Help with this Skimmer.

[Derpeder]

I have a skimmer here that came with the tank I bought. I don't know how the skimmer works so I've included two pictures. the first is the skimmer

and second is how I think the skimmer works. I pretty sure i'm wrong so if someone could help me out that would be great. Start on the bottom right and I assume the water goes up and fills the center section of the skmmer. Overflows to the main section and the bubble stone goes in the gray hole in the bottom??????? Help me out. I'm not sure why there is an air line going into the collection cup(orange)

 

[Joe Fish]

The small diameter tube is probably an addition to the skimmer cup. So if you wanted to put that tube in a bigger bucket then you couldn't have to empty the skimmer cup so often. I believe the area at the bottom is where the water will come out. On the intake line there is a hole on the top piece that might be for air.

 

[CoolWaters]

it looks pretty simple. u can use a 1g milk container for that small tube in the collection cup. trust me u dont want to keep emptying that every 10 hours...

and try to change the milk container. that stuff is like a toilet. if u dont flush it...

 

[Derpeder]

So is my second picture accurate? as far as the water flow and air stone?

and will the skimmer work on syphon to get the water up to the intake or will I need to pump it?

 

[Joe Fish]

You definitely need a pump to feed the water in. I'm not totally sure on the airstone. I don't think you will need one. There might be enough swirling action to give you the bubbles you need.

 

[Derpeder]

So will I pump the water through my sump and directly into the display tank?

EI...Hook up a water return line to the gray piece on the bottom of the skimmer, pump the water through the skimmer and out to the tank......now that I type it that doesn't seem right.

I think the water just drains out the gray part. is that right?

 

[Joe Fish]

Yeah, a pump will pump the water into the skimmer(smaller pump) than a return pump (larger pump) would be needed to return the water to the display.

 

[1979camaro]

Try looking at this diagram...

http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/images/skimdesign/schematic.gif

Don't hook up your return pump to the skimmer outlet just leave it in the sump.

 

[Derpeder]

Yeah, a pump will pump the water into the skimmer(smaller pump) than a return pump (larger pump) would be needed to return the water to the display.

So I should just let the water drain out of the skimmer into the sump and then pump it back up to the main?

 

[1979camaro]

yah...thats all

 

[Derpeder]

seems simple enough. I think i'll test it out tongiht.

Thanks guys.

 

[Derpeder]

wait one more question.

anyone know what this little air thing might be for?

 

[Lorna]

I would hook up an air pump to it....and it will push air into the water which will help create bubbles for fractionation

 

[Derpeder]

I would hook up an air pump to it....and it will push air into the water which will help create bubbles for fractionation

Oh nice........... i wasn't 100% but thats what I was thinking it was for. Thanks a ton.

 

[TheFool]

Well first of all don't attach an airpump straight away. If you belt enough water thro' it I believe that little nozzle should start to act as a venturi and suck air into the water. If that doesn't seem to work then you might need to attach an airpump, but that is normally unneccessary. A point to bear in mind is that you will need to add an appropriately large waterpump to this to generate enough force to get the venturi working properly - I have a similarly sized venturi skimmer, and I am using an Eheim that shifts 1200 lph an hour, and you should be looking for something in the same size I would think. If you don't get enoug hwater thro' the venturi simply won't work, and if you use a litle pump (think Rio, Maxijet) they will tendo to fail as constricting the water at the venturi to generate more 'oomph' adds some headpressure.