Call me crazy
- Thread starter fidojoe
- Start date
fidojoe
Fish Addict
Glad you like the pics 
Every person that has the coralife skimmer is very impressed with it. I was being very impatient and ran it HOB on a 5g bucket full of LR for the first 3 days after I got it, and it works very well from what I could tell from that test.
I'll probably be able to report back on how well the overflow works on a tank (vs a rubbermaid bin in the bathtub) by wednesday. I'm going to try and finish the plumbing tonight so that the glue can cure on the PVC.
Every person that has the coralife skimmer is very impressed with it. I was being very impatient and ran it HOB on a 5g bucket full of LR for the first 3 days after I got it, and it works very well from what I could tell from that test.I'll probably be able to report back on how well the overflow works on a tank (vs a rubbermaid bin in the bathtub) by wednesday. I'm going to try and finish the plumbing tonight so that the glue can cure on the PVC.
I'll be looking forward to the report. I may build one, but will not put it on my tank till after I go on and return from vacation. I don't want to come home to a mess if something should fail. I still have to set up my sump anyway. How deep into the sump do you run the discharge from the overflow?
A piece of advice on the skimmer. If you run it HO style, or probably even in sump, make sure to support the air intake silencer above the water level. It is not a checkvalve, as I found out yesterday. I was tidying up my light and equipment wires beneath my stand and rearranging my powerstrip. I didn't realize I had knocked the air intake off the top of the skimmer, it attaches by the long tubing, and it was hanging straight down, below the bottom of the tank. I unplugged the skimmer to move the wire and noticed a drip......drip....drip ..drip. drip on my head. The tank was siphoning through the air intake. Skimmer works great again now that the silencer dried out. I do love the skimmer. That is the only problem I've had out of it. Just keep the intake strainer on the pump clean and rinse out or replace the floss and sponge in the bubble diffuser as soon as water starts to back out of the diffuser box.
A piece of advice on the skimmer. If you run it HO style, or probably even in sump, make sure to support the air intake silencer above the water level. It is not a checkvalve, as I found out yesterday. I was tidying up my light and equipment wires beneath my stand and rearranging my powerstrip. I didn't realize I had knocked the air intake off the top of the skimmer, it attaches by the long tubing, and it was hanging straight down, below the bottom of the tank. I unplugged the skimmer to move the wire and noticed a drip......drip....drip ..drip. drip on my head. The tank was siphoning through the air intake. Skimmer works great again now that the silencer dried out. I do love the skimmer. That is the only problem I've had out of it. Just keep the intake strainer on the pump clean and rinse out or replace the floss and sponge in the bubble diffuser as soon as water starts to back out of the diffuser box.
Dumpster Dave
New Member
we are setting up ours 125G - having a hard time figuring it out. the bubble production diffuser (BPD) is overflowing and bubbles are abundant. we are hoping this will change once it's broken in (24-72 hrs)
when we slow the flow (red button) down so the bubbles don't get too high in the collection cup then it increases the overflowing water (and bubbles) in the BPD.
is this how it's supposed to work?
when we slow the flow (red button) down so the bubbles don't get too high in the collection cup then it increases the overflowing water (and bubbles) in the BPD.
is this how it's supposed to work?
fidojoe
Fish Addict
Everything is up and running as of last night around 10:00 PM.
The overflow works great. Only complaint is that its rather loud. The intake itself is quiet, just the tube outside that is directly above the outlet makes a pretty loud sucking noise. I think I may have figured out a way to silence it, but not sure until I try. It handles the 300-400 gph that the VA2600 is pushing through it just fine with the 1" PVC. I took the BPD box off the skimmer, as the baffles can manage the bubbles from that just fine before they get to the return pump. I moved the BPD to the output of the overflow instead to silence it and get rid of all the bubbles. I had the output about 2" below the water surface, but it was outputting too many bubbles for the baffles diffuse, so I cut the pipe about 2" above the water line and put the BPD on.
As for the skimmer, within 24 hrs it has pulled a full 8 cups of the nastiest smelling funk I've ever had come out of a skimmer. It was a little clearer looking than what comes out of the remora, but a hell of a lot stinkier. I had it breaking in for about 3 days on a bucket of LR, then I let it sit in some new SW until last night.
