HOB Skimmer modification

[RockingCricket]

I use a CPR Bakpak skimmer in my 10 gallon sump.
Is there any reason why I can't lengthen the pipe that runs between the pump and the skimmer body, as shown in the pics below?
With the hot Californian weather and the small size of my sump, I am having to top up my water daily. Sometimes I'll forget to do it and come home to hear my pump burning itself out as it runs dry. Not good.
Is modifying it this way likely to compromise the skimmers ability (apart from the slight reduction in flow that'll be caused by pumping the water higher)?
I wasn't sure if the skimmer needed to be near the surface of the water because that it where most of the waste is, or what? Anyone?

 

[wayne]

Yes, as organics are buoyant they tend to accumualte at the top. One of the advantages of keeping the skimmer in it's own sump compartment is that you can make it very turbulent in their, and drag them down a bit

 

[RockingCricket]

Thanks Wayne. I think that's what I wanted to hear.

I do have one of those small submersable pumps in there at the moment from a crappy japanese tabletop fountain which stirs it up somewhat. I've positioned it at the bottom in an attempt to bring any junk to the surface but I guess placing it near the top will have the opposite effect and feed my skimmers pump a little. I have only a meager three powerheads in the display (all pushing together giving me the tornado effect - bad?) so I'm loathed to move one of those to the sump, and money is tight so I'm not buying any more equip just yet. I surely need to maximise the flow I can have in the display with what I've got.

On that note, I have a Rio 600 in the display, and an Rio 800 on the skimmer. Should I consider switching these to give me more flow or do I wanna give the skimmer as much juice as I can? I do have an aqua stone in there too. What would be the lesser of two evils?

 

[wayne]

Is the skimmer on the sump or display. It would be better on the sump.

Oh, reread your orig. post. Hmm. I would be tempted to put a partition in the sump where water comes in, and put the skimmer in there by itself. Nice and turbulent, direct access to the dirtiest wqater from the surface skimmer overflow, and as it needs to overflow from the partition problem disppears.

However you do not want your return pump to run dry......

How much evap per day? Gallons, inches in the sump...

 

[Lorna]

I would lengthen the pipe from the pump to the skimmer.....also to increase performance to compensate for the loss (though it should be minimal) you could either upgrade the pump to the maxijet or you could do as I did and add an airstone into the bubble chamber off an airpump. Works like a charm and increased the foam production immensely.

 

[RockingCricket]

The partitioning might be an idea (I could then have the benefots or a refugium) but no, considering in using a cannister filter for my return, I can't have that run dry.

The waterline in the 10 gallon sump is dropping about 2 inches everyday. It's hot here. Today will be 102 degrees and tomorrow is forcast to be 104.

I've added an airstone to the skimmer already which is being (probably underpowered) by a Whisper 500. Didn't notice much of an increase. Should skimmate from a bakpak be thick and sludgy or more watery?

 

[wayne]

Depends how you tune it?

Adding an airstone is not an easy way to go

 

[RockingCricket]

Depends how you tune it?

Meaning how down far in the water the collection cup sits? I believe the makers recommend you sit it 1/8 inch into the water. I've found that gives me no skimmate. I set it about 1/2 inch down.

Lorna. You have a bakpak - can you shed any light? How far down do you have yours and what is your skimmate like?

 

[Lorna]

My cup is about 1/4 inch down, it is powered by the rio pump but I think I will upgrade it to a maxi. I get about 1/2 c of skimmate a day that is watery dark like greenish tea (though I wouldn't drink it) I just emptied it or I would take a pic for you. It is on a 20g tank with a very light bioload with almost 50lbs of rock and only 3 small fish. I also have a hob aquaclear that I have sort of made a fuge out of that has some rubble and about 1/2 c of carbon in. I also do water changes about 3g every two weeks now that I have the skimmer but before I was doing 3g every week.

 

[RockingCricket]

Cool. Thanks Lorna. That sounds about the same consistency as mine. Dark watery green tea, sometimes with what look like mushy leaves in it and a lil sludge in the bottom.
Go on, give it a taste!