Adding a Skimmer to a small sump

[jroczniak]

I currently only have a 10 gallon sump for my 46 bowfront. It works great but I really need to add a skimmer. I was considering buying an HSA-250 from http://www.marinetechnical.com off of another member. Now the only place I could add this to my sump would be the deep sandbed partition. I am not sure this would be good because I dont want to stir the sand up. So I am thinking off adding a new compartment off of the side of the current sump. Do you think this would work? I would have to pipe the water from the sump to the skimmer and then back. Is that ok?

Another reason I want to get this skimmer is that it will work with my 150 when I set that up...

Thanks a ton.

 

[Mini4x]

Just get cracking on that 150!

I'd probably run the tank to the skimmer first, then to your fuge, you want your "dirty" tank water to hit the skimmer first.

 

[denvig]

WOW thats a lot of skimmer for a 46 are you sure you can make it fit? Dont forget the pump that it needs. And yes overflow to skimmer first then to fuge and final return to tank.

 

[jroczniak]

well then

A skimmer would be sealed right so, i could have it sitting anywhere as long as the pipes are connected correctly..right? I mean why is this an "in-sump" skimmer..does it need to be in water?

 

[Mini4x]

WOW.. # Total height 50"
# Base footprint 12.5" x 12.5"

Thats a BIG skimmer.. where is your sump?

Oh wait I was looking at the HSA3000..

 

[NateHanson]

Mini, I think his model is 24" tall and 8" footprint. (6" tube)
I think that should work for external use, assuming it's constructed well and won't leak. Are you buying it with a pump? It looks like a beckett-style skimmer, and those require large pressure-rated pumps (that often means noisy), and the becket injector can be a bit loud too. Personally I prefer a venturi needle-wheel style because they're less expensive to run, but others use beckett skimmers on their systems with great success.

 

[reefnroll]

Jake -

This particular skimmer needs to be sitting in water because it outputs the clean water right back into the sump... that's what makes it an 'in sump' skimmer as opposed to one that is plumbed outside of the sump.

As for order of overflow, it makes no difference, in my experience. There are benefits to having your tank water go through the fuge first (extra food and particles that the macro filters out to feed itself and critters in the fuge). I wouldn't say there's a hard and fast rule about that order. You could make an argument for doing it either way.

b

 

[NateHanson]

Jake -

This particular skimmer needs to be sitting in water because it outputs the clean water right back into the sump... that's what makes it an 'in sump' skimmer as opposed to one that is plumbed outside of the sump.

Is it possible to attach plumbing to the output and make it an in-line skimmer? Do you think that would create too much backpressure and mess up the water level?

 

[denvig]

They do have an external model.
http://www.marinetechnical.com/page16.html

 

[reefnroll]

Nate -
You are correct. This skimmer cannnot be converted because the back pressure would mess up the whole deal.

Dennis - The external model isn't the one for sale by "another member" (me), for 1/2 the price of the new external.

Can someone speak to Jake's initial concern about expanding his existing sump? I'm the one who suggested he post his question here to get fair and broad ranges of relevant opinions about how to do it. I can tell him how to do it myself but being the seller of the unit, I'm trying to let him get advice from unbiased, but focused, experience reefers.

b

 

[NateHanson]

Sure, that's easy. Either drill a hole in one end of your 10g, and use a bulkhead or two to connect it to another tank/container/bucket that contains your skimmer. Have the tank drain into your skimmer bucket, then spill over into the main sump.

If you want to avoid drilling your 10g, then elevate the skimmer box a bit so it can gravity feed into the 10g. This possibility depends on how much height you have under your stand though.

Nate

 

[marco67]

I've done number of 2 tank sumps,
I'm not sure what kind of space you have to work with but they work well, great even. Having a separate tank for your skimmer in essence makes it a recirculating skimmer (sorta kinda). If you can make the skimmer compartment/tank first then drain it into the next.
Never pump into and out of a tank (recipe for disaster)
Pump in drain out
Drain in Drain out
Pump in Pump out

 

[denvig]

The current 10 gal sump is 10”x 20” a 46 bow is 36”x 16(at center) assuming that the 10 gal is in the stand you don’t have enough room for another 10 gal tank that could house the skimmer and pump. You could possibly change out your 10 gal sump for say a 20 gal or a custom size acrylic sump that would fit the skimmer. Just don’t forget that that 8” footprint still needs a pump that will probably take up another 6” or so. So can it be done? I would say yes with a little reconfiguring.

 

[jroczniak]

I was going to..

Build an acrylic compartment to house the skimmer. I might even go partially above the 10 gallon so it would be like multi level......and then it could just drain right back into the sump from above or something...

Jake

 

[NateHanson]

That sounds good. Though, I wouldn't have it drain RIGHT BACK into the sump (if you're implying that you'll feed the skimmer from the sump), I'd have it fed from the TANK instead and then drain into the sump.

Building an acrylic compartment is a great idea, and will eliminate the need to drill your sump, but only if your skimmer can operate in the depth of water that's necessary to allow your new acrylic compartment to overflow into the 10g.

 

[denvig]

If you are willing to build a second acrylic compartment then IMO I would just build a full new sump with the correct compartment and water levels needed to make it nice.

 

[reefnroll]

Jake -

The skimmer needs to be sitting IN water, around 5-6 inches I think, in order to operate properly.

How about telling these guys about your space limitations so they can better guide you in one direction or the other. Is all of this happening beneath your current tank, or is your sump in a remote location? Assuming its under the 46, changing to a larger sump, as Dennis suggests, would be the way to go rather than trying to drill and add on, or build a platform, IMO.

b

 

[jroczniak]

Yes it is all going right under my tank in the cabinet.

I will measure tonight.

 

[reefnroll]

That said, Dennis' idea wins. He's given the dimensions in his post above.

A 20 gallon or a custom acrylic to best utilize every inch of space you've got under there. Thinking ahead, the 20 gallon or custom acrylic could be used as your refugium when you upgrade to the 150... so again, not a waste in the long run.

b

 

[david3d]

One thing that no one has mentioned so far is a HOB skimmer. The new coralife skimmers work in sump or HOB. I have one of these in my new mantis tank that is currently cycling so the skimmer is currently off. But I did run it for a few days to let it break in and it works very well but it does make some noise due to the needle wheel venturi that it uses.
--
David