squid maybe i need ur assisstence.
- Thread starter mikegray
- Start date
mikegray
Member
can some1 explain how this skimmer works.. this huge pump im guessing pushes water out.. how does the water get in.. if the skimmer has to be 6-8" under water the foam thingy still is too high... and it has the riser pipe and it only makes it higher. how does water enter the skimmer?
also: theres no way in hell im fitting a drain chamber in that chamber squid. ima have to expand my s/f another foot to cover the WHOLE inside of my stand.....we gotta make some changes.. i rather have plenty of room in that chamber than building it and finding out it doesnt fit. im sure i can stuff it in the chamber now. but no drain chamber can be made.... sooooooo
UPDATE: i took cardboard and i did a 12x15 square and set it on it... so I want the Riser Pipe with foam thingy to be next to the drain chamber.. correct? and the big pump will have to be facing the wall of the return chamber? is it not good to have it facing the baffle?
after i kno if this works.. i reset it up.. and see what kidna room i have for a drain chamber in the corner of the foam thingy.
also: theres no way in hell im fitting a drain chamber in that chamber squid. ima have to expand my s/f another foot to cover the WHOLE inside of my stand.....we gotta make some changes.. i rather have plenty of room in that chamber than building it and finding out it doesnt fit. im sure i can stuff it in the chamber now. but no drain chamber can be made.... sooooooo
UPDATE: i took cardboard and i did a 12x15 square and set it on it... so I want the Riser Pipe with foam thingy to be next to the drain chamber.. correct? and the big pump will have to be facing the wall of the return chamber? is it not good to have it facing the baffle?
after i kno if this works.. i reset it up.. and see what kidna room i have for a drain chamber in the corner of the foam thingy.
mikegray
Member
so to get it to fit. with the foamy thing right next to the drain chamber u want me to make. (thats how u want it right?) then the pump can either be facing the Baffle that divides the skimmer/return is that ok? or do u want it turned the other way? towards the back on the side of the drain on the other side?
heres how i can fit it. its tight fit i think the foam will be pressed against the glass on. id like to make the skimmer section 1" bigger if its ok too? can i? and make the fuge 23" or is tha bad?
IDEA: what if i made the s/f 1inch wider to make it 16". and make the skimmer chamber 2" bigger.(so taking 2 inch off the fuge.) but the extra 1" wider will kinda make up for that volume.. so it will be 48x16x20? and the skimmer chamber will be 14x16 and the return will stay the same. 7x16 and the fuge 22x16? sound good or does that throw out all the calculations u did and isnt good?
heres how i can fit it. its tight fit i think the foam will be pressed against the glass on. id like to make the skimmer section 1" bigger if its ok too? can i? and make the fuge 23" or is tha bad?
IDEA: what if i made the s/f 1inch wider to make it 16". and make the skimmer chamber 2" bigger.(so taking 2 inch off the fuge.) but the extra 1" wider will kinda make up for that volume.. so it will be 48x16x20? and the skimmer chamber will be 14x16 and the return will stay the same. 7x16 and the fuge 22x16? sound good or does that throw out all the calculations u did and isnt good?
squidd
Active Member
Make that sucker as "wide" as you can fit under the stand...
Wider is better than "taller" anyday...
As far as "calcs"...just redo with new "cubic area" and try to stay "close" to the sizing ratios we started with...
As far as placing the skimmer...try to get the "pump" near the overflow drain chamber...so it sucks "raw" water...like you have pictured above, but turn the pump so the "inlet" is facing the Overflow drain...
Wider is better than "taller" anyday...
As far as "calcs"...just redo with new "cubic area" and try to stay "close" to the sizing ratios we started with...
As far as placing the skimmer...try to get the "pump" near the overflow drain chamber...so it sucks "raw" water...like you have pictured above, but turn the pump so the "inlet" is facing the Overflow drain...
mikegray
Member
ok i understand.. i want the pump inlet facing the drain chamber. ok. where do i want the foam thingy.. in the back where i have it?
ok to max the width of it.. i can make the INSIDE of the sump/fuge 17" wide... so with the acrylic it will be 17.5 total which only leaves .5 inches(a finger)
so what about lenghth.. i dont want it FULL length right? or do i.. cause then i cant put anything in there if i wanted to add any equipment later...?
so... to get about the same gallons from ur dimensions of the fuge. with the 17" wide f/s it would be 21" instead of 24".
so id make the fuge 21x17x18, skimmer 14x17x12, and return 8x17x12? with the 2"
ok to max the width of it.. i can make the INSIDE of the sump/fuge 17" wide... so with the acrylic it will be 17.5 total which only leaves .5 inches(a finger)
so what about lenghth.. i dont want it FULL length right? or do i.. cause then i cant put anything in there if i wanted to add any equipment later...?
so... to get about the same gallons from ur dimensions of the fuge. with the 17" wide f/s it would be 21" instead of 24".
so id make the fuge 21x17x18, skimmer 14x17x12, and return 8x17x12? with the 2"
squidd
Active Member
Originally posted by MikeGray
ok i understand.. i want the pump inlet facing the drain chamber. ok. where do i want the foam thingy.. in the back where i have it?
