here i go again... protein skimmer time!

[lgerold]

Lookin' great! Keep us posted

 

[rDr4g0n]

yeah i put a powerhead into the overflow. that way it isnt in the display tank. it pumps about half of the overflows flow into the skimmer. plus, since the overflow skims the surfaace of the water, i get teh stuff that needs skimming teh most into the skimmer.

 

[sasquatch]

UMM for safetys sake, shut off the skimmer and see what your overflow does lol

 

[rDr4g0n]

UMM for safetys sake, shut off the skimmer and see what your overflow does lol

it doesnt do anything... just overflows into the sump...

why...? what did you suspect would happen?

 

[Witfull]

am i seeing this right? dual PCs in the living room on the coffee table?? and i thought i was bad with dual monitors on my desk~

 

[rDr4g0n]

am i seeing this right? dual PCs in the living room on the coffee table?? and i thought i was bad with dual monitors on my desk~

i really need to get flat panel monitors... my wife and i play warcraft together on weekends so we gotta be side by side to communicate. im a super geek.

 

[sasquatch]

it doesnt do anything... just overflows into the sump...

why...? what did you suspect would happen?

Well as tou were effectivly removing water from the overflow with the powerhead, I was concerned about you readjusting the overflow with the resulting mess if the skimmer stopped

 

[rDr4g0n]

Well as tou were effectivly removing water from the overflow with the powerhead, I was concerned about you readjusting the overflow with the resulting mess if the skimmer stopped

since the powerhead works on siphon, i dont think it will continue to siphon water once it exceeds the level inside teh tank. hence an overflow wont "overflow" hahahahahah

seriously though, when i turn off the powerhead to the skimmer, it just increases the flow straight into the sump. the skimmer just diverts a lot of that flow if its on.

sooo WAGA!

 

[rDr4g0n]

double post. whoops

 

[rDr4g0n]

i dont have a ton of stuff in my system to skim off since theres not a huge bioload, but heres some pics of it in action.

 

[lgerold]

How's the skimmer doing for you?

 

[rDr4g0n]

How's the skimmer doing for you?

well i dont get much skimmate, but it is nice and dark. i think i need to adjust for more skimmate. i set it as wet as i can adjsut it a few days ago.

 

[lgerold]

well i dont get much skimmate, but it is nice and dark. i think i need to adjust for more skimmate. i set it as wet as i can adjsut it a few days ago

Probably due to the fact you don't have a lot of bioload?

 

[rDr4g0n]

Probably due to the fact you don't have a lot of bioload?

i think youre right about that. adding these lions should add quite a load since theyre big, and theyre messy eaters according to what ive read on teh net. if my skimmer isnt functioning adequetly, how would i know? nitrate spike?

 

[lgerold]

I'd keep an eye on the nitrates. But, I think you'll see an increase in the skimmate. Can you make it a bit wetter again?

When I set mine up, I got loads of dark skimmate for a week or so. My nitrates were at 8 ppm. After a week or so, the skimmate really cut back, and now my nitrates are unreadable. Because I went for over a month without a skimmer, there was buildup of crud.

I have a big bioload, but it's handling it beautifully!

 

[sasquatch]

mmm, if its working well it will produce more gunk, the nitrate may/will spike probably anyway, I keep looking at you collection cup and cant figure it out any chance for a sketch? Steve

 

[rDr4g0n]

lol its SUPER high res

seriously though, its a regular ol collection cup. there is a 1.5inch "throat" that leads into a 3in collection cup. that drains into the bucket.

 

[sasquatch]

okies now I get it! the cup slides off the neck? I dont use any cups just a direct vent to the waste catcher

 

[lgerold]

The throat is higher then the base of the "cup" so skimmate collects below the throat, and then exits the cup through the tube.

 

[lgerold]

Nice artwork!