Skimmer testinig
- Thread starter nyhcx516x
- Start date
robertmathern
Active Member
Are you going to test it on a fish tank or just tap water. I tested mine in tap water but all you will really tell is if the skimmer works. You will not skim anything out to tell how well it is working. What kind of skimmer do you have. Most of them like 8-9'' of water to perfrom at there best.
mkzimms
Member
ive been testing an old skimmer to see if it will work ok with my new tank. i loaded up a bucket of saltwater and dropped a teaspoon of formula 2 pellets in there to test it. the pellets will decompose forming organics which the skimmer will be able to skim out... thus testing. as far as i know though, skimmers will only work in the salt water because of the surface tension issues.
nyhcx516x
Member
Its a Coralife super skimmer 65. I called the company (and suprisingly) got a human right away. They said it would work in 9 inches of water... just to make sure that the pump itself is elevated to within 3 inches of the surface.
The plan (before I called Coralife) was to just test to see if if functioned in that depth of water.
Ordered the glass from the shop, should be here on tuesday, then to put them in. Ill post some pics of the project so far and of the sump building next week.
The plan (before I called Coralife) was to just test to see if if functioned in that depth of water.
Ordered the glass from the shop, should be here on tuesday, then to put them in. Ill post some pics of the project so far and of the sump building next week.
robertmathern
Active Member
cool cant wait to see the build.
nyhcx516x
Member
This was the "middle stage"
At first I got the sump, stand and 40g breeder used from someone local here in wisconsin. I refinished the stand (it was a rust bomb). The display tank... WHen I was leaning it up, i noticed a huge crack by the bulkhead in the overflow. I junked it, got a new tank. Great deal too... local pet store that had an extra drilled tank they they didnt need for their displays. SO... I installed the bulkheads, the overflow, painted the back. It looks GREAT. Then I fresh water tested the system... I really didnt like the sump set up... 38 gallon tank, crummy baffles... and it sounds like a freight train when running... poor setup.. the chamber on the far right has a bulkhead drilled in it and ALL the water rushes through there. That was the point I decided to jun that tank.. and get another 40g breeder... bigger footprint too, more room for my skimmer and stuff. BUT... i was busy with work, life and such.. so it sat for a year or so. This past weekend, I got ANOTHER great deal on a tank... paid 40$ for the 40g breeder brand new from the store.... it pushed me to get going again. Hopefully have the baffles in and set by *next* weekend... do another freshwater test.
EDIT: I have no idea what I was doing with the hammer there, lol.. it was a year ago... I can only wonder
robertmathern
Active Member
Lol on the hammer. I tested mine outside. Man what a good idea I would of had to swim to get the hammer to end the misery. Looks good I used that tubing on my tank. I would however sugest using bigger tubing from the overflow to the sump than what you have on the return pump. What size pump is that return. Looks like a mag 7 but I cant tell. If it is good choice. Good luck your doing good so far. I was going to post pics of my new sump build out of 2 wet drys. But I took the kid trick or treating happy halloween by the way.
nyhcx516x
Member
Cnt remember what kind of pump, ill check it out in the morning. Why use larger tubing on the drain then the return? I could guess cause the drain isnt under pressure and the return is? I think I would need to get different fittings from the bulkhead.. and finding what i do have was really hard. I had to Macgyver a bunch of stuff for that....
mr_x
Active Member
hi. are those baffles low enough to account for extra water in the event of a power outtage? the one that separates the refugium from the return seems to be only 2" from the top.
also, you need larger drains because you don't want the overflow to be held back by anything. if your return pump pushes water into the display faster than it can drain, you'll overflow it.
also, you need larger drains because you don't want the overflow to be held back by anything. if your return pump pushes water into the display faster than it can drain, you'll overflow it.
nyhcx516x
Member
That photo is the *old* sump I had. The new one is going to have 9 inch high baffles( in the same size tank as the display) ... with about 6 inches of empty space above it. In the event of a power failure... about 2 or 2.5 inches drain out of the display tank, leaving plenty of space to spare.
For the return pump... I have tested the system with fresh water. I have a ball valve just after the pump that I can use to slow down the flow. It seemed to be balanced after playing with the valve for a bit. With that in mind, is this still an issue?
Probably a mistake when I started, the plumbing for the drain... I have the elbow hardware coming out of the bulkhead cemented in place... so If i was going to change the hardware to accommodate a larger hose... I could only imagine that I would have to saw/dremel the old hardware out... get a new bulkhead, and start over? I assume that even if I fit a larger hose on to that, it will still only drain as fast as the smallest fitting?
For the return pump... I have tested the system with fresh water. I have a ball valve just after the pump that I can use to slow down the flow. It seemed to be balanced after playing with the valve for a bit. With that in mind, is this still an issue?
Probably a mistake when I started, the plumbing for the drain... I have the elbow hardware coming out of the bulkhead cemented in place... so If i was going to change the hardware to accommodate a larger hose... I could only imagine that I would have to saw/dremel the old hardware out... get a new bulkhead, and start over? I assume that even if I fit a larger hose on to that, it will still only drain as fast as the smallest fitting?
nyhcx516x
Member
Originally Posted by robertmathern
http:///forum/post/2821415
Lol on the hammer. I tested mine outside. Man what a good idea I would of had to swim to get the hammer to end the misery. Looks good I used that tubing on my tank. I would however sugest using bigger tubing from the overflow to the sump than what you have on the return pump. What size pump is that return. Looks like a mag 7 but I cant tell. If it is good choice. Good luck your doing good so far. I was going to post pics of my new sump build out of 2 wet drys. But I took the kid trick or treating happy halloween by the way.
Yup, mag 7
http:///forum/post/2821415
Lol on the hammer. I tested mine outside. Man what a good idea I would of had to swim to get the hammer to end the misery. Looks good I used that tubing on my tank. I would however sugest using bigger tubing from the overflow to the sump than what you have on the return pump. What size pump is that return. Looks like a mag 7 but I cant tell. If it is good choice. Good luck your doing good so far. I was going to post pics of my new sump build out of 2 wet drys. But I took the kid trick or treating happy halloween by the way.
Yup, mag 7