Volcano club

Nice Yeniraki!

It sounds like the manta ray pump in it's watt pull. Have you put a kill-A-Watt on it to see how many watt's it is pulling when it is mixing air and water? The watts may be significantly lower.


What I was wondering about is whether or not a larger pump helps any if we are already force feeding it with and air pump.

(i.e. the hammerhead needlewheel suggeted above will help over a dart that is being force fed via. alita.)

So are the bubbles tiny?

How is the turbulance?

Any pictures of skimmate?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13434911#post13434911 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amehel0
i dont see head prsuure being the issue myself for 1 reason. its a recirc pump. it would be just like using a submersible pump 4' under water. it still acheives the same lph.
Click to expand...

Pressure head is a huge issue if you are drawing air via a venturi. The pump is fighting that water heigth to pull in the air.

If the air is being forced in via an air pump, then it shouldn't matter in theory.

In practice, however, force feeding air means that you have to force feed the right amount of air. Too much and you get large inefficient and turbulance generating bubbles.

It seems like you naturally get finer bubbles when a pump is pulling it's own air.

Don't ask me why it is simply an observation/opinion (which may be wrong)

These skimmers also have a gate valve to choke the pump down and change the amount of water they push.


So, a pressure rated pump pump pulling in air on it's own power would be an improvement imo. The gate valve would be choked down if too much water was moving.

The only remainging concern would be watt draw and heat as these pumps might not like this method and end up getting too hot.

After hearing Yeniraki's result I am thinking that the reeflo venturi (made for the dart) with a manta ray pump might do the trick based on the fact that Deltec uses this same pump on a tall skimmer 18" diameter.

I do not know if the inlet pipe to the manta ray is the same diameter as the manta ray inlet however.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13435261#post13435261 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Herpervet
Nice Yeniraki!

It sounds like the manta ray pump in it's watt pull. Have you put a kill-A-Watt on it to see how many watt's it is pulling when it is mixing air and water? The watts may be significantly lower.


What I was wondering about is whether or not a larger pump helps any if we are already force feeding it with and air pump.

(i.e. the hammerhead needlewheel suggeted above will help over a dart that is being force fed via. alita.)

So are the bubbles tiny?

How is the turbulance?

Any pictures of skimmate?
Click to expand...


I am sure a larger pump with a proper NW or mehswheel will help, with or without force feeding.
Bubbles are very fine, could be because of 8 layers of mesh. I put 8 layers as the vault is large enough and the pump never had starting issues with it.
I am having a nice foam head and I dont think there is a high turbulence. I had bubble diffuser, I took it out.

1129322.jpg


112932meshwheel_skimmate_small.jpg
 
Two ways to go for the pump....
1. Use a lower wattage pump and force feed the air component into the skimmer. If this is the case, I wouldnt even use the Dart... I would go even lower in wattage (Laguna), with an oversized volute (the pump is just for mixing and flow, no pressure needed).

2. Use a higher wattage needlewheel pump. Higher wattage overall, but it means you dont have to replace those Alita diaphrams every year.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13435540#post13435540 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hahnmeister
Two ways to go for the pump....
1. Use a lower wattage pump and force feed the air component into the skimmer. If this is the case, I wouldnt even use the Dart... I would go even lower in wattage (Laguna), with an oversized volute (the pump is just for mixing and flow, no pressure needed).

2. Use a higher wattage needlewheel pump. Higher wattage overall, but it means you dont have to replace those Alita diaphrams every year.
Click to expand...

The alita diaphram is a significant issue. Mine ripped and I didn't figure it out in time.

Energy hasn't had a problem with his and I think he has been running it for over 2 years.

Simplicity is better imo. and I would hedge toward eliminating the Alita even if it means a higher electric bill.
 
Or, by lowering the waterline, I have no doubt that the Baldor motor could generate 4000+ lph of air... but that might also require an enlarged impeller well... which doesnt seem easy to do... thats sort of where the Lagunas come in... they are easy to mod up like this... but if being used against head pressure, I wouldnt peg a 4200 for more than 4000lph by itself.
 
It seems to me that maybe those with a problematic Volcanno, might hook up with some of the more knowledgable D.I.Y. types and have a Lagunna 4200 modded for them, pay something for that being done to be able to trial the Mod - say a few hundred $$. Then either pay to keep the Lagunna, paying for the pump and Mod - some more $$, or return it to the D.I.Y.'er. The D.I.Y.'er could have a Lagunna lying around to mod. This way a S.O.L. Volcanno owner does not risk that much, nor does the D.I.Y'er, but the reward may be commensurate for both.
 
I am considering trading my MR3R for an early Volcano skimmer with 4 ocean runner pumps. What are the opinions on this trade? Go for it? replace the ORs wtih Sicces? thanks tommy the skimmer is on the trading forum
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13432190#post13432190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
Has the Hammerhead with a NW been tried yet?
Click to expand...

I asked for that two years ago...
 
Here is what I would do with Reefaquariumnut's skimmer:

manifold1.jpg


You guys need to get back to basics. My skimmer runs on an Alita 100 with Aquatic-Eco fine pore stones, is 16 x 14 x 54 (body) @ 105W. It pulls 1 - 2 gallons per day of extremely rank nog.
 
My big Geo skimmer is kicking butt now!

What I did with Geo's help is the following:

1. Added 3 mesh mod layers to needlewheel

2. Reduced feed tubing from Alita 80 to 1/4" ID from 1/2" ID

Since doing this I have been getting amazing foam in the whole skimmer and am pulling about 1 gallon per day of dark green skimmate.
 
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