DIY Skimmer Question

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I've been doing a bunch of research on diy skimmers for a couple planned tanks.
The one thing I've not been able to find is this, when looking at plans, how can you discern whether they're big enough for your planned tank?
I would assume it's a mixture of flow and chamber volume, but is there some kind of a "guidline formula" to use? I know it would very depending upon bioload, etc. But I'd like to figure out at least some kind of a reference.
Thanks,
J

 

[robchuck]

Look at a variety of premade skimmers and see where they're rated at in relation to the diameter and height of the reaction tube to get an idea of what size you'll need.

 

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Originally posted by RobChuck
Look at a variety of premade skimmers and see where they're rated at in relation to the diameter and height of the reaction tube to get an idea of what size you'll need.
Thanks.
I had planned on browing a couple LFS and checking it out that way. My main concern was that it seems hard to find any decent skimmers at retailers, and alot of the specs I see for decent skimmers seem a bit ambiguous (at least to me).
Thanks,
J

 

[robchuck]

If it helps at all, Euro Reef's ratings seem to be much more in line with real world skimming capacity than the ambitious ratings of skimmers like the Prizm Pro, Berlin, and Kent Nautilus that come factory-rated up to 300 gallons.

 

[dskidmore]

Google Skimmer Design 101. Some guy named Snailman has a summary of the book "Aquatic Systems Engineering: Devices and How They Function" by P.R. Escobal. There's all kinds of hard data there to specify your skimmer flow rate and diameter. They're still sketchy on length, there is a minimum length, with suggestions that longer is always better.
In summary if you want to do the math yourself, the best skimmers give each air bubble 2 minutes of contact time.

 

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It occurred to me that this bit of info might be helpful for me to include-
I'm wanting an in sump, under stand skimmer.
I won't have a place for a 4' skimmer anywhere, at least not yet
Thanks