new skimmer in progress
 

well I started building my new skimmer today.

http://members.shaw.ca/steve-sherri/...er/1stside.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/steve-sherri/...er/3rdside.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/steve-sherri/...r/lastside.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/steve-sherri/...er/boxends.jpg

and a mock up of the first riser
http://members.shaw.ca/steve-sherri/...mer/mockup.jpg

Steve

:eek: What are the dimensions

I think you need a bigger box.... :rolleyes:

bah its only 2" bigger than yours :rolleyes:

Steve

the box is 12" x 14" x 8.75" tall

the first riser tube is 8" dia and not sure what the hight is right now.

Steve

looks good. Are you use .25" for the box?

no its 3/8th, I knew I needed 3/8 for the top so I got it for the whole thing.

Steve

holly Man that's gona be huge. And built like a tank.
Look'n good. Keep us updated

J

:eek: What pump are you going to use?


Walter

It is going to be a dual becket and I am going to run them off one Mak4. if that doesent work good enuf I will go to one becket untill i can buy another mak4.

Steve

Hey there Steve I'm thinking of filling up my house and making it a salt water tank ,can you make me a skimmer to run 25oo sq ft


LOL

mike


nice pic's :mrgreen:

how deep are you making it so I can figure out the volume, I have some 9" tube I am sure we can come up with something :mrgreen:

well got all the holes drilled and the bulkheads installed. main tube is glued on and routed out, also got the becket foam tubes made (well 1/2 made anyways)

http://members.shaw.ca/steve-sherri/...bulkheads2.jpg

ignore the small tube ontop.. was just using a chunk of dirty 4" to get a feel for the hight. I will be using 6" for the actual riser.

http://members.shaw.ca/steve-sherri/...er/mockup2.jpg

Steve

I saw a nuclear reactor that was almost that big......

Doug

Why is your base that big ???

BECAUSE SIZE MATTERS

in my mind it's the height and the dia of the column, where contact time occur that is important not the base ???

to provide stability (water is going to be up the main colume a ways) and also to allow enuf room to ensure I can prevent bubble from getting out.

Steve

Aren't you concerned about overskimming?

Overskimming? What's that?

I guess that question would be equally applicable to just about anyone here. Does anyone worry about overskimming?

Quinn, personally I think more is better. What are your concerns with this "overskimming" concept? What would I remove with too much skimming and why is it an issue?

Well, I haven't looked into it really, but I've read a few concerns regarding removing more organic material that is necessary, organic material that would serve as a food source for reef fauna, notably corals. I think a few people have written on the subject, possibly in AAOM or RK. I guess the idea is to avoid sterilizing your tank.

Quinn I also beleive you can overskim but, I don't know enough about it to put up a good arguement, if you can't overskim why not have a skimmer on a nano, so far my 155 has been running skimmer free for 2 months and I'm thinking I may stay skimmer free.. have to see...

Doug

I think it's more in how you use it! :lol:

Walter

Teevee, if are worried about over skimming I don't think I need to be. I skim my sump basically @ a rate of 1200 gal per hour. now my sump has about 20 gal of water in it. now the sump is feed by the main tank 94gal volume at a rate of 1200 gph and also by the secondary tank (23gal) at a rate of 600 gph.

now you will never get 100% efficiency in a skimmer something is always going to get through and this is compounded by the fact that the water flowing in is at a greater rate than the skimmer is processing, there for it is only skimming 66% of the water that flow through it. this is further compounded that not all the water that come from the tank is only un-skimmed water, as the new water returns to the tank it mixes and you get a blend so there are further inefficiency's there. so while you can come close to achieving a 0 nutrient level you will never actually be able to obtain it.

Another reason for max skimming is it allows you to feed more as the excess will be removed be for it can break down and cause problems. this is an advantage because you can feed your tank more.

another and probably the last reason I am not worried about it is that it is my opinion that most SPS obtain up to (and maybe more than) 98% of there food from there symbiotic algae or in simpler terms the light. and the remainder from ingesting (or how ever the do it) bacteria and food particles from the water. this also seams to support the "less nutrients the better" general consensus for SPS.

Steve

What pump will you have on this skimmer?

Yes, that is true.

What makes you think it's 98% and not say 99% or 96%?

I am starting with a MAK4 running two becketts, if it does a good job say lavee, if not I will either get a bigger pump or a second MAK4


um.. "up to (and maybe more than) 98%" so that would cover 96 and 99 :mrgreen: in other words they obtain "MOST" of there food......

Steve