running an external skimmer w/o hole in sump
- Thread starter peckhead
- Start date
zman1
Active Member
Yeah that does - I was keying on the word "tank" thinking DT. So long as the exit line is lower than the collection cup level. You can have it too high and you will wet skim or over flow the cup. It would be simular to puting your finger over the exit pipe. If you don't have a line that drains back to the sump in your cup, it would be good to add one for a run away. I drain my skimmer cup to a 1 gal milk jug that hangs over the sump. I don't need it for a run away because of the in-sump config (easy cleaning), but I would atleast put one higher on the cup to drain the overflow water back to the sump. Hope I am making sense...
peckhead
Active Member
awesome. thank you zman for your help. what is the overflow run away? is it just a line for the skim cup? i wouldnt run that tothe sump would i? i would run it tothe milk jug.
so it would def work right? all it would take is some adjustments with putting stuff under teh skimmer and adjusting the gate valve?
and what exactly does a gate valve do?
so it would def work right? all it would take is some adjustments with putting stuff under teh skimmer and adjusting the gate valve?
and what exactly does a gate valve do?
zman1
Active Member
If you plan on using a milk jug to drain the skimate, the the green line would be much lower on the cup, but you need to keep the jug over your sump. If you are planning on emptying the skimate from the cup, I'd reccomend putting the hole higher like the picture.
Skimmers will run away, meaning you could have it adjusted perfectly and something change or you add something to the tank or something dies or you use epoxy for mounting coral. The skimmer can go crazy and start dumping a lot of water into the collection cup and then start over flowing on your floor since it's external. It's better to run diluted skimate back into the tank/sump through a overflow line than water on your floor. You know when this will happen, while your not home....
Skimmers will run away, meaning you could have it adjusted perfectly and something change or you add something to the tank or something dies or you use epoxy for mounting coral. The skimmer can go crazy and start dumping a lot of water into the collection cup and then start over flowing on your floor since it's external. It's better to run diluted skimate back into the tank/sump through a overflow line than water on your floor. You know when this will happen, while your not home....
peckhead
Active Member
oh ok...i understand what your talking bout with the green line now, but im not too worried about that, the only things im worried about is if it is possible to have the pump in the sump and the skimmer like 2 feet away and use either pvc or flex tube to feed the skimmer, and then have another pvc or flex tube to go back into the wetdry. do people do this?
acrylic51
Active Member
Sorry didn't see you said submersible pump.....What size tank are you running.....I still think your going to put added head on the submersible pump doing the up and over and should look at stepping the pump up.....
If your looking at the MRC still the skimmer can be run on a MagDrive pump, but again I would upsize the pump from what Andy would recommend and you can also "throttle" it down with a valve.....As far as overflow from skim collector, you can do a DIY collector that will shut air off when collector (external) is full. Andy sells them as well, but you can do the same thing for cheaper IMO....
If your looking at the MRC still the skimmer can be run on a MagDrive pump, but again I would upsize the pump from what Andy would recommend and you can also "throttle" it down with a valve.....As far as overflow from skim collector, you can do a DIY collector that will shut air off when collector (external) is full. Andy sells them as well, but you can do the same thing for cheaper IMO....
peckhead
Active Member
ok, so if i buy a skimmer that is external, and a submersable pump i will be able to do it?
i really need to get a skimmer this week and i dont understand alot about skimmers because the one i have right now is a proclear 75 on a 44g and it sucks!
my tank right now that i need a skimmer for is a 90g with a 30g sump(about 20g of water)
please help me with this acrlyc!
i really need to get a skimmer this week and i dont understand alot about skimmers because the one i have right now is a proclear 75 on a 44g and it sucks!
my tank right now that i need a skimmer for is a 90g with a 30g sump(about 20g of water)
please help me with this acrlyc!
acrylic51
Active Member
Yes you'd want the skimmer to be above the water level........Honestly the ASM G2 with the recirc mod would handle that tank........but the MRC would allow you to expand it to a bigger system......If you'd go with the MRC I'd get it built with the option to run a 2nd beckett......You wouldn't havee to run it on this current setup, but you could add the other beckett if and when the time comes to upgrade, as well you can add a riser extension increasing the capacity of the skimmer as well, so the MRC is a very viable, expandable piece of equipment that can grow with any system without having to toss hard spent money and have to get behind in the learning curve on the new skimmer........