Gravity-fed skimmer/Seaclone Repair

[smidoid]

I can't justify this given the room I have, but has anyone considered doing a gravity fed counter-current design? Basically, siphon the water off at one end and dump it into the sump at the other. Obviously, it needs a water flow control to stop the thing overflowing.

I has this idea while contemplating a new counter-current to replace my fundamentally flawed Seaclone. No wonder those things cause so much heartache! According to an article I just read, they do almost everything wrong: even though they look good to the untrained eye.

The main thing that this Skimmer Design 101 article raises with the Seaclone is that it uses a cyclone effect in the reaction tube. Not only that, it's a with-current design that uses a lousy venturi.

It's the swirl in the reaction chamber that seems to blow anything this design has going for it. Some molecules have a very fragile bond to the bubbles so the cyclone is probably throwing them off!

The fix (not my idea, Wozza found this) is to fit an airstone (dangle it in fact) into the reaction chamber about 1/4 way down to disturb the cyclone. This has the result of pushing more air IN and slowing the turbulence at the top. Even with a cheap 1/2" round fizzer from the LFS the results are visible and astonishing.

Now I'm not going to pretend this is perfect, but the proof of the puddling is in the amount of skimmate that this Rube Goldberg/Heath Robinson design is producing: from none (yes, not a drop) to a healthy flow.




I'm dropping the Seaclone and going with a home-brew counter current up to 5' high if I can hide it. If anyone is interested, I'll post the results as usual.

[wozza]

home-brew counter current up to 5' high if I can hide it

WOWSER!!! thats gonna be a beast!!!
but depending on how much thats gonna cost you to make, would it not be cheeper to buy a second hand MCE600 or MCE300?
eBay.co.uk - MCE600, Pet Supplies, Home Garden items at low prices

cheers james

[smidoid]

HEHE! Yeah it will. The plan is to floor stand it behind the tank and siphon water out into the top - then pump it out of the bottom. (I have another idea, but this is experiment city! I might be able to utilise one of the exsting drains) As for cost, there's no real need to use clear acrylic James, a piece of 4" "brown water" plastic pipe would be fine.

It might need a viewing window, but that's a minor consideration. I'm really curious to see what a large counter current skimmer can do - my biggest problem is filling the so-n-so with the extra seawater.

Other than that, it's a small pump to return the water (via the sump) and the requisite airstone and air pumps that I have.

Probably not a fortune - and I have you to blame when it leaks all over the hall carpet for making me think this out in the first place.

[wozza]

and I have you to blame when it leaks all over the hall carpet for making me think this out in the first place.

OH NO!! does that mean im gonna have ur missis givein me stick for giveing you the idea?

haha i bet she loves the idea of a 5ft fish sh*t extractor in HER house!!!!

[wozza]

As for cost, there's no real need to use clear acrylic James, a piece of 4" "brown water" plastic pipe would be fine.

good thinking batman!!

[smidoid]

So she's gonna have a 5' gray plastic fish poo extractor in the hall. AHHHH!


I'm dead.

[wozza]

hahahaha

[Randy]

I always liked the basic design of the Snailman skimmer. Have you ever considered making it a needle wheel recirc skimmer instead of an air stone skimmer? Evidently the Octopus needle wheel pumps are kicking butt especially when they are mesh modified.

It wouldn't have to be 5' tall either, or is a huge skimmer just an extension of our . . .

A couple weeks ago I finished a small 4" diameter recirc skimmer. Yeah I know ... that's real tiny, but it might give you some ideas regardless whether you use an NW pump or air stones
DIY 4" Needle Wheel Skimmer