External Skimmer with pump or gravity feed?

[alexebrenz]

I have a Ben Animal's overflow style.

What is better to setup my BM 160E recirculating protein skimmer?

Is it better to use it attached to the pipes coming from the overflow or to attach it to a pump in the sump? Both are safe?

If I decide to go with a pump what is the pump flow rate to work with this skimmer?

 

[drew2007]

I have a Ben Animal's overflow style.

What is better to setup my BM 160E recirculating protein skimmer?

Is it better to use it attached to the pipes coming from the overflow or to attach it to a pump in the sump? Both are safe?

If I decide to go with a pump what is the pump flow rate to work with this skimmer?

All skimmers need pumps. Attaching pipes from the overflow will do nothing for it. Look into a Ehiem 1260 for that skimmer.

 

[Red_Ant]

All skimmers need pumps. Attaching pipes from the overflow will do nothing for it. Look into a Ehiem 1260 for that skimmer.

I would have to disagree with this statement. I have a h&s recirc skimmer and I gravity feed it from the main tank and it works great. Yes, it does have 2 pumps that create the bubbles, but I am not using a "feed" pump and gravity feeding instead. Dirtiest water goes straight to skimmer and I save electricity. Bonus.

 

[drew2007]

I would have to disagree with this statement. I have a h&s recirc skimmer and I gravity feed it from the main tank and it works great. Yes, it does have 2 pumps that create the bubbles, but I am not using a "feed" pump and gravity feeding instead. Dirtiest water goes straight to skimmer and I save electricity. Bonus.

I stand corrected. I always assumed a skimmer needed to be "pump fed" however op is running a bean animal overflow so I don't think gravity feeding the skimmer from that setup will work. It will probably give him issues with the overflow itself.

 

[reepher315]

I would have to disagree with this statement. I have a h&s recirc skimmer and I gravity feed it from the main tank and it works great. Yes, it does have 2 pumps that create the bubbles, but I am not using a "feed" pump and gravity feeding instead. Dirtiest water goes straight to skimmer and I save electricity. Bonus.

So are you using just air pumps to create the bubbles? I was curious if that could be done I was just wondering if it could produce the "micro bubbles" that the skimmer pumps do.

 

[ca1ore]

You can absolutely gravity feed a recirculating skimmer. I have done it many times. It is nice to be able to take advantage of gravity and not burn anther pump. You have to run it off the siphon, however, so the skimmer has to be able to handle the volume. Also any level fluctuations in the overflow can muck around with performance. If you are unable to do either of these things, as I am not with my current setup, a small dedicated pump is probably the best way to do it (don't run off a manifold).