Pumps, sump, and skimmer!!

[joejoe]

Hey all I just received my MR2 protein skimmer which I plan on using on my 140 gallon tank that isn't set up yet. I was wondering if it would be better to place the skimmer inside the sump or not? I know I need a return pump, but don't I need a pump that will shoot the water into the skimmer? I plan on placing the return pump outside of the sump so heat from the pump won't effect the temp. of the water. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated!!

 

[robchuck]

Congrats on the MRC skimmer! I own a MR-3 with dual Becketts and I can't wait to get it into service once my 150 is set up.
My skimmer was purchased used and the previous owner suggested I install it as an in-sump skimmer; he had it installed externally. Since aquiring the skimmer and waiting for my house to sell, I've had the opportunity to do some test skimming with it and found that placing it in-sump allows for the best adjustability and performance the skimmer will allow, while performing consistently between adjustments. The skimmer seemed harder to adjust when I experimented with using it externally, and I constantly had to adjust it to keep the foam consistent.
Good call on going with an external pump. These skimmers will work off of some of the larger Mag drive pumps, but they really shine when they're powered by external pressure-rated pumps like Iwaki or Blue Line. The Iwaki MD55RLT would be a great pump for a MR-2.

 

[joejoe]

Thanks for the reply!! Will I also need a pump to shoot the water into the skimmer? If so, what are some suggestions??

 

[robchuck]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear with the wording in my pump recommendation in my first post. You will need a seperate pump to push water into the skimmer. The Iwaki and Blue Line pumps I mentioned would work well for this purpose.
You could also use a very-high powered return pump and T off about 1,000gph from the return line to feed the skimmer, but you would likely have a difficult time adjusting return flow versus skimmer flow.