CodeToad Posted July 2, 2004 Author Share Posted July 2, 2004 Undertheradar: I cought back up on this thread and I really like your design alot better than the one I was kicking around. I went ahead and threw one togather today, I'll let ya'll know how it works out for me Link to comment
morphx Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 The chamber in a nanocube is about 10inches tall(if you run your water level to about the middle of the top intake), 2.75 inches from front to back and 3.25 inches left to right. That leaves about 2inches above the waterline. Not a lot of room to collect foam. However, I've been playing with the idea of using silicon to seal off the bottom 1-2 slits between chamber 2 and 3. Hopefully this will lower water level in chamber 3 to allow for the injector to be placed lower with enough room for a good size collector. I'm going to pick up some Plexi from home depot tmrw, any suggestions on a thickness? Hell if my nano doesn't really need to skim to work, it's fun to learn new things and make sh*t yourself. Link to comment
Moa Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 morphx, I think on page 2 or so UTR says that he uses 1/8" plexi. Also, there's significant room above the waterline--I've tried putting a pretty big PH in that back that sat way above the top of the chambers. (I just haven't measure exactly how much room is there. Seems that if you cut off the bottom you'd want the skimmer to perhaps even touch the lid at the top to keep it from floating up when it's turned on. . . . Link to comment
morphx Posted July 2, 2004 Share Posted July 2, 2004 I was thinking something along the lines of suction cups for the skimmer, and a suction cup for the collection cup. Link to comment
Mai Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 I have a quick question. I built this skimmer yesterday and I am having a problem. When it is running te bubbles will fill the skimmmate chamber with water. What am I doing wrong here? Is the ph too big I have a mini jet 606 running on the lowest setting. Could the injector holes be too big? I use 3 1/8 inch holes. Any other thouhgts? Link to comment
Undertheradar Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 It sounds like the flow into the skimmer is too much. Tell me, what is that pump rated for? I would suggest a pump in the 90gph range. Your hole size seems right however. The other thing to check would be how tall your skimmate overflow wall would be...perhaps it is too low? A pic would give me the ability to make a 100% accurate solution. Link to comment
Mai Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 UTR The pump is rated from 79-157gph. I have tried to run it at all the speeds. I am at work so I will try to post a pic tonight when i get home. It still overflows on the lowest setting. Link to comment
artc Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 UTR, make sure you file a patent disclosure first with the US government before contacting AquaC team. Otherwise, they could take your idea / suggestions and productize it into their product and file a patent on what you disclosed to them.... In most of the cases, it's not who came up with the ideas owns the patent, but the first person filed it owns it. Art Link to comment
Mai Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 UTR Here is a pic of water in the skimmate chamber Link to comment
Samc Posted July 11, 2004 Share Posted July 11, 2004 So, UTR, after getting the patent issue solved, are you going to be selling these skimmers? Is anyone selling just the skimmer body (less injector)? I can make an injector in like 5 minutes but the rest might take a tad bit longer. Also, can someone post the final, best design or tell me what page it is on? Sam Link to comment
Moa Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 SamC, Try page 13 for final specs. I think there are a bunch of us waiting to hear about availability too. Link to comment
Undertheradar Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Mai, your riser area is way too narrow. It should be about 1" at the bottom and 3/4" at the top. It appears that you are making yours out of 1/4" plexi as well...this is prolly the reason you are ending up with such a narrow riser area. The design is using 1/8" only. So you would have to add about 1/2" to the width (from 3" to 3.5") if you wanted to use 1/4". Not needed however. Hold you horses everyone. I am moving this week, so Im a little busy, but not to worry, the lawyer is already working on it for me and the ball is in his court...just have to wait and see what he somes back with. Otherwise I have had three liscencing/mfg offers pending the patents approval. We will just have to wait and see... Link to comment
Mai Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 Thanks UTR I'll make the adjustments and let you know how it goes. Link to comment
DRZL-sauras Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I am in the process of makin this skimmer but i made a few changes due to the fact i couldnt find 1/2 pvc in HD...so i bought 3/4 and since it was a little bit larger and my pump an aquqaglobe a little stronger (100 gph) than your 80...i thought of it as compensating for some of the "bigger"parts of my skimmer so i made the skimmer 3 in wide instead of 2.5...everything else is its normal size....im just wonderin will this make my skimmer not work?...also any suggestions on the amount of holes and size in the 3/4 injector.....sorry to ***** about "my skimmer":blush: i just need to hear it from the lions mouth Link to comment
nunofs Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Undertheradar, I've just built a skimmer based on your plans -- btw, congratulations on such a great design, and thanks for sharing! Here's a picture, the acrylic cement is still curing so I haven't tested the skimmer yet: I have one remaining question at this point: how do you attach the intake (the 1/2" CPVC pipe) to the output of the powerhead? I'm planning on using a MaxiJet 400 (106gph). Thanks, Nuno Link to comment
phatmike Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 nunofs.....weldon...capilary...look into it. Link to comment
nunofs Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 phatmike: I know the cementing job looks terrible... I couldn't find Weldon locally and went with an alternative cement/solvent (it's the same ingredient, but much thicker). I'll post the brand name later, can't remember it now. Anyway, this will be mostly hidden behind the tank, so no big deal... just hoping it will not leak :-) Nuno Link to comment
kappa Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 I am going to have to rip off my nano cube hood, rebuild another one, and build the radar skimmer, Im serious. First I build the hood, than the skimmer, then the fuge, then get the 70w mh setup. Link to comment
Whitten Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Well Radar i just started construction of my own skimmer today, so we will have to see how it turns out. Link to comment
Undertheradar Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Sorry I havent checked up on all the going's on recently...I just moved this weekend...all weekend and then some. The reefs were the last thing to move, as the lease on the old place is two weeks after the new one started...this gave me a nice step-by-step transfer time. Now I have to get the big tank back from my parents (stowed it there to avoid having to move the thing during moving). Well, enough on that, Ill have a complete other thread on that and the new tank (it looks sweeeeeeet now). The reason I mention this is if any of you still have something you are wondering or asked while I was too busy, go ahead and give me a shot now. Link to comment
TheJDB Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 do you think it would be possible to builld 1 that is 8" long, 24" tall and 3" wide. And use the return from my sump which is about 500 Gph to power it. Link to comment
TheJDB Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I Have a 55 gallon tank 10 g sump/refugium. I consider this a small tank, I wouldnt go so far as to say it is nano though. your skimmer idea is genious and I was wondering if you think the 4mentioned skimmer would work better than a red sea prism? I don't think the prism is large enough 4 my tank. Link to comment
nunofs Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Undertheradar: as I mentioned in an earlier post (see above), I just finished building a skimmer based on your plans. Despite the messy cementing job, the skimmer is watertight and doesn't leak. After trying a few injectors (with different number of holes and hole sizes) I think I found one that works with my pump (a Maxijet 400, 110gph). I'm testing it now in a bucket with tank water (ie, dirty salt water) and while I do get lots of bubbles in the skimmer (almost all the way to the bottom baffle), no bubbles are collecting in the collection chamber... actually, they don't even climb up the riser area... any ideas what might be wrong? Or do I just need to run longer to break it in? Here's a picture: You can see that there are no bubbles accumulating on surface of the riser area (right side)... they do get there but burst almost immediately. Thanks, Nuno Link to comment
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