New Skimmer
- Thread starter mojoreef
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rufio173
Well-known member
Redeyereef,
Could you tell me your real name? I mean I've heard so much about you, but don't know your real name. Haha.
Anyways, got some prelim. numbers back from Brent. The airtech 40 pump puts out a solid 78 SCFH through (2) 6" fine pore diffusers at about 20" of water over them, which is about the normal functioning range of two properly driven becketts. I'm not sure about the bubble size yet as Brent has not tested it in clear acrylic tubing yet, but a good sign was that he couldn't see a thing in the tank he was testing. Hehe. I think he may do a little more testing with different sized airline or at least I'll suggest that to him.
Theoretically, with the airtech 80, you would be getting twice of that through 4 6" stones so in essence, like 4 becketts fully driven on your skimmer, which I don't think your skimmer could handle. I think the airtech 40 would be just perfect for your skimmer if you decide to retrofit that sucker. Honestly, I'm afraid the airtech 40 may be too much as we aren't just talking about pure air injection... we're possibly talking about air injection with extremely small bubbles, smaller than needlewheels and normally driven beckett skimmers. I'm very interested to see what Brent thinks about the size of the bubbles when he puts the stone in a clear acrylic tubing. You are more than welcome to borrow the airtech 40 for the time being to give it test run if you want after Brent is done running the numbers. The smaller the bubble, generally the more stable the foam head is in general, so you would need less bubbles to achieve similar levels of skimming when compared to other forms of air injection.
I think that Mike has discovered this for himself. He gets an incredibly tall and stable foam head because of the size characteristic as well as the volume of bubbles he is injecting.
Peace,
John H.
Could you tell me your real name? I mean I've heard so much about you, but don't know your real name. Haha.
Anyways, got some prelim. numbers back from Brent. The airtech 40 pump puts out a solid 78 SCFH through (2) 6" fine pore diffusers at about 20" of water over them, which is about the normal functioning range of two properly driven becketts. I'm not sure about the bubble size yet as Brent has not tested it in clear acrylic tubing yet, but a good sign was that he couldn't see a thing in the tank he was testing. Hehe. I think he may do a little more testing with different sized airline or at least I'll suggest that to him.
Theoretically, with the airtech 80, you would be getting twice of that through 4 6" stones so in essence, like 4 becketts fully driven on your skimmer, which I don't think your skimmer could handle. I think the airtech 40 would be just perfect for your skimmer if you decide to retrofit that sucker. Honestly, I'm afraid the airtech 40 may be too much as we aren't just talking about pure air injection... we're possibly talking about air injection with extremely small bubbles, smaller than needlewheels and normally driven beckett skimmers. I'm very interested to see what Brent thinks about the size of the bubbles when he puts the stone in a clear acrylic tubing. You are more than welcome to borrow the airtech 40 for the time being to give it test run if you want after Brent is done running the numbers. The smaller the bubble, generally the more stable the foam head is in general, so you would need less bubbles to achieve similar levels of skimming when compared to other forms of air injection.
I think that Mike has discovered this for himself. He gets an incredibly tall and stable foam head because of the size characteristic as well as the volume of bubbles he is injecting.
Peace,
John H.
rufio173
Well-known member
Also,
I think with the airtech 40, you could probably just get rid of the ORs and beckett injection, but if you find you still need it, then why not. Haha, although I doubt it.
Peace,
John H.
I think with the airtech 40, you could probably just get rid of the ORs and beckett injection, but if you find you still need it, then why not. Haha, although I doubt it.
Peace,
John H.
spongebob lover
flea whisperer
Thank you Mike
rufio173
Well-known member
Gabriela,
I didn't think you were serious. Haha.
Peace,
John H.
I didn't think you were serious. Haha.
Peace,
John H.
spongebob lover
flea whisperer
lol , ya... i'm just discovering things about my skimmer and how it works that's why i asked, but i'm glad it makes to many tiny bubbles
rufio173
Well-known member
gabriela,
Are you using an airstone? Those tiny bubbles aren't making their way into your display are they?
Peace,
John H.
Are you using an airstone? Those tiny bubbles aren't making their way into your display are they?
Peace,
John H.
spongebob lover
flea whisperer
no i'm not using an airstone and well i see tons of them right after i do my water change and then after a day i see way less but still i see them
rufio173
Well-known member
What skimmer are you using?
spongebob lover
flea whisperer
i really don't have a clue because it was a christmas present and my boyfriend doesn't remember anything about it, so yeah i don't know anything about my skimmer
spongebob lover
flea whisperer
thank you Tom i will
merlock116
New member
The recirculating mags, they're not inputting any air now right? They're just used to recirculate and chop up the air/water mixture now.
If I wanted to build a skimmer for a smaller tank, say 150 gallons or so, how much cfm of air injection would be ideal? And what airstones should be sized up to match the cfm? I don't see any cfm rating for the airstones on the aquatieco site.
If I wanted to build a skimmer for a smaller tank, say 150 gallons or so, how much cfm of air injection would be ideal? And what airstones should be sized up to match the cfm? I don't see any cfm rating for the airstones on the aquatieco site.
John the small bubbles are good for stable foam but the real key to them is surface area, the more smaller bubbles gets you more surface area for protiens and such to stick to.
The airstones I have used and suggested get bubble that are in the .3-.5 mm zone which are very fine.
Merlock look on page 278 those ore the stone and they have the suggested cfm on them. For a tank that size I would say anything from 2 to 1 cfm would work like a champ.
Mike
The airstones I have used and suggested get bubble that are in the .3-.5 mm zone which are very fine.
Merlock look on page 278 those ore the stone and they have the suggested cfm on them. For a tank that size I would say anything from 2 to 1 cfm would work like a champ.
