Adding float switch to Skimmer cup?

[THE ROOK]

Wow, that "scenario" is as far from "realistic" as it gets. If the return pump fails, no matter how much fresh water you pump into the sump from the ato it won't reach the display.

The reason I stopped using a remote container is precisely because if it overflows your stand/carpet gets trashed. If you stick with in-sump skimmer then the worst that can happen is the skimmer floods into the sump. That's really not a big deal & won't cause any harm to the tank.

bluetang- glad you got your answer & good luck.

 

[stugray]

I'll be just one example to contradict some of the arguments above.

When I was running my 5 gallon bucket skimmer, I could run it for almost two months without cleaning it because I skimmed really wet.

I was in on a discussion on another thread about automated water changes using wet skimming.

I USED TO skim very wet. I could get almost a half gallon of dark tea colored gunk every day.
When I emptied it I would dump in a half gallon of fresh SW.
I ran like this for a year before I replaced my 5 gallon skimmer with a reeflo 200 ( the bucket sprang a leak ).

So making a statement like "you NEED to clean the skimmer twice a week" is not true for me.
If that was a requirement, I probably wouldnt have a skimmer as I dont do ANY maintenance on my tank twice a week....



Back on topic

I was the one on the other thread who suggested a level switch in the skimmer cup. I suggested the following:
When the limit switch tripped ( cup full), a solenoid valve would open & drain the collection cup.
Then a peristaltic pump would turn on & replace the water with fresh SW.
I know there are things to worry about ( salinity swings ), but I am positive the setup could be "calibrated".

Stu

 

[stugray]

One other thing to note:

I dont use a remote collection container because I want the collection cup to dump back into the skimmer if it gets too full.
With a collection container you cant pump out a few gallons of water in a matter of a few minutes ( my old skimmer could do that ).
If you didnt have a shut off on the remote container, you would have a wet floor.

The way my setup works now is I have a valve on the collection cup drain.
When I see I have collected enough, I open the drain and it goes down the sink drain ( past the pea trap ).

That way I can monitor how much skimmate I am producing & if the skimmer runs amok, it just dumps back inside the skimmer.

I actually ran my DIY skimmer in a way that once the collection cup filled up, it would dump the cleanest skimmate back in the skimmer via the neck.
This way I actually watched as the skimmate got more & more concentrated over time and it ran just like a wet neck.

Stu

 

[bluetang_2000]

stugray, do you happen to have pic of your setup?

 

[stugray]

bluetang_2000,

"do you happen to have pic of your setup?"

Which part of what I explained above?

My 5 gallon bucket skimmer is no longer on-line.

here is the link to the build:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1386605

Here is a link to my 'regenerating collection cup':

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1289541

Stu

 

[Reefer08]

Adding a float valve in your skimmer cup is genius if you have an external skimmer. Id be too worried about my skimmer overflowing if I had an external skimmer and was away from my tank for more than a day.

 

[Reefer08]

Steve Wests 800g tank crashed due to his external protein skimmer overflowing!

 

[FLSharkvic]

For a skimmer to work efficiently, it must be cleaned no less than every other day. Allowing to the cup to fill to the point that it may overflow is a poor maintenance practice to begin with. Adding a float switch to turn it off is pointless. A far better "mod" would be to add a hole in the bottom of the cup, and run tubing to a remote collection point. But even this encourages poor maintenance practices. I hear people trying to increase the efficiency of the skimmer a thousand times over, yet they are neglecting this most basic concept. With skimmer efficiency, this is the second biggest reason for a lack thereof. The first is an improperly sized skimmer to begin with.
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Jim, YOU'RE A TRIP BRO - no one cleans there skimmer cup every other day and you know it! Just a little FYI, I clean mine ones a week and my Skimz works just as efficient as yours by cleaning the cup every other day!! That has nothing to do with it, it's about making sure your pump is cleaned for it to run efficiently not the cup. If you're cleaning your cup every day, you must a junk filtration system.
According to Mr Jim it's poor maintenance guys if we have a float switch on our skimmers. LOL... If you add a float switch it's not that people are lazy mate, the main purpose is if you happen not to be home and your collection cup is maybe 1/4 or 1/2 being filled with nasty fish crap and your power goes out and then back on, MOST skimmers will go crazy and overflow into the sump. - That the reason why people do it, not b/c there are lazy. Also, your next sentence says, well if you're going to do it have a collection cup but not a float switch - well according to you that's being lazy so why would you even post that idea since your suppose to clean your cup every other day, according to you! See Jim, I have a float switch installed on my Skimz skimmer 163 DC Monzter series and with that being said it's has saved my butt many many many times from Overflowing fish crap into my sump since my float switch is connected to my Apex controller's breakout box... I only let my cup get filled half way and I dump & clean. Remember one thing Jim, it never EVER hurts to have redundancy, redundancy, and redundancy. No matter what Forum you go to there are always going to be trollers


