external skimmer plumb?

[toothman]

I have never had a external skimmer. And do not know exactly how they function. I have, in my office basement, a 150 gal rubbermaid container with the 100 gal tank draining about 500 gph into it. Is it possible to run the entire 500 gals through the skimmer directly.

The thinking is to get 100% of the open loop exposed to the skimmer. Not to save the 60 watts and price of a additional pump.

 

[UCanDoIt]

It depends on the size of your skimmer and one will really be familiar with that particular skimmer line. For example, my recommendation for your particular tank setup would be a H&S A150 and the maximum waterflow through that skimmer should be 200-250gph and if anymore than that, it would be too turbulent. If you went with the next size larger, like a H&S A200 or Deltec AP851, you can run up to 350gph through the skimmer. So, at 500gph, the excess needs to be T-off and redirected back into the sump.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7270726#post7270726 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by UCanDoIt
In response to question by email about details on the gravity feed. If you are going to gravity feed from the tank's overflow box, you need the pressure to be constant going to the skimmer, so the greatest waterflow should be directed straight towards the skimmer and then tailored back by a ball or gate valve. You also need a T fitting before the ball or gate valve, so all the excess surging and gurgling that goes on with overflows empties out on the side of the T into the sump. Here's a sketch that my aquarium maintenance person did for me when he setup my tank. My gravity feed in an earlier photo is setup exactly like this.

<IMG SRC="http://usera.imagecave.com/winner/GravityFeedPlumbing.jpg">

 

[mnestroy]

Using the above method, how are you supposed to figure out how much flow you got going to each side?

Is it a matter of filing a bucket while using a stopwatch?

 

[UCanDoIt]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7303934#post7303934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by UCanDoIt
Filling a 1g milk jug from the T off the drain of your skimmer:

150gph takes approximately 24secs to fill 1g
175gph takes approximately 21secs to fill 1g
200gph takes approximately 18secs to fill 1g
225gph takes approximately 16secs to fill 1g
250gph takes approximately 14secs to fill 1g
275gph takes approximately 13secs to fill 1g
300gph takes approximately 12secs to fill 1g
325gph takes approximately 11secs to fill 1g
350gph takes approximately 10secs to fill 1g

HTH. When you measure off the drain pipe, use the ball valve that you installed before the skimmer to control and adjust waterflow through the skimmer and then to the 1g milk jug.

 

[mnestroy]

thx