Wetworx Nano-skimmers!!!

[Undertheradar]

I use a rubber band and a piece of filter sponge on the outlet myself...works very well. The recirculating design does make me wonder however. I have been hacking up MJ400s and acrylic and messing around with a recirculating version...a copy of the deltec MCE600...but more like a MCE 100. The MJ400 is plumbed to draw some water from the skimmer, as well as the tank, so it doesnt have the throughput of a single-pass skimmer...and therefore less microbubbles. To make the pump more productive, I have modded the intake shroud of the MJ400...I chopped off the outlet nozzle and made the outlet a wide opening (some others have done this for flow) so that the bubbles are not shot straight up and out the top of the skimmer. I am also working on a bubble distribution plate for this as well...not sold on it being a good idea 100%, but...

 

But my solution for the throughput of the nano-skimmer is one of two things. One is to make the skimmer slightly larger in depth or width (height does very little it seems), and the other is to add a sponge to the output for the water to pass over before going into the tank.

 

This is the main problem I am having in perfecting the nano-cube skimmer....too many bubbles!!!

[Spiffyguy]

Yeah. The bubbles will kill you. I use a poly filter in my tank as mechanical filtration. I find that it keeps the water clearer. But I also clean my tank every tuesday like clockwork. I plan to move that to chamber 3 when I get the skimmer in. This would probably help since the bubbles will have to go through my fuge in chamber 2. I don't have an outlet on my skimmer since it is in sump. Just a hole at the top of the return chute. I guess I could stuff a small sponge in there. I worry it will reduce the flow too much and raise the water level in skimmer. I will mess around and try to get some pics up.

 

A general skimmer question. does the lid need to be sealing in order for the faom to rise? My cuts are really off since I use just hand cutting and I have some small gaps.

 

Thanks again.

[Undertheradar]

Well, I dont do it like that. I have the sponge attached to the outlet of the skimmer so that they bubbles pass over the sponge as the water spills out of the overflow into the tank. That way the sponge wont ever stop flow.

[Spiffyguy]

ahh ok that makes sense. Let me try that out. Thanks for the help.

[Gerontius]

I love this thread. I'm looking to build a skimmer for my aquapod, either internal or external, and your designs have really inspired me UTR.

 

Also, when I was thinking about what to build I had a different idea for an integrated skimmer. I'll probably give it a try since it's so simple. Just wondering UTR, if you have a chance, could you take a look at it and let me know if it seems a reasonable concept.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...ndpost&p=797251

 

Thanks again.

 

G

[Spiffyguy]

A sponge block did help to reduce the micro bubbles. They do collect on the sponge and it seems to eventually spill back into the tank. Any chance you have a pic on how you have it set up? Thanks.

[Spiffyguy]

Ok almost done. Last problem I hope. I placed the powerhead under the skimmer in order to get it to fit into the 1st chamber of the nanocube. Now my venturi stopped working. I suspect it is just too deep in the tank and not sucking the air. Couple options. I can put an airpump on it but I think that would be overkill and choke out the powerhead. Or I can switch over to an injector style. Any suggestions. here is a shot of my skimmer so far. Thanks

 

[RP Beesh]

here a pic of my utr skimmer

its not normal that the skimmate is green?

[Undertheradar]

here are the plans for a HOB MCE style skimmer. The pump is on the side in the first chamber to allow for its output to be angled downward instead of straight up like a MCE. This should extend contact time greatly. The intake pipe also allows for the skimmer to be recirculating by simply putting some slots in it. The pump in the first chamber seems much smarter than the deltec design. It even allows for easier pump removal because the cord is in the same chamber. The upflow chamber is shrunk...it no longer needs to serve as a pass-through for the electrical plug for pump removal...and it was never that great as a media chamber (water passed around media bags, not through).

 

More plans/photos to come of other skimmers Ive been making...

[BigRay]

Hey,

I got a skimmer similar to the HOB Spraybar Injection. I just have a couple of questions.

 

1) What size pump would you suggest for it? Also, i saw UTR said that the pumps wear out from the pressure, are there any that can handle it that will work?

 

2) I think it is regular pvc on it, Should it be cpvc?