Out,
FLSHarkvictim

Tank Info:
120 display
Ecotech M1 pump
Apex Classic
Apex ALD Module w/ 2 Leak Detector probes
Apex PM2 Module w/ Salinity probe
BreakOut box
Skimz 163 DC Montzer Series skimmer
Custom sump / Refuge
2 TUNZE Turbella 6055 Pumps
2 AI Hydra TwentySix HD LED Fixtures
Celestial C35W Maxspect Refuge Spotlight
Aqua UV Ultraviolet Sterilizer 25w
BRS Dual Media reactor
Eshoops IV Master & Slave Doser
Tunze 3155 Auto Top Off
BRS Peri Pump 50mls/pm
Avast Kalk Reactor
Vertex 1.5L Media Reactor
[/SIZE]

 

[Chris_S]

Have you considered an Avast Marine davey Jones skimate locker? It has a built in shutoff design, has no moving parts, is affordable and will shut off you skimmer without needing a controller. I use one and it works flawlessly. I can also do a wetter skim with the high capacity. It's worth taking a look at.

 

[OzIA]

I have float switches on two of mine. I just drilled a hole through a small piece of acrylic and attached it directly to the lid. Then used a coaxial power connector for a quick disconnect to the Apex.

 

[FullBoreReefer]

I'm sure many people are thinking of way to detect their collection can overflow and after that they are thinking about the way to detect the failure of the system they built to detect their overflow collection can.....

Aka: Failsafes.

Smart people use failsafes.

That's my .02

 

[BlueRoofTang]

You guys know the felling of emptying a full, dark cup of skimmate. It just warms the reefer's heart. With that in mind, I do check my setup several times a day. (I'm a bit of a fanatic, I know.) I sometimes don't empty it and want to see it get full. Then next thing I know, something's happened and the skimmer went nuts and overflowed into the sump. That nice dark skimmate is now watered down, with most of the organics being put back into the water. This then breaks the heart of a reefer.

That's why I will likely put a float switch in my collection cup....just so I don't lose good skimate and wash it back into the water. It will be pretty easy to set up with Apex and the Breakout box.

 

[jkapit]

I have float switches on two of mine. I just drilled a hole through a small piece of acrylic and attached it directly to the lid. Then used a coaxial power connector for a quick disconnect to the Apex.

I used a similar design, made it quickly detachable so I could unplug the wire from the controller and remove the switch from the lid.

Having a failsafe like this I think is worthwhile especially if you have an external skimmer. With my skimmer design, the skimmer would overflow back into the tank but creates sort of a mess which I now can avoid, especially when I am away on business or vacation.

 

[Thomas P]

How do you make the float switch easily detachable? You're not disconnecting the float switch from the breakout box every time you remove the collection cup and lid away from the sump to clean it, are you?

 

[Konadog]

How do you make the float switch easily detachable? You're not disconnecting the float switch from the breakout box every time you remove the collection cup and lid away from the sump to clean it, are you?

When I had mine, I just put a plug inline to the controller.
2-Position Female Interlocking Connector and 2-Position Male Interlocking Connector

 

[Thomas P]

Ah! Of course. Thanks