Skimmer design question?

landragon

Premium Member
Hey all, I got to thinking about a skimmer with two collection cups. Where one would sit 1 - 1.5" lower than the other. The theory is to provide wet and dry skimmate at the same time. Has anyone tried this? Did it work? Thanks
 
Hmmm...wouldn't everything just exit out the first cup, never really getting a chance to build up any dry skimmate?
 
lakebound says it well, basically the bubbles in your skimmer will rise up and go out the bottom hole, why would they rise to the top hole,and if they are rising there wouldnt your fist hole be causing a flood?
 
Here is my logic and need : Some people (myself included like to skim wet and dry. This takes either two skimmers or playing with the height every other day and alternating wet/dry cycles. Two skimmers gets expensive. I am quite familiar with both fluid dymaics and physics and I fail to see you detractors' reasoning . Exactly why would it flood?
The difference between my current skimmers wet and dry mode is
raising the water level .75 ", so explain how this differenec will
be great enough to cause the problems you have stated WILL
happen.

Once again, this is a question posed to those( if any) that have tried this. I am not bashing anyone, I just wish it wasn't " I won't tell you why, I will only tell you not to bother"
 
If you are such a student of physics and dynamics you would see the folly in your search. GRAVITY will make the water/air mixture exit the skimmer at its lowest point. Where will the water and bubbles exit the skimmer?? not though the higher hole! The second riser will allow air to escape making it all the harder to build a stable foam column.
 
So you have tried this then Onemanband? How exactly did the foam on the taller tube know not to go up there and only go up the shorter one? Please help me understand. Your comments of fact are suspect to my mind. If one level of foam is falling over a ledge, then the second level is at the same height right (gravity)? Ok, so where does the foam in the second tube go? Does it break down and disolve back in to solution only to go up that shorter tube? The last time I checked , most skimmer designs intend the water and foam to exit at different places.
Gravity does not effect a dry foam as noticably as either water or wet faom. I understand you are adamant as to this not working . Why? What evidence do you have of this? Your understanding of foam and gravity may be different than mine, and I would like to hear more than you have stated so far. I am not trying to pick a fight I am trying to get answers to my question from people who have them. Your answer was not satisfactory enough to me to cause my dropping of this line of reasoning.

To All : I ask again , perhaps more clearly this time :

If a skimmer were built with two foam riser pipes,
-and the entrance to each pipe was at the same height on the skimmer body,
-and one pipe was 3/4 " - 3.5 " taller than the other( made variable to match the pump/skimmer),
-and the water flow-through was cotrolled by a hartford loop and a gate valve,
-and each cup was water tight at its juctio to the foam riser

Why would the foam in the taller side not continue to build and stabilize at the point of height where it breaks over the edge on the shorter side, and continue to build up into a dry foam exiting into the cup as it stacks up enough?

If I am missing a fundamental principle of skimming here please let me know?

if you or anyone you know has tried this, please chime in. I am not dead set on this working, I am dead set on finding out if it will or not. Thak you for all your time and ANY comments you make. I realize it was unfair of me to request no opinions. I am sorry if my tone earlier , I just want reasoning given behind the NO.
 
Two risers would work but I don't understand the logic or need but then, it ain't my toy.

Dang! Tough crowd today.

With two risers, water levels will be equal. When you pump air (correctly) through water and excess nutrients, you get foam and where you set the cup is just personal choice. Foam will get to both of them within reasonable parameters. It's the same difference as two identical skimmers with the cups set differently. Why you would want to is your business. Probably for the same reasons I do half the stuff that I do - Because I can! or Because I want to! Have fun.
 
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