What is cpvc and what is the difference?

 

 

 

Thanks,

BigRay

[BigRay]

Don't anyone know the answers to those questions??

 

Thanks,

BigRay

[Undertheradar]

CPVC has a thinner wall diameter for a smaller outside diameter...CPVC is 5/8", PVC is 3/4". This is helpful due to the scale of the nano-skimmer. As for pumps, yes, the skimmer works better as an asperating version...no clogged injectors, more bubbles, etc.

[BigRay]

Would it be easier to covert what i have to asperating version or just rebuild one as the asperating version?

 

Thanks,

[Undertheradar]

Easier to convert...all you do it replace the spraybar injector with one large hole (plug the air-hole on the skimmer), and then run the air inlet into the pump's intake so that the pump takes in air + water and mixes it there.

[BigRay]

Ok, I tried to convert it .

It made a ton of little micro bubbles, but all of them were leaving the skimmer. None where going up to where it foams up. Help?

The demintions are thesame as the diagram of the spraybar injetor one on the first page

 

Thanks,

BigRay

[wheelspin]

are you planning on selling these in the near future??

 

unassembled kit with hardware less pump?

 

complete assembly?

 

complete skimmer?

[maaron]

ill take one too

[Undertheradar]

sorry, busy making maxi-jet stream shrouds right now.

[skilter]

Hey RP Beesh, i like the counter current skimmer... how has yours worked so far?

[echo-bravo 4-19]

hey utr im interested in getting one for my ten g and one for my pico but i dont mind if its 6 inches wide do u think u can send me an already cut kit thingy lol

[reefermike]

Anyidea if one of these can fit a NC12 backcamber? i measured 14 in tall and it goes into the canopy.. can one be made to fit just under?

[danoreef]

I would really like to thank you for your really cool diy skimmer I built my own counter current skimmer that worked awesome however it was made from white pvc I couldn't see all the nice bubbles. i will build another for my new 20 gallon set up but I will use your method of flat acrylic and make it square I will have to figure out how to make so I could change the air stones though.

Any suggestions

 

*******************************************************************

Danny

[Snazzy]

Now here is an alternative. It is the reverse-venturi or asperating method. The first skimmer is an injection skimmer, using a spraybar to inject pressurized water into a water body to make bubbles...very much like AquaC skimmers but with a spraybar and multiple injectors rather than a single nozzle like on a garden hose. This skimmer is more like a Euro-reef, ASM, Bubble King, etc...in that it uses the pump as the mixer of the air and bubbles, and then shoots the mix into the skimmer. I started this because in order to produce these I had to make sure I wasnt touching AquaC's patent on injection technology...which is silly considering its really just another take on venturi injection. The other reason was that I noticed the powerheads that were running the spraybar injectors werent made for pressure applications, and were seemingly loosing their steam after a year...perhaps the magnets were wearing out.

 

The good news is that the reverse venturi method works better anyways. It makes twice the bubbles, finer, and doesnt create pressure problems like with the spraybar injector. And it means you wont have to clean the injector holes anymore.

 

Here is the diagram of what changes:

 

its the reverse venturi design

 

what would be the best width if i were to use rio 200 w/ a RVT(taam's rejuvinating venturi) on this design? the rio does ~134gph at 0 head.

 

or should i go w/ the Rio400rvt at 140gph, rio600rvt at 200gph, or the rio800rvt at 211gph?

 

its only going on a 5.5gal tank so the 200 or 400 should work right?

 

is there any other length ajustments when you make it wider or is it the same just different angles?

[zebrasomag]

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Thanks ;-)

[Undertheradar]

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

-Plato

 

Well, I have a nano again... been a while, but there is a desktop 5.5g now that I have to tend to (most likely going to make a 24"x8"x10" prety soon), and build a skimmer for, so I will be at it once again. I have updated my email and unblocked it, so rather than PM me, email me. I check that email every day. Im not even going to bother with the PM box anymore.

 

 

I will most likely be posting some new designs for nano-cubes and such as well. I never did finish the write-up on those. That new Sapphire 29 one comes close in concept, but its a joke in actual implimentation... not to mention cost... you can make one of mine for $10+pump, and it skims better.