlets on it feeding the 4 stones. They will be horizontal.

The recirc willl be a MAG 7. I have one, so no new expense.

Pics later today/night.

Dale
 
Here are 2 pics to get you started

Here are 2 pics to get you started

Here is the skimmer body with the UNISEALS installed. Body is 60". The transition pieces are off the shelf items at Lowes.
8758-skimmerbody.jpg


Here is the air pump, stones and air gage.
8759-airpump.jpg


The meter is a Dwyer Visi-FloatVFB series. It measures from 0 - 3 scfm. I got it from E-bay for $20.00.

The air pump is a LT11 by whitewater from aquatic eco $82.62.

The stones are AS5L 3" diffuser medium pore $3.58 ea. I may have to switch to the fine pore. Testing will tell. I will be underdriving them in my set up, so hopefully the bubbles will be small.

Dale
 
hit us with some pics of the airstones doing their thing if you can, so I can compare them to the fine pore stones.
 
heres some pictures. the stone is still being overdriven so I think the bubbles could be smaller, plus its being used in a POS berlin body, I just wanted to tinker with it while I work on my own design.

Im running it to see how the bubbles skim, if at all. dropped the stone straight down the middle.




 
8761-throttledbubbles.jpg
These are bubbles as I am throttling the air supply.

8760-wideopen.jpg


These are unrestricted bubbles.




The bubbles are fairly uniform, but I am not pleased with the size. The bubble rise rate in my calculator is way off. I will have to work on getting a accurate measure.

Dale
 
I think if you get the bubbles smaller the rates will change greatly.

the berlin is somewhat of a counter current design(crappy as it may be) because the water rises in the center, and then goes down, then back up to go out, some bubbles are sucked to the middle down current chamber. once there I found the bubbles took well over a minute to dissipate. the flow isnt real great, which makes me think the bubbles were not rising very fast. certaintly slower than 3cm/sec.

after running for a few hours though, it produced no skimmate what so ever despite the tank having not been skimmed for the past 4 months.

I could blow bubbles straight out the top of the neck if I wanted though.
 
those super fine stones really are intrigueing though. I have no doubt they could potentially redefine skimming. if a pump existed that could drive them...

and they werent insanely expensive.
 
Dale,
I found a link to help quickly determine the cost associated with running electrical equipment. I was just thinking of the change in skimmer design, and running another recirc pump with it's associated increase in electrical consumption. This is a calculator that breaks the cost into monthly and yearly amounts. Thought it might be interesting for you.

Electrical cost calculator

Damon
 
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