|
|
Have a question?
It's Free!
|
|
| General Reef Discussion In this forum we discuss issues related to keeping marine and reef aquariums in a friendly flame-free environment. |
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
01-09-2009, 05:32 PM
|
#1
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Fernandina Beach, FL
Posts: 103
|
Venturi Skimmer improvement?
Any suggestions on the best wat to make a venturi skimmer more efficient?
|
|
|
|
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
|
__________________
~~~~~~~~
John aka J.B.
|
|
|
|
01-09-2009, 05:49 PM
|
#2
|
|
Gone Snorkeling...
  
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Greenville,SC
Posts: 8,521
Reviews: 52
|
put a needlewheel pump on it 
__________________
My 135RR Tank build
Upstate SC Reefers Unite!! Join the PMAC!
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
|
|
|
|
|
01-09-2009, 07:42 PM
|
#3
|
|
Shark
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: michigan
Posts: 2,694
|
thats exactly what i was going to suggest. what are some of the dimensions of the skimmer. tube diameter, height, neck diameter? (will help to choose the right pump if you go that route)
|
|
|
|
|
01-09-2009, 08:49 PM
|
#4
|
|
Non-Hypocritical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hillbillyville Alabama
Posts: 8,064
Reviews: 11
|
Adding a needlewheel pump to a skimmer may, or may not, help it perform better. If the pump on it now is putting as much air into it as the body and neck can handle, adding a needlewheel (and more air), isn't going to help it produce more skimmate. It will simply make it produce the same skimmate for potentially less electrical usage.
What kind of skimmer is that? It almost looks like a ProClear, Sealife or similar type skimmer where the water inlet tube looks like they heat up the tube and just stick an acrylic tube through it.
But, as was asked, knowing the dimensions of the skimmer will help - a lot - in figuring out what you can potentially do with it.
|
|
|
|
|
01-09-2009, 09:51 PM
|
#5
|
|
Gone Snorkeling...
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Greenville,SC
Posts: 8,521
Reviews: 52
|
it's not the problem that the body already is taking in more air than it's designed to do, it's the inefficiency of the design of the venturi that is causing the issue. Venturis have went out of style for a reason, they don't work well.
__________________
My 135RR Tank build
Upstate SC Reefers Unite!! Join the PMAC!
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 12:02 AM
|
#6
|
|
Non-Hypocritical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hillbillyville Alabama
Posts: 8,064
Reviews: 11
|
Huh? Needlewheels have nothing to do with the venturi. The needlewheel is simply a different type of impeller that chops up the bubbles. It still needs a venturi to get air into the pump itself in order for the needlewheel to chop up the bubbles.
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 12:54 AM
|
#7
|
|
Big Fishy
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Central Wi
Posts: 820
|
What I have noticed is to me it seems like the necks are to short. If you were to put a needlewheel on your skimmer I think that the amount of bubbles is going to be so much that its going to be hard to adjust and your going to get a very wet foam with such a short neck if there was a way for you to lengthn the neck you would get a dryer foam if u prefer that..
__________________
Quality Corals and Fish 715-965-5025
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 12:56 AM
|
#8
|
|
uber-stupid
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Biloxi, MS
Posts: 4,762
|
I think that if it is a regular impeller the air bubbles would be much larger than a needlewheel. You get the same amount of air just lots and lots more surface area.
From the looks of it the pump is not taking in enough air to fill the reaction chamber. Hard to say for sure without skimmer dimentions and pump specs weather or not a new pump would help. Maybe put a cheese grader on the one thatd there.
__________________
Jason
My girlfriend says bigger is better, so I am going to build the biggest skimmer I can.
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 01:20 AM
|
#9
|
|
Non-Hypocritical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hillbillyville Alabama
Posts: 8,064
Reviews: 11
|
Jason, yes, a needlewheel will make smaller bubbles than a "regular impeller", if that is whats on it (and it probably is). But, it could just as well have a needlewheel pump on it now and it simply isn't large enough. From the picture, its hard to tell whether its a lot of big bubbles or just a few small bubbles scattered. One is just as bad as the other.
What would be better than anything else is a closeup of the pump and the skimmer along with the dimensions and specs on the pump.
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 10:31 AM
|
#10
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Fernandina Beach, FL
Posts: 103
|
Quote:
What kind of skimmer is that? It almost looks like a ProClear, Sealife or similar type skimmer where the water inlet tube looks like they heat up the tube and just stick an acrylic tube through it.
But, as was asked, knowing the dimensions of the skimmer will help - a lot - in figuring out what you can potentially do with it.
|
The skimmer is a Top Fathom TF110. Don't know quite how old it is but it is most likely 6-8 years. The tube is 19" tall. The neck (top of the tube to the neck top) is 5" so the total unit is 24" tall. The diameter of the tube is 5". It has a venturi intake in the center where pump input is and drains from the bottom into the sump. I have it overflowed into a 2 gal. container and set the water level to the top of the tube (just before the neck begins) Addl photos of close ups attached.
Also, I think its working fine, just think it could be better. I uploaded an album of pix of mytank if you want to check out the health of the livestock- all comments welcome!! http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/album.php?u=5384
__________________
~~~~~~~~
John aka J.B.
Last edited by bchnit1; 01-10-2009 at 10:44 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 04:01 PM
|
#11
|
|
Non-Hypocritical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hillbillyville Alabama
Posts: 8,064
Reviews: 11
|
A different pump that will put more air in with smaller bubbles would definitely help it. What kind/size pump is on it now?
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 04:10 PM
|
#12
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Fernandina Beach, FL
Posts: 103
|
It doesn't have a seperate pump. Runs from the main system- Iawaki WMD 20.
__________________
~~~~~~~~
John aka J.B.
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 05:06 PM
|
#13
|
|
Non-Hypocritical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hillbillyville Alabama
Posts: 8,064
Reviews: 11
|
So you T off the main system pump to run the skimmer?
The best thing is to cut the T off from the Iwaki and get a seperate pump for it. With the way it is now, the air isn't even going through the pump to get chopped up. Needlewheels are good choices for it, just a matter of picking the right size for it.
Pump recommendations for a Top Fathom skimmer:
http://www.topfathom.com/pump.html
Is it possibly a 110? There isn't a 100 listed on that page but it may be because it was discontinued and they started the 110 series.
You could always call them - 616-662-8668 - and ask about it. Thats the phone number listed on the website. |
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 08:13 PM
|
#14
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Fernandina Beach, FL
Posts: 103
|
Exactly...it T-s off the main return line through a venturi fitting with a gate valve to control the flow out of the skimmer and into the sump. It is a TF 110. Sorry, but I'm not familiar with the plumbing of other types of skimmers ...how would it run off of its own pump?
__________________
~~~~~~~~
John aka J.B.
|
|
|
|
|
01-10-2009, 09:27 PM
|
#15
|
|
Non-Hypocritical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hillbillyville Alabama
Posts: 8,064
Reviews: 11
|
You take the venturi off thats on it now (the piece with the airline). Attach a pump directly to it. Add the venturi before the pump. The air goes through the pump and gets chopped up into smaller bubbles by the impeller (where the needlewheel comes in) and then into the skimmer body. The benefit of that scenario over what you have now is that the air would then go through the pump to get chopped up. They aren't getting chopped up now.
|
|
|
|
|
