The Life Reef Skimmer Club

[AZRippster]

I have the VS3-36 being pushed by an Iwaki MD-40RT and it's always worked great, but since I've implemented an ATS, what it pulls has decreased Drastically. It's still pulling, but it's more for oxygenation now. Point is, if you implement a good ATS solution, you can downsize the skimmer. I had been battling bryopsis in my DT, but now have zero. I'm about the pull the GFO offline. I'm currently on 33-day work travel and expected to have to clean the mesh screen upon my return. This weekend my wife had to clean it due to how dense it had gotten 2 weeks before the expected date.

 

[Breadman03]

The Life Reef Skimmer Club

Checked in here after being absent for a while and see some DC pumps are in favor now. I'm all about quieter pumps and my Mag 12 sprung a leak on the volute.

I have a VS3-36 external fed from a bulkhead on the drain side of my sump.

I'd like to go to a 48" or 60" in the future and tend to plumb things a bit permanently, so I'd rather not rework at again.

What's the pump flavor of the week then?

The Vectra looks promising, but I'd try a Red Dragon 80 or 230. The 80 would probably be near a Mag 18 in performance.

 

[Harry_Y]

Checked in here after being absent for a while and see some DC pumps are in favor now. I'm all about quieter pumps and my Mag 12 sprung a leak on the volute.

I have a VS3-36 external fed from a bulkhead on the drain side of my sump.

I'd like to go to a 48" or 60" in the future and tend to plumb things a bit permanently, so I'd rather not rework at again.

What's the pump flavor of the week then?

Personally I'd use one of the Blueline, Panworld, or Iwaki Pressure pumps.

 

[Johnseye]

One thing I've noticed since using my Vectra M1 is that I "think" it's the cause of a 2F degree increase over the Sicce pump on the Aquamaxx skimmer. I still need to verify to know without a doubt. I am running it at max speed. If so, this is a deal breaker for me as I don't have much wiggle room as far as temp is concerned.

The increase in temp may be due to my increasing the intensity of my Radions. I had made that change a few days before. I've put a fan in my canopy to bring the temp down and will try to nail down whether it's the pump or the Radions.

The pump itself is working great with the skimmer. I've run it at 100% and at 60%, both producing a nice head of foam.

The skimmer has quieted down a little over the past few days. I still wish it was as quiet as my SRO but at least it's tolerable now.

 

[wildman926]

I have the VS3-36 being pushed by an Iwaki MD-40RT and it's always worked great, but since I've implemented an ATS, what it pulls has decreased Drastically. It's still pulling, but it's more for oxygenation now. Point is, if you implement a good ATS solution, you can downsize the skimmer. I had been battling bryopsis in my DT, but now have zero. I'm about the pull the GFO offline. I'm currently on 33-day work travel and expected to have to clean the mesh screen upon my return. This weekend my wife had to clean it due to how dense it had gotten 2 weeks before the expected date.

X2...

I have noticed the same thing, especially after implementing my modded Aquamaxx biopellet reactor to a chaeto reactor....

 

[zachfishman]

Question for everyone. I'm looking at a 36"-48" external VS3, and am concerned about being able to tune it with a fluctuating sump. I will be running a Carlson surge device and my sump will fluctuate between 8" and 16" water depth. Will the fluctuation in water height make it impossible to tune my skimmer?

 

[bayoupr]

Question for everyone. I'm looking at a 36"-48" external VS3, and am concerned about being able to tune it with a fluctuating sump. I will be running a Carlson surge device and my sump will fluctuate between 8" and 16" water depth. Will the fluctuation in water height make it impossible to tune my skimmer?

Running the skimmer external I don't see any problem. If you run it internal in then sump then yes I see a problem.

 

[zachfishman]

Running the skimmer external I don't see any problem. If you run it internal in then sump then yes I see a problem.

When the sump level rises by 8", won't the decreased head on the feed pump increase the GPH being pushed into the skimmer? Or is this difference negligible?

 

[bayoupr]

When the sump level rises by 8", won't the decreased head on the feed pump increase the GPH being pushed into the skimmer? Or is this difference negligible?

You will be running the skimmer external and the pump internal? I don't believe this would make a difference on the head pressure of the pump.

 

[zachfishman]

You will be running the skimmer external and the pump internal? I don't believe this would make a difference on the head pressure of the pump.

Right - internal or external doesn't affect the overhead on the pump I believe. But the height difference between source and destination does. A pump (internal or external) pushing water from 8" to 48" works harder than a pump pushing water from 16" to 48"...

 

[jcolley]

The Net Positive Suction Head on the pump would vary if submerged in a sump with changing water level. Now, how much are we talking for change? Figure 0.45 psi per inch delta in water on the suction side. A centrifugal pump will boost discharge pressure by a given PSI assuming constant RPM and head loss on the discharge isn't approaching shut-off head. So, if the pump will pump to a max head of 16', it puts out approximately 7.35psig in discharge pressure on top of whatever pressure is felt on the intake. So, a 2" drop in height at suction will drop suction pressure by about .9psig, therefore discharge pressure by .9 psig. Odds are, that could affect flow rate into the skimmer enough to change water level height.