The overflow works great. Only complaint is that its rather loud. The intake itself is quiet, just the tube outside that is directly above the outlet makes a pretty loud sucking noise. I think I may have figured out a way to silence it, but not sure until I try. It handles the 300-400 gph that the VA2600 is pushing through it just fine with the 1" PVC. I took the BPD box off the skimmer, as the baffles can manage the bubbles from that just fine before they get to the return pump. I moved the BPD to the output of the overflow instead to silence it and get rid of all the bubbles. I had the output about 2" below the water surface, but it was outputting too many bubbles for the baffles diffuse, so I cut the pipe about 2" above the water line and put the BPD on.
As for the skimmer, within 24 hrs it has pulled a full 8 cups of the nastiest smelling funk I've ever had come out of a skimmer. It was a little clearer looking than what comes out of the remora, but a hell of a lot stinkier. I had it breaking in for about 3 days on a bucket of LR, then I let it sit in some new SW until last night.
fidojoe
Fish Addict
That being said...
Even though the overflow works fine, I'm still tempted to go tank shopping tomorrow and order a new 55g with an overflow drilled in the back. It would have to be drilled on the back wall due to my stand design, but I can still do a durso style if I have the hole drilled towards the bottom.
Or...
Depending on cost, I'm getting a fat tax return this year along with a nice bonus, so I might just "accidently" order a new 75g drilled and "accidently" build a new stand
Even though the overflow works fine, I'm still tempted to go tank shopping tomorrow and order a new 55g with an overflow drilled in the back. It would have to be drilled on the back wall due to my stand design, but I can still do a durso style if I have the hole drilled towards the bottom.
Or...
Depending on cost, I'm getting a fat tax return this year along with a nice bonus, so I might just "accidently" order a new 75g drilled and "accidently" build a new stand
Craig Manoukian
Well-Known Member
Accidents do happen, eh Joe?
Dumpster Dave
New Member
our 125g corallife is really really quiet... don't even hear a sound from it.
it's breaking in and working sooo much better now... way less bubbles!
it's breaking in and working sooo much better now... way less bubbles!
Little Luey
Active Member
Nice tanks and ricordia. I love the seahorse.
fidojoe
Fish Addict
Thanks
Yeah, I've noticed that the output bubbles are slowly getting bigger (which IMO is better cause they float straight up), and there is less and less of them. The skimmer is very quiet compared to the remora.
The collection cup was filled about 3/4 of the way again this morning. Its kinda like getting a new vacuum, when you vacuum the carpet for the first time with the new one, you see all the crap your old one missed.
Yeah, I've noticed that the output bubbles are slowly getting bigger (which IMO is better cause they float straight up), and there is less and less of them. The skimmer is very quiet compared to the remora.
The collection cup was filled about 3/4 of the way again this morning. Its kinda like getting a new vacuum, when you vacuum the carpet for the first time with the new one, you see all the crap your old one missed.
Dumpster Dave
New Member
ya ours is about an inch so far... but it's a brand new set up and it sure makes me happy to have a skimmer when i see how much it skims!
fidojoe
Fish Addict
Ok, so I priced out tanks yesterday and I decieded on something a little bigger than a new 55g thats drilled I found a great price on a LeeMar tank and stand. They call it an 80R, but the dimensions of it come out to 93g. Its 48lx18dx25h. I priced a big LFS and the same Leemar tank with their own overflow and holes came to $500, and I priced a small LFS and the tank, leemar overflow, holes and oak stand came to the same $500. I efiled my tax return yesterday, so when that gets in... New tank here I come!!!
My friend that just traded me the 18g tank, light and stand for my old 29g, is going to trade me back the 29g for the 50g setup (tank, stand, 18g sump and canopy). I'm going to use the 29g as the sump.
My new setup will be as follows:
93g leemar tank
4x65w CSL (Orbit equivalent) + a spare JBJ 2x55w fixture (this is temp till I bite the bullet and get my T5's) Or I might just use the 2- 2x96w coralife retros that I have, I don't know yet.
29g sump
Coralife 220 NW skimmer
about 70-80 lbs of LR, whatever's in the 50g now I think its about that much
10g seahorse tank:
10g tank
2x40w orbit light
remora skimmer
male and female horses (have a male now, just got him yesterday!)
about 10-15lbs LR
5g nano:
5g leemar tank
2x9w coralife light
AC300 filter
5 lbs of LR
pearly jawfish (always wanted one)
this tank, along with the 10g will hold frags occasionally too.
