Making a TEENY TINY recirc skimmer :) .........

[steve0xr]

agreed id rather see it clean up dirty water than do almost nothing in clean water.....

[not_sponsored]

Essentially yes, any airstone+collection cup can pull muck out of.. muck.

 

A skimmer needs to be able to pull muck out of near pristine water.

 

I have no doubt that it will work, I just want to see accurate tests.

[supernip]

no offense to anyone but I have to agree with not_sponsored here. Theres a lot of refinement that goes into a solid design and you just don't see the differences until it's ran on an avg/clean tank.

[Needreefunds]

no offense to anyone but I have to agree with not_sponsored here. Theres a lot of refinement that goes into a solid design and you just don't see the differences until it's ran on an avg/clean tank.

What skimmer out there will skim something that isn't there??????

 

Not following this at all nips. You will see the difference in the quality of design in the type of skimmate collected

 

( dark /dry /etc )

 

No skimmer will skim a "pristine" tank. Drop a Deltec into a bucket of fresh RO/DI and suddenly its a poor design because it pulled nothing out??

 

At this point Prop is testing his skimmers ability to skim at all as I see it.

[not_sponsored]

I'm not asking him to skim a bucket of RO, just the tank where he got the skimmate from that he dumped into the test tank.

 

I don't see why you're getting so defensive on this Needreefunds.

[The Propagator]

/\

Because your being a boogerhead. If you can do any better then by all means post it up in your own thread.

 

no offense to anyone but I have to agree with not_sponsored here. Theres a lot of refinement that goes into a solid design and you just don't see the differences until it's ran on an avg/clean tank.

 

I'll see your point, and I'll raise you my larger skimmer.

Tested the same way. Pulls out MUD black as coffee grounds to this day and this is based exactly off of that design. (By now nothing you and I say to each other should offend the other LOL ! )

[Needreefunds]

I'm not asking him to skim a bucket of RO, just the tank where he got the skimmate from that he dumped into the test tank.

 

I don't see why you're getting so defensive on this Needreefunds.

LOL, no, not at all really.

 

Just voicing my opinion as are you. This is a discussion, no?? This is how it used to be here at NR and how we all learn from each other.

 

Your first post almost sounded as if you doubted the skimmers ability to skim, at least that's how I took it.

 

And like I said if we are testing a skimmer I would want to know for sure that there was some funk in the tank to be pulled.

 

Now if he wants to see just how good it is.... ( compared to others ) different question.

 

Carry on, sorry if I ruffled any feathers here.

[The Propagator]

Any who.....

Worked on the collection cup a little tonight.

I used 4" I.D. PVC with acrylic flanged top, and acrylic bottom.

 

This is by far my favorite tool in my arsenal !

I got it from harbor freight for $16.99 last fall and it is worth EVERY PENNY ! Its a Black & decker work bench rip off but it works identically for 1/3 the cost !

 

 

1st start by gluing down a manageable section of acrylic in the best position to glue and cut safely directly to the PVC. I cut mine to 3.75" hieght.

 

 

Then take either a dremel or router and go to town ! If you cant start against the guide piece to begin with then drill a pilot hole to start in. I use a 1/4" flush trim bit. Worked like a charm !

 

 

Nice and square and flush !

 

 

Then I used my dremel to cut out a flange and cap. Looks like doo doo in this pic but it cleaned up nicely with further sanding and trimming.

 

 

I clamped it down as shown above and drilled 4 x 1/4" holes. If I need more I will drill them later. Its just a cap to direct skimmate away from the riser and with the ring installed in the center I don't think I will need more holes. This doesn't need to be water tight as It will have a drain port in the bottom.

 

 

Just sitting on top with no neck installed ( this was before I trimmed and drilled )

 

 

 

I am having a buddy who happens to be a master Crafstman make me some templates for flange cutting with my router to fit my particular router. I am having him make me up 3", 4", 5" , 6" 8", and 10" templates for both the flanges and the matching plates. Then all I will need to do is clamp them on and route away next time with no hassles !

 

I plan on sanding the black lettering off of all the PVC as well. I like it all nice and uniform looking, not like a poster board of sizes and print LOL! SO far even though thia was all made from scrape its turning out half way respectable looking !

[not_sponsored]

A tool? I'm just asking for accurate tests, apparently you can't deal with constructive criticism.

 

Here's some constructive criticism, take it as you may.

 

That flange lid is going to be a huge hassle to remove if you plan to empty/clean your cup with any frequency, even with only 4 screws.

