9430 for 30” slimmer?

[mellotang]

Hi

Wondering if I could use a hydrofoamer 9430 on a 8"x30" skimmer?

9460 too much? Not that I can find a 9460 to purchase.

Would there be too much pressure against the 9430 pump with a reaction chamber that large?

Thanks

 

[rvitko]

That is a considerable water column and would definitely reduce the pump performance. The most important would be that the pump rating matches closely what it used originally. I think the 9460 is definitely too much pump.

 

[mellotang]

The skimmer is an old euronreef body, which I think ran on a Serra 9000
I know the 9000 is around 900GPH not sure of the max head pressure though, I think it might be 10'+

What's the max head pressure on the 9430?

 

[mellotang]

Serra 9000^

 

[mellotang]

One more time
Sedra 9000^

 

[rvitko]

I remember those, it is a very old pump and that was back when the volute size was smaller so we generally got far less air. Since these pumps are primarily a mixing pump we don't measure or rate them for head pressure. I would assume it is likely to work as the Sedras pumped a lot of water and not much air, the mixing chamber was just too small to handle much air. If I were to hedge my bet I would go with the 9430.044 as you can adjust it being DC and dial in what you need.

 

[mellotang]

Thanks

I'll Be sure to update accordingly if I choose to go this route

I'm intrigued by the 9430DOC skimmer, it just is puzzling to
Me how such small skimmers, reaction chamber size, can handle such large bio loads.

Is it just my Old school stubborn way of thinking that I need a large reaction chamber for extended contact time between organics and air/water?

I see many reviews that the 9430 DOC is a great skimmer, how does it handle such a large bio load being so small?

Appreciate all the help

 

[mellotang]

Also, the euro reef im looking to retro fit has a reaction chamber they is 8x21, the rest of the 30" is riser pipe n collection cup

 

[rvitko]

The way this was explained to me was that this is really dependent on bubble size, with the super fine bubbles of a needlewheel the organics basically stick and if your column is too high, think of a bunch of weak magnets and they start passing the organic particles around and at the end, some fall off, so the best is a short tube right into the cup, wide and short to maximize contact with very fine bubbles and less chance they fall off back into the water. Also, that Sedra as a water pump did 900 gph, it probably did more like 500 gph water and 300 gph air, the small mixing chambers never could take in much air back then, the high end was around 450.

 

[mellotang]

Interesting

I'm like 90% convinced enough to just buy a DOC skimmer to test the theory

So the hydrofoamer needle wheel Pumps are capable of producing a much more air rich mixture then the 300gph of the sedra?

 

[mellotang]

That was a great explanation, and I'm skeptical of almost everything I hear in this hobby

 

[rvitko]

Yes, right around 480 gph air and 660 water is the maximum.