The Life Reef Skimmer Club

[bayoupr]

I believe the reason he recommends a 1200-1500 flow rate PUMP is because of the small orifice through the venturi. With that being said, the flow through the skimmer will be less than the pump rating. Another thing that will drop the flow and air is mounting the venturi straight off the pump. I just got through re-doing my skimmer plumbing and when I fired it back up I had to open the air valve 100% to get 18-20 on the air. With the venturi on the body the flow and air were extremely high. So to compensate for this I put my 1078 back on which allow for more air and flow. The reason I mounted my venturi lower was to allow the moisture from the cup air to travel down to my injector.

 

[wildman926]

There a lot of fanboys in this thread that treat these skimmers as if they are the best skimmers in the world with no problems what so ever, and that everything on Jeff's site is 100% accurate and consistent. These fanboys get easily offended when someone points out an inconsistency.

You are not the only one that has pointed this out....and not only in this thread.

 

[hobbzz]

So others have seen better skimming with a pressure rated pump at 50-75% gph rating vs a non pressure rated pump... You may not need the full 1200-1500 gph if you have a pressure rated pump...

You are losing a lot of GPH through the venturi with a non pressure rated pump... So the actual throughput may be similar to a pressure rated pump at 50-75% gph rating....

May be worth trying if you can find someone local that would let you test it?

Like a panworld 150s or Iwaki MD-55RLT

That's what I'm thinking/hoping, and trying to figure out. I've currently got the 200ps running it and my reactor. Later this week when I have time, I'm going to measure the flow on each to see the total flow and flow through the skimmer. I also have a 100px, but the bubble density wasn't that great with that one, so I switched to the 200 as soon as I got it. The 100px did ok, but not $800 worth. Someone on here also mentioned that. Then I tried a mag 18 &24, and a laguna 2000 and 2400 and they didn't even come close. I would not be able to use them at all.

I'd like to try a 55rlt or 150ps or 55hd like you mentioned, but money is limited right now and my wife will kill me, which makes it hard trying to switch out pumps. I have two configurations to try for each pump as well. The standard input into the cylinder, and the swirling action using a T and two 45's. I'd like to do one week of each configuration for each pump and compare skimmate production and wattage, before deciding.

Bayoupr tried the 150ps, and got a foam head about twice as thick as what the 200ps produces which is weird as I also have more fish. I can't make any sense of that, other than the possibility that the flow through is too fast. He also felt the foam head wasn't as stable. But I just realized I never asked him how long he ran it with the 150ps, and what the skimmate was like. If he doesn't see this and chime in I'll pm him.

 

[hobbzz]

I believe the reason he recommends a 1200-1500 flow rate PUMP is because of the small orifice through the venturi. With that being said, the flow through the skimmer will be less than the pump rating.

This was going to be my next question, and it would explain the wording on the site a little better. How long did you run the 150ps before taking it off? What was the skimmate like, or did you remove it before it got a chance to produce for any length of time?

This was from today. The 200ps (not sure how much flow through it yet) running the skimmer and reactor. Feels like 1200-1500 gph range though. I have the input going to a T and two 45's, which I lowered to about 4 inches above the output for increased contact time, making the swirling action. I don't normally have the level set that low, but I came home today to find it had filled half the cup in just 8 hours, with light coffee colored skimmate. Kinda like watered down coffee, I could still see the bubbles in the neck through the skimmate. The last adjustment I made was about 16 hours prior, and it had settled at 1" below the flange. When I got home, it had risen to 1/2" below the flange from 6am this morning when I last checked it. I'm now slowly raising it to get it back to 1" below.

Any comments or critiques are welcome.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CrdMw_LF4SM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[bayoupr]

Bayoupr tried the 150ps, and got a foam head about twice as thick as what the 200ps produces which is weird as I also have more fish

I said I ran the 150ps on a 48" skimmer not that one. On the 48" I had to close the ball valve 1/2 way on the output for it to work right. You got any pictures of the skimmer and the density of the bubbles? Also do you have a air meter?

 

[hobbzz]

I said I ran the 150ps on a 48" skimmer not that one.

Ahh I missed that. The extra volume in this one would explain why you would get a thicker head on the 48".

I just edited my last post and added a video from today. I do not have an air meter, but I'm trying to source one locally. Might be able to convince our local club to buy one.

 

[hobbzz]

Just for my clarification, on the standard skimmers, the model number denotes the total height correct? Not the height of the body alone?

 

[bayoupr]

Saw your video, too much air IMO. That looks like the way the 150ps ran on my 48" when I had it. That's the reason I had to install a ball valve on the outlet of the pump and choke it back.

 

[hobbzz]

Did you run it long enough to let it start producing? What was the production like?

 

[rEeFnWrX]

Lol imagine putting a fish in your skimmer? that is a ton of air...

 

[bayoupr]

Did you run it long enough to let it start producing? What was the production like?

Once I choked the pump back it produced nasty stuff. The model number on the skimmers are the total height. Get on line and go to US Plastics, mini valve section and get you one of the mini needle valves or ball valves. 3/8" x 3/8" inline barb. Put it inline on your air hose and dial it back until you get a stable foam head. I installed one on my skimmer yesterday and it made a world of difference. I was able to knock down the air and keep the flow. Still have excellent contact time like this.

 

[hobbzz]

I've got a needle valve for an old calcium reactor I can modify and try out. The foam head has been stable, except for the incident today.

 

[bayoupr]

Maybe running your manifold off the same pump might be causing the skimmer to become erratic at times?

 

[hobbzz]

That what was another possibility. I was going to keep it going like this for a while before taking the reactor offline just in case.

 

[Adam G]

Posted a pic yesterday of 1/2" of skimmate in the bottom of my cup. My new 30" started to kick in the night before. Last night the cup was half full and this morning when I checked it the cup was full and I had to drain it. It is skimmer a bit more wet as it goes so I opened the gate valve a bit to see if I can skim a little dryer. So far this skimmer is really doing well.

 

[rEeFnWrX]

8 days worth of nog with the dc6000. .. been feeding lightly every other day on a medium 90

 

[ct_vol]

Once I choked the pump back it produced nasty stuff. The model number on the skimmers are the total height. Get on line and go to US Plastics, mini valve section and get you one of the mini needle valves or ball valves. 3/8" x 3/8" inline barb. Put it inline on your air hose and dial it back until you get a stable foam head. I installed one on my skimmer yesterday and it made a world of difference. I was able to knock down the air and keep the flow. Still have excellent contact time like this.

I'm curious why you're both choking the pump back and restricting air? Wouldn't it be more efficient to just use a smaller pump with less flow so you don't have to choke it back and restrict the air draw. Just seems inefficient to me, but I'm not going to argue with what works best. Perhaps in order to get it perfectly dial it in you need to go a bit oversized and restrict back?

 

[rEeFnWrX]

He actually went with an undersized pressure rated pump. That combined with a mazzei resulted in more air which is why he choked the air back.

 

[bayoupr]

I'm curious why you're both choking the pump back and restricting air

As for myself, with the recommended pump on the 48" I lost alot of flow by the time I got the water level up in the skimmer. I went to a 150PS thinging the extra head height would help, which it did. Only it was too much air for the body so I dialed the pump back and got good results. If I would have thought about dialing the air back then, I wouldn't have had to cut the flow back.

 

[bayoupr]

He actually went with an undersized pressure rated pump. That combined with a mazzei resulted in more air which is why he choked the air back.

This is how I am running my 36" presently and I'm getting great results.