DIY - Needle Wheel Skimmer - EASY!

[Horace]

I have started building my needle wheel skimmer after much research. I have it all put togeather already but still lack the pump. I have not decided weather or not to go with a pump already outfitted with a needle wheel or buy a cheaper pump and drop a needle wheel impeller into it. I am thinking of using the Ocean Runner or the Sedra 5000. Both pumps already have a needle wheel in them. The Sedra 5000 with a needle wheel will cost aprox $90 but is a solid pump. I could proabably save a few bucks and buy the impeller and find a cheap model to drop it in and only spend about $70 but Im not sure its worth the savings to mess around. Afterall the Sedra 5000 is the exact pump Euro-Reef uses and they are proven to rock the house. I got most of my ideas from the following thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showt...ie&pagenumber=1
although they are building a regular venturi skimmer, I am modifying it to use a needle wheel to make it even better and more efficient.
I spend aprox $15 - $20 in materials and all of them were readily available at Wal-Mart and Lowes. It took me aprox 1 - 2 hrs to get it to the point where it is now. It is nearly 100% slip fit so it can be easily adjusted and does not need to be water tight because it will be in my sump, although I will probably make it water tight once it is fully dialed in.

Here is a picture of the one another guy already built that my skimmer is based off of. The skimmate shown was after 1.5 days of skimming..Not bad eh? :P
http://home.neo.rr.com/topjimmyreef/...mmer%20063.jpg

Awesome Venturi
Here is a post from Randy from the Reef tank forums...
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I just found this excellent DIY Venturi! “Don W” from Reef Frontiers originally posted his made from acrylic rod. I couldn’t find acrylic rod so I made mine out of PVC filled with a 2-part material from www.sanitred.com called Quick Patch. I simply mixed it, poured it into a piece of ¾” PVC and it cured solid in less than 2 min. Popped it into a lathe and drilled it with a tapered drill bit from both sides.

The coolest thing is that you can make a venturi out of any inlet fitting that comes with your pump; like a barbed fitting or even a worthless venturi.

This is the very best venturi I have ever used. It certainly beats any venturi that comes with a pump. These things are so easy to make you can make smaller or bigger ones and it only takes about 10 min to make.

Here are the pictures for the DIY venturi:
www.randystacye.com

If you have access to acrylic rod you may want to try Don W from Reef Frontiers method of making the same venturi as above. Here is the link to that thread :
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums...ghlight=venturi

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The parts list for skimmer:
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1 - 1gal Rubbermade container (avail at Wal-Mart)
1 - 2qt Rubbermade container (avail at Wal-Mart)
2 - 4" female PVC adapters
1 - 4" to 2" reducing bushing
1 - 6" length of 2" PVC
1 - 6" length of 3/4" PVC (water out from chamber)
1 - ~10" length of 3/4" PVC (water out from chamber)
1 - 3/4" elbow
2 - 6" lengths of 1/2" PVC (water in from pump, not shown yet)
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Skimmer Pictures:
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Here is the whole thing assembled to the point that I have it now:
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attach...tid=4992&stc=1

Below are pictures of the assembly and parts used.

Here are the pictures I have so far of my skimmer. Again it does not have the pump assembly or the venturi but other than that it is ready to rock. This skimmer stands aprox 22" high and is about 8" wide.

Here are some pictures:

Jugs from Wal-Mart
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attac...ntid=4983&stc=1

4" female adapters

http://www.reefland.com/forum/attac...ntid=4984&stc=1


Here is a picture of the 4" to 2" reducer bushing. I had to cut the lip off of it with a jig saw so that it would fit into BOTH female PVC adapters to connect them in the middle. This could have been done with a lathe but the jig saw worked pretty good as well. I then did a bit of sanding to smooth it down. Took maybe 20 mins to do total.
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attac...ntid=4986&stc=1

Here is what it looked like after sanding:
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attac...ntid=4988&stc=1

Here is the bushing inserted and gluded about 1/2" into a female adapter (NOT ALL THE WAY IN!):
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attach...tid=4985&stc=1


I glued one end (the end that tapers down to the 2". The bottom side of the picture above) about 1/2" into one of the female adapters, and the other part of it will slip fit into the other female adapter so it can be easily removed to empty the collection cup. The whole upper section is removed to empty the cup, obviously unscrewing the top canister would just dump the skimmate all over.
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attac...ntid=4989&stc=1


Here is a picture of the two female pieces joined, but not pressed fully togeather so you can see the bushing is holding them togeather.
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attac...ntid=4990&stc=1

Here they are togeather:
http://www.reefland.com/forum/attac...ntid=4991&stc=1

The 6" tube is inserted in the 2" opening in the above picture (though it is inserted from the bottom side, this side is attached to the 1gal jug where the foam from the reaction chamber is directed.

[Horace]

Feel free to ask any questions. btw...I hope to have it actually working soon. Im a tad money strapped at the moment so it may take a week or so before I can get the pump. Infact you dont even really need to use a needle wheel if you dont want to. A regualar old pump (aprox 500gph) will work just fine. All you need is a venturi to draw in the air to the pump and you got yourself a fully working skimmer. They link to the original design has a home made venturi too that is nothing more than a pinched 1/2" PVC T. Ive seen pictures of this design in action and it pulls some serious gunk out even without the needle wheel pump, all for less than $100!!! If you use a cheaper pump you can get the cost of this thing down to about $60-$75!. Who says you need to spend $300 to get a powerful skimmer :P Now granted, this thing isnt going to take a beating, so dont smash it around :P But at the price you could build 15 of these before you spend the amount to buy a Euro-Reef!

[wanareef]

Looks ugly- but as long as it works. I would just stay with the Sedra and not bother diy needle wheel.

I tried the cheap WP from aquatic eco and got the wp4 , the sedra needlewheel for the 9000 does not fit the ceramic shaft. The pump came priority mail which cost me another $17, half the price of the wp4 pump Now I'm decieding whether to get the ceramic shaft for the Sedra and trying to see if it'll fit or not. MOre $$ out. This was a thread on rc as well.

The Gen x is a little smaller pump and with your venturi mod it should put the bubbles in there as well. Less $$ The ocean runner 2700 is a NW as well.

I can get acrylic rod all day long, but have no lathe - well it's for wood and not metal. Hmmm How about I get some rod and you make me a venturi or three? heh heh

[Horace]

Who cares what it looks like :P. Its going to be in my sump in my cabinet so I am not too worried. So long as it works...I have feeling it will work pretty **** good when I get the right pump/venturi and get it dialed in. Im thinking of getting the Sedra 5000 and a Mazzei 584 venturi. Though I think the Sedra may come with a venturi... not sure about that though.

[wanareef]

If you get the pump for the skimmer it will come with the fittings http://www.fishsupply.com/cgi-bin/f2...ZZ/SPKSP-S5000 you won't need the Mazzie with the Sedra.

[Horace]

I think I might go with the Gen-X 2400 listed here http://www.customaquatic.com/customa...S-PCGX-2400-NW for $39.