>>>If the skimmer is "raised" and overflow is feeding from "underneath" and skimmer inlet is closest to overflow drain...it won't matter...skimmer output will be carried in skimmer chamber flow and move towards return chamber...as long as "feed rate" to skimmer chamber in greater than skimmer pump rating...<<<
ok to max the width of it.. i can make the INSIDE of the sump/fuge 17" wide... so with the acrylic it will be 17.5 total which only leaves .5 inches(a finger)
so what about lenghth.. i dont want it FULL length right? or do i.. cause then i cant put anything in there if i wanted to add any equipment later...?
>>> Well there are Kalk reactors, and Calcium reactors, and Phosphate reactors, and Ozonizers, and....
<<< so... to get about the same gallons from ur dimensions of the fuge. with the 17" wide f/s it would be 21" instead of 24".
so id make the fuge 21x17x18, skimmer 14x17x12, and return 8x17x12? with the 2"
>>>If you have any "extra" inches...I'd build them into the fuge...<<<
mikegray
Member
well my new dimensions i dont have any extra inches... i just changed it all so the skimmer fits for sure. i dont undertstand why my pump needs to face the drain chamber when the drain chamber will be 1" from the bottom to let water out and my skimmer is gonna be raised with eggcrate 5"'s so its gonna be higher than the raw water comming out. and to get the pump to be facing the drain chamber the foam thingy will be facing the side/front to baffle more.
my pump is the.. well it has only a sticker on it...... no model or anything... but websites saying the 82 comes with the sedra 5000
and i wanna kno if its possible to lower the baffle from skimmer to 7.5" so the skimmer doesnt need a stand...
my pump is the.. well it has only a sticker on it...... no model or anything... but websites saying the 82 comes with the sedra 5000
and i wanna kno if its possible to lower the baffle from skimmer to 7.5" so the skimmer doesnt need a stand...
squidd
Active Member
If you lower the baffles from the skimmer to the return pump to 7.5"...
Then you will only have about 7" over the top of your pump...(water flows downhill)...
Which may be OK IF you have ATO...
Otherwise all loss of water due to evaporation will show up in the relatively small volume of your return pump chamber...dropping water levels several inches a day...
If you don't stay on top of "top off" you run the risk of sucking air with the pump, cavitation and burning the pump out...
If you add ATO (auto top off) and can "hold" a steady 7" ...you would be fine...
Otherwise the added depth would be a safety feature...
The other thing to concider is the rate of flow you are planning on putting through the sump...
At 1000 +/- gph you will want a good 20 gallons to help "absorb" microbubbles that are formed from skimmer and falling water...(that's still 50x turnover in tiny return pump chamber)
I say build the shelf and go as deep as you can and still have access to the skimmer under the stand...
Deeper water will transfer less air than shallow rapids...
Then you will only have about 7" over the top of your pump...(water flows downhill)...
Which may be OK IF you have ATO...
Otherwise all loss of water due to evaporation will show up in the relatively small volume of your return pump chamber...dropping water levels several inches a day...
If you don't stay on top of "top off" you run the risk of sucking air with the pump, cavitation and burning the pump out...
If you add ATO (auto top off) and can "hold" a steady 7" ...you would be fine...
Otherwise the added depth would be a safety feature...
The other thing to concider is the rate of flow you are planning on putting through the sump...
At 1000 +/- gph you will want a good 20 gallons to help "absorb" microbubbles that are formed from skimmer and falling water...(that's still 50x turnover in tiny return pump chamber)
I say build the shelf and go as deep as you can and still have access to the skimmer under the stand...
Deeper water will transfer less air than shallow rapids...
mikegray
Member
ok so ill keep it 12" and find a way to make a shelf.... and have the the drain chamber have the 1"gap at teh bottom and the pump will be well above that wont effect it? and the foam thingy towards the side/front wont matter either? if thats the case then ill be fine making this crap this weekend with the new diminensions... so the new dimensions are fine? no arguments?
mikegray
Member
yea but... the skimmer will not fit.... i cant fit a skimmer and a drain chamber in the original is what im saying.. so im asking u what i should do with the same layout but new deminsions for the 3 chambers. i can make it 17" wide if i want... soo what should me chamber sizes be with that? thats what im asking u... i hella wanna get this badboy finalized and built.
mikegray
Member
BUT with the regular dimensions IT DOES FIT.. BUT verrrrrry snug and only 1 WAY lol and 1 way only... i drew a pic.... i thought im not suppose to have the output of the skimmer towards the next chamber.... but maybe im wrong.
and it sucks cause the drain chamber HAS to be in the front corner to fit.
unless we make it bigger this is how it has to be..
and it sucks cause the drain chamber HAS to be in the front corner to fit.
unless we make it bigger this is how it has to be..
mikegray
Member
o well i cant wait any longer.. ahaha no more patience i gotta get my lil butt over and recieve my plastic cut outs... ill just the dimensions of 48x17x20 with 1/4 acrylic. hopefully u will post a message before i start my gluing so i kno where to glue the dividers in. otherwise ill just do my diminsions that i changed... and hopefully its successfull.