Hey Guys, I appologize for not updating the pictures on the sump yet. I have still not had a chance to get my PC back up and running. Just been a low priority. I honestly don't miss it! Well anyway I wont hold back the pix on this one. I have been planning on building this skimmer for quite some time. The cost for this unit is very low, Way less then $100 including the oceanrunner pump. So basically I already have the pump running my other skimmer, so this new one has so far cost me about $15. I did get a really good deal on the 6" tube. I bought 10 of them for $2 a piece of ebay about 6 months ago. I have a friend donating the 3" tube, and that is going to be worth about 8 bux. and I spent $10 on cpvc pipe and fittings. Then there is the glue and saws and all that.... Ok nevermind all that.
This skimmer is a Euroreef inspired design, the best part that I came up w/ is the slide to adjust the internal water level. It is not in its final position yet because I don't have the neck yet. Basically I found out that 3/4" cpvc fits very closely inside 1" cpvc. I thought PERFECT. I picked up a small O-ring and cut a groove in the 3/4" tube for the gasket to fit in, you can see this in the first picture. Then I just worked it down untill it fit tightly into the 1" tube and was slideable, but not so easy to slide that it would slide on its own. Then I glued about a inch of the small one inside 4" of the 1" pipe and this unit has a "t" on it and will set the water level inside the skimmer. The first chamber is going to be 14" tall. The neck will be about 6" to the bottom of the cup and overall height will be 25". So on the bottom of the output pipe I used a dremel to cut a circle into the side of the tubing, just big enough to slip the pvc thru. Then I massaged a 90 w/ the dremel so that it closely matches the contour of the tube, on the outside I did the same thing. I will glue this in w/ weld-on 40. I cut the flanges w/ a circle cutter that I picked up at mcclendons. That was a pain in the ass and I would recommend picking up a circle cutter that works w/ a router. So anyway I should have this baby up and running by Sunday. More pics and what not to come, stay tuned!
This skimmer is a Euroreef inspired design, the best part that I came up w/ is the slide to adjust the internal water level. It is not in its final position yet because I don't have the neck yet. Basically I found out that 3/4" cpvc fits very closely inside 1" cpvc. I thought PERFECT. I picked up a small O-ring and cut a groove in the 3/4" tube for the gasket to fit in, you can see this in the first picture. Then I just worked it down untill it fit tightly into the 1" tube and was slideable, but not so easy to slide that it would slide on its own. Then I glued about a inch of the small one inside 4" of the 1" pipe and this unit has a "t" on it and will set the water level inside the skimmer. The first chamber is going to be 14" tall. The neck will be about 6" to the bottom of the cup and overall height will be 25". So on the bottom of the output pipe I used a dremel to cut a circle into the side of the tubing, just big enough to slip the pvc thru. Then I massaged a 90 w/ the dremel so that it closely matches the contour of the tube, on the outside I did the same thing. I will glue this in w/ weld-on 40. I cut the flanges w/ a circle cutter that I picked up at mcclendons. That was a pain in the ass and I would recommend picking up a circle cutter that works w/ a router. So anyway I should have this baby up and running by Sunday. More pics and what not to come, stay tuned!