Floating Weir... Anyone seen it?

integral9

integral9

Member
Sorry I have to ask this, but having been in the pool industry for 2 years, my question is:
Why aren't there any floating weir designs on skimmers? :notsure: I'm sorry, but it seems like a no-brainer for an HOB skimmer. Since their / my biggest problem w/ them is the constant adjusting of the overflow box height. :mad: Even if the overflow only traveled an inch, it would make a world of difference.
Or am I just missing something... :notsure:
btw. If you don't know what a floating wier is, think of a door turned on it's side with a float on the opposit end of the hinge. The water pressure pushes the door down, but the float keeps the edge of the door near the surface.
Side View:
~~~~~~
~~~~~o~
~~~~/~~~~~~
~~~ /~~~~~~~
~~==~~~~~~~
~ = Water
o = Float
== = Hinge
/ = Weir
ps. I failed ASCII art class. Sorry.

google "pool skimmer weir" if you can't follow my ASCII
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Ok I had a second thought you talking about the prefilter box that sits inside the tank that could bob up and down per say???? Either way I think the constant fluctuation of it up and down sucking water and not, would make the skimmer erradic as far as skimming.......
 
integral9

integral9

Member
Originally Posted by acrylic51
Ok I had a second thought you talking about the prefilter box that sits inside the tank that could bob up and down per say????
I had envisioned something more like a pool skimmer (enclosed box with flaping door) but I found this online recently and think its design is better suited for an aquarium.
http://www.skimmeronline.com/images/standard%20pack.jpg
I'm thinking I might be able to remove the locking mechanism from the basket on my prizm's overflow box and tie on some styrofoam (that won't disolve right?) in a similar fashion to the pick above(three peices equally spaced but don't block all the combs). The pump's suction line will drop down into the cup to keep the cup from floating around the tank. I'll probably have to adjust the height of the styro a couple of times, but I should be able to get it right. So long as the edge of the cup sits below the water line far enough, it should allow enough water to fill in w/out the pump sucking the cup dry and floating the whole thing above the water line.
FYI: This is for my 30g QT that is sumpless. If I can remove the locking mechanism w/out breaking it, I'll try it tonight when I get home. (yeah, I'm at work.
)
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Honestly the thing floating around the tank wouldn't be to popular IMO.....Not saying it might or might not work, but you'd have the thing blocking light, and causing all kinds of ungodly shadows.....
 
integral9

integral9

Member
Well, I got it working none-the-less. Took a few revisions, but I got it to at least work as good as it did w/out the floats. I used hard white styro.
I'll post pics in a few. Gotta shrink em down for the site.
 
integral9

integral9

Member
In order of appearance
- First revision
- First revision Test
Notice the total lack of boyancy as well as stability (cup is tilted from current)
- Second revision Test
I fixed the stability problem with the new design, but now I have too much boyancy
- Third revision Test
Right amount of boyancy, but I removed too much styro, so I moved it down a bit
- Final Test




 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
My question is how is the thing plumbed so it would be dumped to the skimmer or your sump? What would be the major gain of a floating system? It would just seem to be randomly tossed or moved around by your current in your tank?
 
theappe

theappe

Member
from the looks of it, it looks like the surface skimmer of a prizm skimmer. I think thats what he has
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Yes, or that off a fluval or rena syphon tube....Honestly I don't see what benefit would be gained.......that along with the shadowing effect as it floats around the top of the tank....
 
integral9

integral9

Member
yup...., it's a prizm
never should have bought the thing, but I can't return so I figure try to make it work better instead of wasting $80. The syphon pipe will keep the tube from floating around the tank so that's not a problem. It's also not a close fit between the pipe and the cup, there's like 1/2" on either side of the pipe so it would tank an enormous amount of salt to freeze it up. (sounds like that might be the problem w/ the Fluvals )
 
integral9

integral9

Member
Originally Posted by watson3
you should check out the fluval/hagen surface skimmer...they have perfected your design
Do'h! I was hoping to be the first.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
The fluval design just doesn't a hold up to the rigours of the hobby, and definitely wouldn't in a heavy SPS tank with alot of calcium addition....the little tube inside would be junked very quickly...after awhile they don't like to turn and the teeth or cup I'll call them don't like to "bob" they either stick up or down.....
 
integral9

integral9

Member
Originally Posted by acrylic51
My question is how is the thing plumbed so it would be dumped to the skimmer or your sump? What would be the major gain of a floating system? It would just seem to be randomly tossed or moved around by your current in your tank?
This floating system would be mostly useless in a tank w/ a sump as the water level in the tank wouldn't change. The floating system would only be most useful in tanks w/out sumps where the water level changes daily. As was my case. I just got tired of refilling the tank every day and wasn't going to forkout the $$$ for an autofil on a 30g tank that only houses snails and hermits. Yeah it's boring, but it's just my QT for now. Eventually, I'm going to make it into a coral only tank but I need a MH light and a few other things before I go down that road. Maybe next year I'll get it.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Water level should be topped of daily IMO......A simple top off device could be made for under $10.00...
 
integral9

integral9

Member
That would be one of the devices I need for the coral setup. :) I also am trying to figure something out for the sump on my 60. Can you show me where I can find that $10 solution?
 
theappe

theappe

Member
Originally Posted by Integral9
That would be one of the devices I need for the coral setup. :) I also am trying to figure something out for the sump on my 60. Can you show me where I can find that $10 solution?

I second that. How would I go about doing this?
 
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