I have my skimmer pump fed by the drain section of my sumo with constant height overflowing baffles. The pump is fed via a bulkhead so it always sees constant suction pressure.

 

[zachfishman]

The Net Positive Suction Head on the pump would vary if submerged in a sump with changing water level. Now, how much are we talking for change? Figure 0.45 psi per inch delta in water on the suction side. A centrifugal pump will boost discharge pressure by a given PSI assuming constant RPM and head loss on the discharge isn't approaching shut-off head. So, if the pump will pump to a max head of 16', it puts out approximately 7.35psig in discharge pressure on top of whatever pressure is felt on the intake. So, a 2" drop in height at suction will drop suction pressure by about .9psig, therefore discharge pressure by .9 psig. Odds are, that could affect flow rate into the skimmer enough to change water level height.

I have my skimmer pump fed by the drain section of my sumo with constant height overflowing baffles. The pump is fed via a bulkhead so it always sees constant suction pressure.

Thank you. How did you arrive at Δ0.45psi /inch on the suction side? I thought the rule of thumb was 2.3psi per foot (so 0.19psi /inch)? Or is that only on the output side of things?

Thanks for the help learning a lot here :beer:

 

[jcolley]

Thank you. How did you arrive at Δ0.45psi /inch on the suction side? I thought the rule of thumb was 2.3psi per foot (so 0.19psi /inch)? Or is that only on the output side of things?



Thanks for the help learning a lot here :beer:

I got there via horrible mental dive math.

33' = 1 atm = 14.7 psig

So, it should be .037psig/in.

.

 

[Mr. Comer]

finally made the plunge

finally made the plunge

After seeing D2minis lifereef and reading all 92 pages of this thread I ordered a 24" from Jeff last night. I've been in the hobby over a decade and am looking forward to having a stable skimmer

 

[n8n]

Well I'm not in the club yet but I got a 30 with mazzei on order. Jeff said he was making skimmers next week so hopefully I'll be installing it soon. Going with ecotech pump.

Thx

Nathan

 

[Johnseye]

Well I'm not in the club yet but I got a 30 with mazzei on order. Jeff said he was making skimmers next week so hopefully I'll be installing it soon. Going with ecotech pump.

Thx

Nathan

Let me know if you have any questions, I just set up my Lifereef with an M1.

 

[mlott132]

Just purchased a Deepwater BLDC 7 for my SVS3-24. The pump is rated ate 1900GPH. To figure out the optimal speed, do I have the gate valve full open and set it to where the water level is just below the label? That way I will have some adjustment room using the valve. Or just use the pump speed only to adjust the level? Just curious what others have done with their DC pumps?

 

[mnchartier]

I'm waiting to hear back from Jeff, looking at the VS3-24". I have a DD150, 20 gal sump and a 20 gal ref.

 

[n8n]

Let me know if you have any questions, I just set up my Lifereef with an M1.

Q1. The gate valve, I heard it ships with schedule 40 but spears schedule 80 is way better for tuning. Can you confirm size? It looks like 1 inch threaded.

Q2. The intake to mazzei, it looks like 1 inch looking at random pictures, I'm assuming you down sized it to 3/4 inch?

Q3. What step did you end up running pump at after breaking it in?

Q4. If you had choice over would you have gone L1 or is that too much pump and M1 more than fine ? ( L1 is 1" output, M1 is 3/4" ). The L1 is also about 1k more gph.

Thank you

Nathan

 

[Johnseye]

Q1. The gate valve, I heard it ships with schedule 40 but spears schedule 80 is way better for tuning. Can you confirm size? It looks like 1 inch threaded.

It is 1" threaded. Not a bad sch40 gate valve. I've had no issues dialing in due to the valve. I do have a Spears which I will likely use and can comment on later.

Q2. The intake to mazzei, it looks like 1 inch looking at random pictures, I'm assuming you down sized it to 3/4 inch?

It's not a mazzei, it's the stock venturi. The output from the Vectra M1 is 3/4" and that's what feeds into a 1" intake of the skimmer.

Q3. What step did you end up running pump at after breaking it in?

Right now I have the Vectra running at 45%. I was running it at 100% and the only problem I had was with it raising my water temp. The Lifereef has no issue with handling that pump at 100%. It works at 45% or 45w. The heat isn't as much of an issue but my house temp has dropped to about 71F with the outside temp this week. It will be back in the 80s this week so that will be the test as I keep my house at around 75F with A?C. I think there was better foam when it was running at 100%. It seems the faster the pump the better.

Q4. If you had choice over would you have gone L1 or is that too much pump and M1 more than fine ? ( L1 is 1" output, M1 is 3/4" ). The L1 is also about 1k more gph.

The M1 is fine, probably more than fine. The M1 @ 2000gph is a lot of flow. If you have no concern about heat or will run the skimmer externally you could try the L1.