Skimmer Placement in Sump

[EllieSuz]

I'm contemplating a new skimmer. Right now, my skimmer is after the return section and before the Chaeto/Fuge. My thinking was that if the Chaeto was placed after the skimmer, more pods would make it to the Display. If there is another theory, I'd like to hear about it. I seem to remember Gary M. weighing in on this, but can't find the thread.

 

[Capt_Cully]

My last fuge was parallel to the skimmer and sump. I couldn't decide, before or after, so I just ran it along side. Pods were never an issue. I'm planning on doing it the same way this time around. Hope that helps.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

gravity fed counter-current skimmers had been used on returns years before Calfo could write. If you're not gravity feeding a skimmer I wouldn't place one there (on returns).

I favor water returning to the sump to be allowed to hit the refugium/algae scrubber before the skimmer.

 

[EllieSuz]

Thanks, Gary, but can you tell me why that's your preference?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I like to feed the animals (pods etc.) and algae with whatever goes down the drains

 

[EllieSuz]

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense....but then, you usually do.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

IMO/IME feeding a venturi driven skimmer directly from drains can actually be a bad choice simply because if something large gets sucked into the venturi (or in my case Beckett) it will quickly degrade skimmer performance.