Dart threadwheel skimmer build
- Thread starter smjtkj
- Start date
Guys, I want to share something. I decided to take the air pump off line and see if I could tune the pump in to suck it's own air. The dart on this body will suck in 110 scfh on it's own at 140 watts with the adjustable venturi. I think on a little shorter body, maybe 6 inches, it would do even better. The reaction chamber without the dome is 24 inches. I think I am going to let it run like this for a while. The bubbles are still denser than I have ever seen in a skimmer. That is no doubt attributed to the threadwheel. And the turbulence at the top of the chambe is almost non existant. OK someone needs build a 18 inch reaction chamber!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/smjtkj/DSCN2081.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/smjtkj/DSCN2081.jpg
A little tweeking and the pump is pulling 115-120 scfh consistently. Sorry for the bad pic of the dwyer meter. It is a 15-150 scale and is showing 115 scfh in the pic. It bounces between 155 and 120. The skimmer is finally starting to break in. Here are a couple pics of the foam and skimmate.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/smjtkj/DSCN2081.jpg
A little tweeking and the pump is pulling 115-120 scfh consistently. Sorry for the bad pic of the dwyer meter. It is a 15-150 scale and is showing 115 scfh in the pic. It bounces between 155 and 120. The skimmer is finally starting to break in. Here are a couple pics of the foam and skimmate.
Yes the dwyer is really restrictive. The venturi inlet is 3/4 inch hose. The inlet for the dwyer is 1/4 inch od. That is all I have to test with though. I didn't want to say it was doing more without a pic as proof for the masses. I don't know how much it is restricting, but I would assume 10% to be safe. I think it is more. I can actually hear it whistle when I push the barb fitting into the hose! Assuming only 10% would bring the number to 130 scfh!
zapata41
In Memoriam
so anyone ever try using an iron might pump instead of the dart, being that they are only 120$. i am contemplating modding either a tiny might or a iron might or dart to use on my skimmer, skimmer is 12"x28" chamber, right now i have a hakko 60 air pump driving two 9" AES diffusers and a OR3700 on it, body is solid white but bubbles are a little larger. think i can do better with a threadwheel pump like a tinymight. right now i am pulling in about 70lpm into the skimmer
thanks and sorry to side track if i did
Tim
thanks and sorry to side track if i did
Tim
I actually bought a iron might to do this with. The volute is shaped kind of flat, not a lot of room inside. I must say that it is
a SUPER pump for a closed loop though. For 129.00 I paid it was a bargain. It runs ice cold compared to a dart! The dart has a little more flow but the motor always feels really warm. To answer your question, I think the dart is better suited to fit layers of DLS. I actually have 5 layers in there now, 3 in front 2 in back.
Mike
Tim, yes I think the threadwheel would do the trick. But you will have a hard time getting that much air into the pump. The bubbles are the finest I have ever seen. I just don't know if you skimmer body could handle the dart, especially without a diffuser. With a NW the dart could handle that much air, but not with a threadwheel. The tiny might is a great nw pump after being modded but u will definitely no get that much air inside the volute. I am still going to play with it to see if I can get the thread wheel to fit. It would be awesome to get the threadwheel in the tiny might because it is a really cool little pump. I am not answering your question directly because I am not sure.
zapata41
In Memoriam
well what were the best numbers pulled from the tiny might and watt draw. i dont havea problem building a diffuser, i have in there right now for the air stones anyhow. as the skimmer sits you cant see but an inch or so into the chamber and there are bubbles all the way down to the bottom 1" of the chamber.
maybe i should just stick with it as it is
maybe i should just stick with it as it is
Similar threads
