5' Skimmer Build in Progress

Dale:

many thanks for the info. And also many thanks for your time, efforts, and recording the proceedings for us!

Quick question: are the non-glued PVC fittings in the skimmer air tight, and do you intend to glue them some day?
 
testing of the spinning disk has warrented additional testing. I took a single air stone(rated for .1 or .2cfm) that made large bubbles, stuck it under my maxijet stream mod. and I filled my 75g tank with microbubbles. as for rate of rise, they rose with the water currents, as many were going down as up.

we'll see.
 
areze
Keep us posted on your progress

More testing:
Bubble Rise Height 44.00 Inches
87% of bubble Height 38.28 Inches
Air Volume to get 100% of Height 35.00 SCFH
13% of air water column 0.09 Feet3
Air Dwell 8.87 Seconds
Air Bubble Rise Rate in Current 4.96 Inches/Second
Air bubble Rise Rate Standing Water 5.55 Inches/Second

I did this test the same as earlier. The difference is the water height. The 100% mark was placed at 44". 87% of that was marked at 38 1/4". I filled the skimmer body to the 87% mark and turned on teh recirc to the same flow rates as before. It took the same flow rate of air to maintain the 13% volume of air.

In my mind this proves my math and understanding of the air in the water. I am not sure how to quantify the fast larger bubbles vs the small slower bubbles. I did however quantify the speed of the average volume of bubbles.

Dale
 
Dale,

I am missing something here (in the big plan). I understand you re measuring to "prove" your calculations. But none of this means anything without skimmate. I would assume once you are done measuring, you will provide us with some results as far as performance and where the skimmer performs best?

How has the skimmer performed thus far in regards to skimmate production, or have you messed with it to much to see any results?
 
I get skimmate when I leave it alone, but I have it turned way down. I am afraid of a flood, because of my skimmate cup. I am redoing the cup, then I will tune the skimmer and report what settings yield wich results.

As for what it means to skimmate now, I now know what my max feed rate of air should be. At 35 SCFH I get a 13% saturation with water flowing at 4 GPM.

Dale
 
My cup needs a larger drain and a new lid. The foam would leak out of the top at the seam for the lid. I am trying to form a inner ring on the lid to prevent the foam from getting to the seal.

Dale
 
Why even have a collection cup? I am thinking about putting a couple of 90s at the top and a pipe straight down to a collection bucket - or maybe straight into the sink plumbing.
 
87029oldlid.jpg


This is the original lid. As the foam was formed it would come out from under the edge and make a mess.

87029newlid.jpg


This is the new lid. I made a form fitting 2" lip inside it. I heated up some acrylic and formed it to the inside of the cup. I had to add a 1" piece because my acrylic sheet was not long enough.

It fits so tight, that I need to add a handle to it. We will see if that works better. I also added a uniceal to my skimmer cup and installed a 1/2 drain line.

Dale
 
I am just kidding with you Dale. My skimmer will be square including the cup with gaskets and wing nuts. Fancy fancy! I hope it skims....
 
Well, I am still not happy. My skimmer is having a tough time getting skimmate up to the cup. I either need to raise the water level higher than my adjustable loop allows currently or I need to lower the riser. I found this link

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/myreef/Diyskimmer.htm

This guy is using the rubber gasket from a salt mix bucket lid to seal his riser tube on a fancy flange. I want to test fit that gasket between a 4" pipe and a 3" pipe. I am thinking I can remove the 2nd fernco fitting.

Dale
 
The 4" pipe to 3" pipe is a larger gap than that gasket can fill. I will have to keep thinking. The 3" coupling on the bottom of my cup though may fit right into the 4" fernco. There is not much difference from using a screwdriver to remove the cup and undoing a bunch of wingnuts....

Maybe I can find a better sized gasket material.

Dale
 
My 6 foot skimmer

My 6 foot skimmer

Here is my skimmer I just finished. It is 10.5 inch tubing with 6 three inch aquatic eco fine stones. It is running on a haliea v 60 pump right now. i have a L 19 coming Wednesday. Even under powered it is doing pretty good!
DSCN1766.jpg
064c087f.jpg
f0d308c0.jpg
f0417996.jpg
756ae522.jpg
 
Congrats on your new skimmer.

I love my new airpump (lt19). It can blow the top off the skimmer if I want. The fine pore stones are as good as any other air induction system I have seen. I am using 3 of the stones.

Dale
 
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