 

The ball valve will make adjusting the water level in your skimmer very hard, either a gate valve or even a standpipe would be easier.

 

An opaque collection cup/neck will also make the water level hard to adjust, you'll have to do it from above and this usually means sticking your head in the stand, another hassle.

[The Propagator]

Blah blah blah ........ I couldn't make one my self so I over paid for one from a manufacturer and I am pissed off you made one at a fraction of the cost. I think I will just muck up your thread because I'm bitter.

 

Your problem not mine

*shows not_sponsored the door*

 

But I do agree with the ball valve. But this is in testing. Not fine tuning.

When I discover it works like a charm I'll buy a gate valve. As for the collection cup.

If you had read the thread you are attempting to analyze you would have read that I am installing a small elbow leading to a waste collection container. I will also be gluing the heads of the bolts in place and using wing nuts on top. If that's a pain in the rump to you then you have serious dexterity issues my friend.

Shouldn't have used PVC for the cup ? Yeah as I said before you didn't read anything did you ?

 

The whole theme here is "made from scrap or what I already have". Since its a budget build and a problem easily over come I did not feel the need to order a section of acrylic tube just to make a collection cup out of it and still have to flange it THE SAME WAY. 5" acrylic will not simply slide over top of 4" acrylic to make a lid because there is a +or - tolerance that's usually industry standard of about 1/16th of an inch.

That is just enough to let the stinky smell out. Which would make installing a charcoal filter capsule on top to filter out the stinky smell and let the air injected escape filtered through it pointless.

 

Well guys one thing did come of this pointless argument after all !

It made me remember to tell you that I was going to install a charcoal filter capsule on top of the lid to filter the smell of the skimmate out as air escapes that's put in.

[bzphotog]

Lol a 100gal ghetto frag tank tank...is there such a thing?

[The Propagator]

Click the link in my sig and see.

There is indeed a ghetto 100 gallon frag tank in my arsenal !

[The Propagator]

Here is the almost finished product........ ( still have to pick up a mag 250 or 350 then add the other union on the skimmer body above the one you see now. Once I have the pump I will know where to locate the union properly. For the sticklers... as I said this i sin testing and the stock MJ I used was a test mule. Not the pump it would be operating with full time. As well I still have to add the feed port. )

 

 

& the almost finished cup..... ( still have to install the deflector ring, vent the top and install the charcoal capsule, as well as add the drain bung. )

 

[The Propagator]

Its the way you came off from the start ( as every one else seemed to notice as well ).

 

The nuts are not an issue. They will be wing nuts easily removed by hand and the bolts will be permanently adhered to the flange from the bottom up through. Its a none issue. Not to mention the 1 1/2" union its sitting on. The entire cup and neck can be removed with one hand by unscrewing the union. You unscrew the union, take it to the utility sink and then remove 4 wing nuts.

Not to complicated.

 

BTW why did you make your cup and neck a permanent part of the body ? I mean it looks sharp and all but you kind of dug your self a big old hole there in the ease of use department by doing that. I mean how do you clean your skimmer neck and collection cup ? Remove the entire skimmer, turn it up side down and stuff a bottle brush down the neck ? Yikes !

How do you gain access to the reaction chamber for cleaning and what do you do if some thing breaks or clogs in the diffuser plate or any thing in the bottom of the body ? Through the neck ? Double yikes !

Probably should have flanged that to make your life a little easier too.

( kind of looks like you used a Warner Marine, or and SWC skimmer body with a bubble king return pipe brace, and modded it with a gate vale but left of the twist lock neck? If it weren't that the diffuser were clear instead of with I would swear that's what you did LOL! )

Got a thread any where out there or photos of how you formed the skimmer body ?

That would be interesting to learn how to do.

 

 

As far as seeing in the cup to adjust the level, That's a non issue as well. Wing nuts, lid off, adjust, done.

Its 4 wing nuts man. like 6 twists and they are off. When I get the time late rI may build a clear cup for it if it presents it self to be a huge problem but I don't see it being one.

This aint my 1st rodeo. It'll be fine.

[The Propagator]

Here is the stand alone skimmer I made last year, Exact same design, but with a clear cup with press on lid.

( its actually a candy container )

Its pretty funky because I am always dipping out bag water each week for shipping and it drips down over it.

Haven't made room for it where I want to place it yet LOL!!!

 

This thing pulls out black black swamp water and mud ! ( tested this one the same way to BTW )

 

 

[Daemonfly]

Who left the door open ?

