Skimmer in sump?????

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 10:35 AM

Afternoon everyone. Hope each of you are doing well.

I have an Aqua-C Remora Pro hang on skimmer. I also am using the 125 wet/dry. I have placed the skimmer in the sump side of the wet/dry to clean up the tank and make it look better.

My question is this.....With the pump for the skimmer under the bio-balls side of the filter and the skimmer itself on the opposite side, will it still skim correctly? I have the return pump on the same side as the skimmer unit itself also. I have had it this way for an hour or so and have not noticed any foam or anything from the skimmer yet. Just want to make sure my idea will still be functional for my reef. My idea was placing the skimmer pump under the bios balls would give the skimmer more opportunity to work being that the water it is pumping is directly from the tank. Hope that makes sense!??!

Any and all opinions and direction are always accepted.

Thank you,

Todd

Midnight_Madman · 10-27-2004, 11:09 AM

It will still work, but not nearly as good as if it was before the bioballs. It also will work better with water that is directly skimmed off the surface of the tank.

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 01:52 PM

I guess you lost me on the skimming directly from the surface of the tank. The pump is submersed in the tank therefore being under the surface quite a bit. Forgive my ignorance on this one. Unfortunately I have no way of putting the skimmer before the bio balls. I had thought of taking the bio-balls out a handful at a time each week until they were completely gone. That would rid the skimmer before the bio-ball problem.

I do have a 10g tank I can use to convert into a refugium/sump if you think that is adequate enough for a 46g bow front. I have no idea on that. Or can I convert the wet/dry into the same? If so please advise.

Thank you,

Todd

Midnight_Madman · 10-27-2004, 02:09 PM

I converted my wet dry into a fuge. I just fliped the drip plate on its side and siliconed it in.. and that is my divider.. 1 half is a fuge and the other half has the skimmer and return pump
It works great

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 02:10 PM

Is your wet/dry bigger than 10 gallons? If so, I would try to make that work. Can you post a picture of your sump/wetdry? Maybe better able to help that way.

Skimming off the top of the tank, I have an overflow box that skims off the top and sends it down to the sump...if that is what TA means?

I would put the pump as close to the skimmer as possible because you loose pressure with distance.

http://www.3reef.com/cgi-bin/album.p.../done_sump.jpg

Here is a pic of mine...it is a pretty simple design on a 20 gallon tank. Skimmer is on right, you can see the pump and the returns..(hang on type skimmer).

I don't see why you would not be able to make your wetdry work out! Pics!

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 02:23 PM

Here is a pic...hope it is enough...space is reallt cramped as you can see.

Dimensions if this will help.....

20"Lx 15"H (bio-ball side)9 1/2" wide The sump side is angled and only about 12" tall.

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 02:26 PM

It is a Pro Clear Aquatic Systems 125 filter. Not sure exactly how much water it holds. I would guess at least 10 gallons if full. I am not sure though.

I do of course have an overflow on the tank that is skimming the top and putting that into the filter.

The fan you see is there for those hot days. I can keep the temp steady with that little guy.

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 02:30 PM

I like your design Birdlady...I just hate having my skimmer on the back of the tank. It is not the most quiet skimmer out there and I like to have the tank clean inside for the fish to swim and have a more natural look with the exception of the overflow of course. That will soon be covered in Coraline so i am not worried about that.

Just want to make this thing as efficient as possible and less cluttered inside the tank.

T

Birdlady · 10-27-2004, 02:39 PM

Doesn't that water falling make you have to go potty every 5 minutes?!!! I built mine for silence specifically!

To be honest, that is a small space you are moving the water to the skimmer.......It should be OK IMO. There 's no room to hang it off the side there I guess? between the tank stand and the sump? That is a tight space under there....I don't imagine you could do a whole lot better with the 10 gal tank..... The bummer part is the slanted side of the wetdry...can't do much with that side. Don't want to overflow it either so....sorry I can't be of much more help here...

Poppy828 · 10-27-2004, 02:42 PM

The slant is what I am concerned with. Not sure where to go. To new for this. The blue sponge you see is absorbing the water that would normally be dripping. So it is very quiet under there. No noise at all which is a releif. Before we could here the skimmer and the air passing through the venturi. Now we can't.

What if I were to place a piece of acrylic inside the slanted side to make the difference in the slant? I don't know. I'm all confused.....