I found a great price on a LeeMar tank and stand. They call it an 80R, but the dimensions of it come out to 93g. Its 48lx18dx25h. I priced a big LFS and the same Leemar tank with their own overflow and holes came to $500, and I priced a small LFS and the tank, leemar overflow, holes and oak stand came to the same $500. I efiled my tax return yesterday, so when that gets in... New tank here I come!!!My friend that just traded me the 18g tank, light and stand for my old 29g, is going to trade me back the 29g for the 50g setup (tank, stand, 18g sump and canopy). I'm going to use the 29g as the sump.
My new setup will be as follows:
93g leemar tank
4x65w CSL (Orbit equivalent) + a spare JBJ 2x55w fixture (this is temp till I bite the bullet and get my T5's) Or I might just use the 2- 2x96w coralife retros that I have, I don't know yet.
29g sump
Coralife 220 NW skimmer
about 70-80 lbs of LR, whatever's in the 50g now I think its about that much
10g seahorse tank:
10g tank
2x40w orbit light
remora skimmer
male and female horses (have a male now, just got him yesterday!)
about 10-15lbs LR
5g nano:
5g leemar tank
2x9w coralife light
AC300 filter
5 lbs of LR
pearly jawfish (always wanted one)
this tank, along with the 10g will hold frags occasionally too.
blue_eyes53813
Well-Known Member
Man you are going crazy Still!!!!! just kidding.......This hobby can make you that way.lol
Craig Manoukian
Well-Known Member
I would suggest a lower and wider tank if at all possible. More swim and aquascaping room as well as better light penetration to the sand bed or bb.
fidojoe
Fish Addict
Hmmm, ok. I'm not going to bug the LFS any more till I have the $ ready to buy, but any size suggestions? I have a max of 4' for length.
I love the 48x24x24 120, but thats just too big. I wonder if the dimensions that the store had for the 80r were wrong. They don't have a standard 75g available, but I'll ask them about a possible custom order. I really like the stand that they have for the tank too. Its solid oak with tons of space below, and matches my other stuff perfectly.
Also, for the lighting, I was considering giving MH another shot. The friend that has my old 29g got a not so popular brand MH, and it works great for him, and its fairly inexpensive. I have seen it in person and its actually almost as well built as my old aquamedic. Thats not for a while down the road tho.
I love the 48x24x24 120, but thats just too big. I wonder if the dimensions that the store had for the 80r were wrong. They don't have a standard 75g available, but I'll ask them about a possible custom order. I really like the stand that they have for the tank too. Its solid oak with tons of space below, and matches my other stuff perfectly.
Also, for the lighting, I was considering giving MH another shot. The friend that has my old 29g got a not so popular brand MH, and it works great for him, and its fairly inexpensive. I have seen it in person and its actually almost as well built as my old aquamedic. Thats not for a while down the road tho.
I got the stuff to build the overflow last night and will build it today. What is your plan for silencing the priming tube? I was thinking of maybe something like prefilter foam. Air could still get through easily enough, but I'm not sure if it would silence it. Another idea. Is the open pipe used for anything except for priming? If not, maybe a ballvalve would work. Just close it off once the overflow is primed. I myself have priced some pre drilled tanks. The tax man was good to me this year too. But I would have to buy all new lights and everything, plus I just started this one.
fidojoe
Fish Addict
You cannot close off the open pipe on the outside. It won't restart, and it will break siphon after a while if you block it. You do however want to block it for starting the siphon to get water into the bottom on the outside. Thats where the noise is coming from.
I figured out exactly why its noisy though. I am running about 400gph thru 1" PVC. I turned the ball valve on my pump output down to run at 2/3 of its capacity, and its quiet now. So basically my plan for silencing it was reducing flow thru it till I build a new one out of 1 1/2" PVC.
I figured out exactly why its noisy though. I am running about 400gph thru 1" PVC. I turned the ball valve on my pump output down to run at 2/3 of its capacity, and its quiet now. So basically my plan for silencing it was reducing flow thru it till I build a new one out of 1 1/2" PVC.
KimPossible
Well-Known Member
Ohhhhh WOW!!!
That is amazing!~
That is amazing!~