 

 

 

Where in the heck have you been boy ?

Long time no see ! Been in my neck of the woods lately?

Its gett'n nucking futz. I IZ MOVING THE 1ST CHANCE I GET.

City hall is giving me grief about my little basement biz. MONKEYBUTTS !!

 

Lemme guess, they want licenses and taxes, and everything else they can leech out of ya, eh?

 

Or is it those dadblasted drug-growing lights you have on?

[Atlantis Reef]

Very nice need all details or make me one =)

[The Propagator]

The neck of my skimmer is held in place with a compression gasket. Takes about 2 seconds and 1/2" clearance to remove.

 

 

It seems you have already decided what to do and will not be swayed, good luck with the skimmer, I'm sure it will work.

 

 

Dude I would SWEAR that's either a store bought skimmer or you robbed parts for it off of a bubble king or an SWC.

How about a link to the build photos ? And can you remove the bottom plate for access and cleaning as well ?

 

Very nice need all details or make me one =)

 

Call ya here in a minute or two Tom....

 

 

 

EDIT: Answer the phone damn it ! I aint talking to your answering service.

[The Propagator]

Pretty dang slick there skippy !

 

Tell me how you formed the cone now dang it !

Inquiring minds want to know ! ( I knew I saw SWC trates in it ! )

I guess you formed the cone from one sheet with proper angles down each side to suit the angle of the cone, used an oven or gun to bend it, but what did you use to bend it around to get such a smooth transition all the way around ?

Also did you purchase the compression fitting? If so where? If you made it how did you make it ?

Lathe ? hand scraped notch for the seal or what ? Seeing the under side of your lid make better sense to me know for sure. Couldn't tell from the other photo if it was press on, just sitting on it, or what LOL!

[Atlantis Reef]

Stop repling and make me my skimmer hehe

[The Propagator]

Cant do it with out pics and measurements of your sump dagnabbit !

[The Propagator]

 

 

Mocked it up with a Pondmaster mag 7 today so I could finish plumbing it.

The 250 - 900 share the same volute so the measurements will be the same.

I know pond masters and Supremer have a different bolt pattern as well as a little different shape volute but the distance from in put to out put and the length of each is still Identical.

 

SO when the 250 ( Or 350 haven't made up my mind yet ) gets here I should be set for a real test.

Actually now that I think about it I have a Mag 350 running on an Aqua C Remora right now on the wifies tank I can scavenge for a test once I am done hard plumbing it and its all set and dried tomorrow! YEAH !!

[The Propagator]

Gett'n there !!

 

 

I shortened a 1/2" T on all three sides by about a half an inch so it would leave what I am estimating enough room to exit with out blasting straight down the sides. It sits almost dead nuts in the center of the reaction chamber. I also shortened up the 1" return elbow a hair so that the recirc pump intake could face straight down to catch any wayward micro bubbles and to better do its job at recirculating water before it exits. Did the same thing in a round about way to the large skimmer and it worked out AMAZINGLY WELL so we will see how it fairs on a smaller version.

The only thing I may have to do is shorten the elbow the T is on a hair if I find it is to close to the return.

I don't think it will be though. I fit is but makes good skimmate right where its at then I will simply turn the recirc intake elbow on its side or remove it, and place the diffuser back in and try that.

 

Oh yeah.... one thing I should explain is why there looks like there is no room for a venturi on the pump intake side. Thats because 1st I am going to try the old hole in an elbow gag and see where that takes me.

Then after I have had my fill of that I will be making a 1/2" venturi to fit where the short piece is now from the union to the elbow. It will be what connects the pump to the body instead of just a section of PVC.

If that doesn't work then I will shorten the threaded coupler ( or what ever its called ) and shorten the elbow to a nub and place the venturi there. the venturi doesn't need to be very big at all. Maybe 1 1/4" long ?

[Atlantis Reef]

DOGGONE you mad skimmer maker!! I got battery for camera today I will take measurements and pics tomorrow. The only problem I see is how high my water level is for skimmer I will send those details also. Also I want one of every frag you have sent to me for free hehe

[The Propagator]

For a substantial donation to my reef hobby I will gladly send you coral

 

If ther eis room in the stand on either side of the sump I can always make it so it can run inline like I have my large skimmer plumbed in with a feed directly from the over flow and the return from the skimmer straight back into the sump. That way you can put it pretty much anywhere you want within reasonable madness.