Mike
rufio173
Well-known member
I hear you Mike! The finest bubbles always generate the nastiest skimmate.
The finest bubbles always generate the nastiest skimmate. Kim G
New member
Mike
A few questions if you don't mind.
I am in the planning stages of a large airstone skimmer built off of your basic design. I am wondering what thickness is the acrylic you made your mixing box out of? I have a tube of 12" pvc that is 30" to go on top of the mixing chamber, haven't decided on diameter of the neck- 8 or 10 or maybe 6". Whatever I end up with will weigh quite a bit, that is why I wonder if I should use 1/2" acrylic or larger for the mixing box. Your skimmer is very impressive. Since it has been running for a while, do you feel there were things you would have done differently ( mixing box size, diameter of main tube and neck, pump, stones) ?? I would like to incorporate a wet neck on the neck, has anyone come up a picture or diagram on the tubing method. The only things I have right now are a Sweetwater SL22 pump and the12" pvc.
I plan on running this external with the input from my overflow upstairs and emptying into my sump which is 24" tall ( rubbermaid 100g ). I seem to recall in one of your threads that your water level was 8" over your stones with a 6" air gap to the top of your mixing box. Will I need to keep the water level at least 24" to be able to flow into my sump from the mixing box or will the air/water mixture rise enough inside to have water flow out higher than the inatial water level? I am planning on a 20" heighth for the mixing box.
Thanks for taking time to read this. I am sure I will run into more questions as I start on the endeavor.
Thanks............ Kim
A few questions if you don't mind.
I am in the planning stages of a large airstone skimmer built off of your basic design. I am wondering what thickness is the acrylic you made your mixing box out of? I have a tube of 12" pvc that is 30" to go on top of the mixing chamber, haven't decided on diameter of the neck- 8 or 10 or maybe 6". Whatever I end up with will weigh quite a bit, that is why I wonder if I should use 1/2" acrylic or larger for the mixing box. Your skimmer is very impressive. Since it has been running for a while, do you feel there were things you would have done differently ( mixing box size, diameter of main tube and neck, pump, stones) ?? I would like to incorporate a wet neck on the neck, has anyone come up a picture or diagram on the tubing method. The only things I have right now are a Sweetwater SL22 pump and the12" pvc.
I plan on running this external with the input from my overflow upstairs and emptying into my sump which is 24" tall ( rubbermaid 100g ). I seem to recall in one of your threads that your water level was 8" over your stones with a 6" air gap to the top of your mixing box. Will I need to keep the water level at least 24" to be able to flow into my sump from the mixing box or will the air/water mixture rise enough inside to have water flow out higher than the inatial water level? I am planning on a 20" heighth for the mixing box.
Thanks for taking time to read this. I am sure I will run into more questions as I start on the endeavor.
Thanks............ Kim
Hiya Kim welcome aboard.
Kim I have made some new modifications since this first skimmer. The newer mods have proven to be be sucessful, so lets start with them. Instead of the box (you still can though) try to use two sections of the pvc tube (hopefully its not clear, if it is I can understand if that is cost prohibative) I raised the water level right to the bottom of the neck, so make the box/tube and the tube full of water. The increase in the mixing chamber has really cranked up the performance.
If you are going with a box then 3/8 would be fine. 1/2 inch if you have it.
On the tubing method for the wet neck I will try to find a free moment and cut one up and take some pics for you.
If you run the larger mixing chamber as I have done I think this will solve the draining back to the sump issue for you also. On a side note Have you thought about maybe running one overflow line directly to the skimmer?? would give you more raw water and allow you to remove a pump off the system?
Mike
Kim I have made some new modifications since this first skimmer. The newer mods have proven to be be sucessful, so lets start with them. Instead of the box (you still can though) try to use two sections of the pvc tube (hopefully its not clear, if it is I can understand if that is cost prohibative) I raised the water level right to the bottom of the neck, so make the box/tube and the tube full of water. The increase in the mixing chamber has really cranked up the performance.
If you are going with a box then 3/8 would be fine. 1/2 inch if you have it.
On the tubing method for the wet neck I will try to find a free moment and cut one up and take some pics for you.
If you run the larger mixing chamber as I have done I think this will solve the draining back to the sump issue for you also. On a side note Have you thought about maybe running one overflow line directly to the skimmer?? would give you more raw water and allow you to remove a pump off the system?
Mike
Kim G
New member
Mike
Thanks for the quick answers. Yes I plan to run a line from my return to feed the skimmer. Now to your mods, did you double the size of your main tube? What is the size of the main tube? Is the skimmer just all tubed or did you keep the mixing box? If you removed the mixing box how do you run your air lines to your stones, from the top down? What about your return line, how is it plumbed to the tube? What distance from the bottom of the tube are your stones? What is the water level heighth in the tubes. Have you noticed a decrease in air to the stones if they are under more water? Sorry for all the questions, and pictures of the lastest rendition would be real helpful.
Thanks.............. Kim
Thanks for the quick answers. Yes I plan to run a line from my return to feed the skimmer. Now to your mods, did you double the size of your main tube? What is the size of the main tube? Is the skimmer just all tubed or did you keep the mixing box? If you removed the mixing box how do you run your air lines to your stones, from the top down? What about your return line, how is it plumbed to the tube? What distance from the bottom of the tube are your stones? What is the water level heighth in the tubes. Have you noticed a decrease in air to the stones if they are under more water? Sorry for all the questions, and pictures of the lastest rendition would be real helpful.
Thanks.............. Kim
NaH2O
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2004
- Messages
- 8,568
Kim - Welcome to Reef Frontiers! Here is a link to the newer version of this skimmer: The Skimming Beast is dead....Long live beast version 2
