Dart threadwheel skimmer build
- Thread starter smjtkj
- Start date
Roland Jacques
Premium Member
:lol: :lol: :lol:<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8401496#post8401496 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jnarowe
you should do wedding photos! j/k
Mine creaped up overnight , a good 30-40 % ended up overflowing every where.
Looks awesome Mike
i try the pf13 and it's not good as the pf5 . not as i thought.
mike : i didn't know that you have the pf13
jnarowe : i suggest to you to try the pf5 not the pf13.
the reason i said that it's because in the thin one (pf5) there is more hole and creat more air . with the pf13 the material more stfif less holes creat less air and increase the watt of the pump more then the pf5.
mike i don't know if you have more from the pf5 but i think if you test just 3 layer you will get more air and less watt.
there is more type of the mesh material it's look different i will try to get some sample tomorrow .
mike : i didn't know that you have the pf13
jnarowe : i suggest to you to try the pf5 not the pf13.
the reason i said that it's because in the thin one (pf5) there is more hole and creat more air . with the pf13 the material more stfif less holes creat less air and increase the watt of the pump more then the pf5.
mike i don't know if you have more from the pf5 but i think if you test just 3 layer you will get more air and less watt.
there is more type of the mesh material it's look different i will try to get some sample tomorrow .
mike
try the pf 5 alone the pump will spin more easy and less watt. i don't know if you have enough material but i suggest to you try to put just in the front 3 layer and let it run and to see the different if it's not good then add in the back . the thick material reduce the air and the performance and not have a lot of holes like the thin one (creat more bubble and air).
try the pf 5 alone the pump will spin more easy and less watt. i don't know if you have enough material but i suggest to you try to put just in the front 3 layer and let it run and to see the different if it's not good then add in the back . the thick material reduce the air and the performance and not have a lot of holes like the thin one (creat more bubble and air).
spazz
New member
i have a couple of thoughts about this. first thought is what is changing about the mesh to cause the increase in air intake that would flood a skimmer? is the mesh expanding to the point the wheel is getting bigger? or if the fibers stretching some how from the centrifugal force? if it is then the wheel may need to be repaired every 6 months or so. if the material stretches and breaks apart then it may self destruct over time. or is it something else that is causing the air intake to increase. its really hard to say why it is doing this. you can only keep it running and see how things react over time. I would pull the pump apart every month or 6 weeks to make sure the housing is not being eaten away by the mesh. if it gets bigger and rubs on the wet end of the skimmer it could wear a hole in it.
for the riser tube, I think a bigger riser would help some. a 6" diam riser is big. you might consider making it taller first. then wider if that don't work well. bill wann has put a 8' riser tube on his skimmer and that is running 2 darts on it. unless you are running a short riser tube a 6" diam riser should be fine for that size skimmer. you just need to figure out why this is is not staying at a constant air intake. its good that its pulling more and more air but if it goes back and forth you will never be able to tune your skimmer in properly.
these are just thought with no concrete data to support my theories. so it all has to be taken with a grain of salt. until further testing is done and concrete evidence is there we can only guess as to why the increased air intake is happening. may be this will only increase so much and then level out and run constant. the one big thing that worries me about this design, is if the mesh gets plugged up with detritus or hair algae. it will be a pain in the rear to clean all the time. and removing and reinstalling that impeller is asking for trouble in the end. the seal might leak after a while. this is also another assumption. I may be wrong there too. there is too much that is not known right now that only time and testing will answer.
just keep it going and post all the results go or bad.
RichConley
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8401423#post8401423 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smjtkj
Holy air intake!!!
I went into the tank room to check on the skimmer and it is skimming wet again. So I checked it with the air meter and it is increasing! The air meter is bouncing from 135 to to 140 scfh! I guess it is still breaking in!
Its tough to tell in the pic, but it looks like the meter is on its side. They'll only read accurately if theyre straight up and down.
Roland Jacques
Premium Member
Man Rich you have good eyes, i was still trying to figure out what that picture was supose to be. i thought it was a air hockey table. J/K
Last edited:
spazz
the pf5 it's soft then the pf13 .
i don't recommend to use with the pf13 because it's to stiff and maybe can make damege . if you cut around the impeller the material and check that it's no tuch nothing so no need to worry.
at the begin when the pump run you can see some of the material release some pieces but it's because when it's cut there is some piece that not clean . (i think it's shwon to on the ati pump )
the important things is to check the tie strip becuase they can release in this can make some problem . i suggest to anyone that make it to check the tie strip after the pump run for the first day.
i find out to when it's work about 2 days the air will increase little bit. (and this is because i change about 15 time between material and saw that happened)
the bad things it's a big nosie of air that you hear from the air pipe
the good things it's the skimmer never stop to skim , normal every good skimmer pull more junk at the begin and after reduce
with this mod i didn't stop to see junk in my skimmer and i clean it every day. i don't have a lot of fish in my tank , very low algae and i just can't explain how much this keep to pull out.
i think it's true just the time will tell about this mod but meantime i am enjoy from what i see and i think it's the chipest option to improve better skimm result on old skimmer where the pump start to have low performance or for ppl that can't or don't have the option to change or upgrade to a better skimmer.
the pf5 it's soft then the pf13 .
i don't recommend to use with the pf13 because it's to stiff and maybe can make damege . if you cut around the impeller the material and check that it's no tuch nothing so no need to worry.
at the begin when the pump run you can see some of the material release some pieces but it's because when it's cut there is some piece that not clean . (i think it's shwon to on the ati pump )
the important things is to check the tie strip becuase they can release in this can make some problem . i suggest to anyone that make it to check the tie strip after the pump run for the first day.
i find out to when it's work about 2 days the air will increase little bit. (and this is because i change about 15 time between material and saw that happened)
the bad things it's a big nosie of air that you hear from the air pipe
the good things it's the skimmer never stop to skim , normal every good skimmer pull more junk at the begin and after reduce
with this mod i didn't stop to see junk in my skimmer and i clean it every day. i don't have a lot of fish in my tank , very low algae and i just can't explain how much this keep to pull out.
i think it's true just the time will tell about this mod but meantime i am enjoy from what i see and i think it's the chipest option to improve better skimm result on old skimmer where the pump start to have low performance or for ppl that can't or don't have the option to change or upgrade to a better skimmer.
Thanks for the input Spazz..
I don't think it is inherent to the mesh design, as I had the same problem with the needlewheel.
Every night the skimmer skims wetter than during the daytime.
So, yes, It is difficult to set it up correctly......
I was thinking it was the neck, but if Bill is using an 8" with two darts I doubt that is the problem.
My neck is about 12" tall.
I share your concerns with the threadwheel design.
I'm not really convinced it works any better than a proper needle wheel.
At least it doesn't make much difference on my setup, and the maintenance is much higher.
John
I don't think it is inherent to the mesh design, as I had the same problem with the needlewheel.
Every night the skimmer skims wetter than during the daytime.
So, yes, It is difficult to set it up correctly......
I was thinking it was the neck, but if Bill is using an 8" with two darts I doubt that is the problem.
My neck is about 12" tall.
I share your concerns with the threadwheel design.
I'm not really convinced it works any better than a proper needle wheel.
At least it doesn't make much difference on my setup, and the maintenance is much higher.
John
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