Bubble King Skimmer Club

[tbone28]

Thorsen - to plumb your skimmer directly from the overflow, you'll need to buy an external skimmer. IIRC, you're looking to buy an internal, right?

Regarding slow flow through the sump vs fuge, I think most people supply their fuge separately. My fuge is offline, and so I can control the flow that goes through it. I would not run the same rate through the sump as I would through my fuge.

Regarding slower or faster flow through the sump in relation to skimming, I don't see any issue with reskimming the same water because skimmers are not 100% efficient to begin with. Even with slow flow through the sump, the skimmer cannot process all the water quick enough with "the 1st pass", so skimming again is not an issue, IMO.

If you stick with an internal skimmer, the best way to localize tank water for skimming purposes is to baffle off a skimmer section, where all the drain water goes first

Other benefits of slower flow through the sump include a quieter tank and fewer microbubbles.

But again, I'm in the group that believes in slow flow. There are others who believe in high flow.

 

[Creetin]

The outflow is on the long side of the skimmer(18 inches) I swing it away from the pump because the pump is there also. If you have a 24 inch wide sump you'll have plenty of room to swing the outflow away in either direction. My sump is 16 inches wide and i am happy with what i need to do.

 

[thorsen]

Thanks creetin, that info is appreciated. So basically as long as my sump is as wide as the base of the skimmer everything should fit in place and have room to play.

This only goes to show my ignorance more, but why can't you have a gravity feed input to an in sump skimmer. There shouldn't be any restriction to how much the skimmer can suck in. I still think reskimming can't be the most efficient because even if there is still more to skim out, you can't possibly removing as large of a fraction of skimmate the second time through.

 

[paulthomas]

Do you mean you want the drain to connect directly to the skimmer or just have it go to a section where the skimmer sits?

 

[dobbs]

I am now officially a member. I should have my new 180 Mini next week.

I have a couple questions...

I'm going to use the new skimmer on my 75 while I plan and build my 120 Tech. My current sump is not large enough for the BK180. I'm going to stop at the LFS, on my way home tonight, and pick up a 20H, and some silicone. Tomorrow - I'll run to the hardware store and have a piece of glass cut for the baffle between the skimmer and the return. How high should I have the glass? Will a 12 x 12 area (1/2 of the sump) be enough room for the skimmer?

Dave

BTW - Here is the sump design I'm working on...

 

[Creetin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12307322#post12307322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thorsen
Thanks creetin, that info is appreciated. So basically as long as my sump is as wide as the base of the skimmer everything should fit in place and have room to play.
.

I made a mistake my sump is 18 inches wide, and theres plenty of room for the skimmer to run, and direct water away. Its a downslope angle so youre not going to need alot of room to direct it away.
I dunno exactly what you want to accomplish with your sump or your design so TIFWIW this is how i have mine.
Heres a vid when my skimmer was breaking in, You can see how it fits in there closer to the end of the vid.

 

[paulthomas]

Nice creetin. Man, I can't wait to have my own video someday. :smokin:

 

[tbone28]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12307322#post12307322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thorsen
but why can't you have a gravity feed input to an in sump skimmer. There shouldn't be any restriction to how much the skimmer can suck in.

The internal skimmers come with a feed pump (the RedDragon). These pumps suck in water from your sump already. You do not want to plumb your drain into this pump.

External skimmers do not come with feed pumps. Thus, you can buy your own feed pump, or feed the skimmer by plumbing your tanks drain into it.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12307322#post12307322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thorsen
I still think reskimming can't be the most efficient because even if there is still more to skim out, you can't possibly removing as large of a fraction of skimmate the second time through.

Let me explain it in another way. Let's *assume* that you do plumb your tank's drain directly into an external skimmer. Although all of the tank water is going straight into your skimmer, your skimmer is not processing 100% of the water - there is water that is exiting the skimmer's drain that has not been processed yet. For this reason, there are some reefers that run a 2-skimmer set-up. They feed an external skimmer directly from the tank's drain (to skim tank water). They place a 2nd, internal skimmer in the sump to skim sump water.

 

[paulthomas]

Well done Terry.

 

[tbone28]

Thanks, Paul. I think the bottom line is there does not exist a 100%-efficient skimmer right now.

 

[tbone28]

Creetin, how bout an updated vid? I've seen that one a *few* times

 

[Creetin]

Sure maybe this sunday i'll post a new one.

 

[tbone28]

Here's a pic you wouldn't expect from me...

Just in case you've forgotten what a clean BK cup looks like :lol2:

But seriously, you can see how high my waterline is. This is the "wet-skim" I've been posting lately. My dry-skim water level is just below the collection cup.

 

[paulthomas]

For God's sake man, put some gunk in that thing!

 

[marie]

You can't let this thread disappear, it's the only way I can get my fix until my Bubble King arrives

 

[tbone28]

I'm trying my best, marie, but no one wants to play with me!

 

[jtarmitage]

I can show you a very wet skim nog shot, but that's about it. Been messing with the settings too much lately.

 

[saltyESQ]

anyone know the optimal water level on a BK SM 200?

 

[kris4647]

 

[tbone28]

saltyESQ - where have you been? We've been asking for pics over in the other thread. water level should be 20-25cm

kris - what exploded inside your cup?