New Skimmer
- Thread starter mojoreef
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DonW
R.I.P.
Mike
I agree with Tom. I think if you sit it normal it will work. I tried this and it worked fine. I drilled two holes in the skimmer one on top of the other. Installed uniseals then put the venturi in the lower hole. The pump mounts to the venturi then the outlet goes in the top hole. You can easily make a ventui that will fit the pump and uniseal (slip fit).
Don
I agree with Tom. I think if you sit it normal it will work. I tried this and it worked fine. I drilled two holes in the skimmer one on top of the other. Installed uniseals then put the venturi in the lower hole. The pump mounts to the venturi then the outlet goes in the top hole. You can easily make a ventui that will fit the pump and uniseal (slip fit).
Don
The venturis are 12 inches long, so I dont think its going to fly unless I put the pumps in the skimmer, lol. I ended up using a couple of mag 12's I had lieing around and modified them. I put it all together and did a test and it is really pumping bubbles...super fine to. By the end of the weekend I should have it attached to the tank so I will see what it does and then go from thier.
Mike
Mike
Cool, for future referance with these pumps they don't requre anything but a small restrictor in front of the intake with a hole for the air tube drilled between the restricter and the impeller. Then stick a 1/4" refrigerator tube line into it and it will expell superfine bubbles and lots of them!
LOL for future reference skip the OR and get a real pump!!!
Well got the replumbing done to make the venturies horizontal, then cranked up the baby. left it and came back about a 1/2 later and foam was about 2 feet up the tube...wooohooo. Decided to give the wet neck a shoot (with out leveling the skimmer) and BANG rocket foam!!!!!!!! man I have never seen foam travel up the tube that fast. Scared me so I cranked the unit water flow down a bit and lowered the water level to about 4 feet down this time. the foam slowly built up but as soon as I turned on the wetneck the speed went I would say 5 times as fast up the tube?? and that was with just a tiny bit of water going to the wetneck. Once the foam hits the wetneck out put it self levels the flow going down the tube. As in prior to the foam being that high you could see one half of the tube was getting more water from the wetneck (out of level) well one it gets thier it all balances out.
got to say I am impressed so far... I will give it over night and see how it does
Mike
Well got the replumbing done to make the venturies horizontal, then cranked up the baby. left it and came back about a 1/2 later and foam was about 2 feet up the tube...wooohooo. Decided to give the wet neck a shoot (with out leveling the skimmer) and BANG rocket foam!!!!!!!! man I have never seen foam travel up the tube that fast. Scared me so I cranked the unit water flow down a bit and lowered the water level to about 4 feet down this time. the foam slowly built up but as soon as I turned on the wetneck the speed went I would say 5 times as fast up the tube?? and that was with just a tiny bit of water going to the wetneck. Once the foam hits the wetneck out put it self levels the flow going down the tube. As in prior to the foam being that high you could see one half of the tube was getting more water from the wetneck (out of level) well one it gets thier it all balances out.
got to say I am impressed so far... I will give it over night and see how it does
Mike
Ed Hahn
Life is A Highway...
Hey Mike don't leave me in suspence, show me some pictures please...
Ed
Ed
DonW
R.I.P.
Mike,
Would you consider it a success without the wet neck?
Don
Would you consider it a success without the wet neck?
Don
without getting into specifics, was doing this diy cost effective, or just a lot of fun. i realize that you can not really buy a hobbyist version of these wetneck skimmers anywhere, but after a week is it producing more than say a high end deltec would and with all the acrylic tubing in that, is it cost prohibitive, or is it still a bargain?
Good question Krux. the total cost of the unit was around 750 bucks and a bunch of my time. Water capacity and pump wise it equates to the deltec worth around 4500 to 5000 dollars, add the self clean and you dump about 1200 more??? I think?.
The deltec is an awesome unit, trust me I had Saxby pound me for an hour at Macna on buying one...I was close. I couldnt justify the thousands of dollars on a skimmer....to tough.
I got stuck between two skimmer types that I liked. one was the deltec and the needle wheel design along with the low power sucking PH's. The other skimer was a German commercial skimmer that had the wet neck technology. I thought if I was going to make one I would try to incorporate both features I really like.
Mike
The deltec is an awesome unit, trust me I had Saxby pound me for an hour at Macna on buying one...I was close. I couldnt justify the thousands of dollars on a skimmer....to tough.
I got stuck between two skimmer types that I liked. one was the deltec and the needle wheel design along with the low power sucking PH's. The other skimer was a German commercial skimmer that had the wet neck technology. I thought if I was going to make one I would try to incorporate both features I really like.
Mike
wanareef
reefer addict
So Mike, if you were to do this again, what would you change or do different? I noticed that the top of the box is removable - is this really necessary? I guess for access to the ventures for maintenance.
Scooterman
Well-known member
Looking good Mike, would you do it differently next time?
Hmmm yea I guess. I wouldnt have gone with the OR pumps, that is for sure. They are just way to weak. I probibly would go with a good standard submersable and modified it. Bigger neck, maybe 8 inch neck 10 inch main tube but make it smaller in height. In the skimmer cup I would have made the neck shorter and have more clearence for the drip system going into the wet neck.
thats about it.
Mike
