Ok, tell me what I did wrong

[Geoff]

going directly into the sump is a great idea. i would definately try and find a gate valve though. it will make your life a lot easier.

also when you find a setting you like LEAVE IT. sometimes skimmers go nuts or not at all, it is very tempting to mess with it, but do not. it will make it harder on you.

i am still trying to learn this.

G~

[Little Luey]

Ok, I finished the modifications and everything is drying now, should be ready to run tomorrow. Hopefully I will get some foam.

[Geoff]

ok, it has been over 15min. how does it work? i know it is not recommended, but i very seldom ever wait more than 15min before trying anything i just PVC cemented.

G~

[Little Luey]

Well, I pluged everything in, no leaks, ventury is working as it should. Close the ball valve past half way to get some water in the skimmer body, and when I saw some wather coming out of the top I backed off a tad bite. So now the ball valve is half way closed. I will let it run for a while this way and see what happens.

[Little Luey]

I spoke too soon.
There was a small leak on the pump, it is a QuietOne4 and it had that cover that does not get a screw but it is like a twist cap, I guess the hose I put at the end of the ventury was creating pressure against that side and was oppening the cap slowly. Now I have two choices, hard plumb this pump so there is no pressure; or get a pump with a more secure top. My other Quietone5 is a bigger pump and it has a screw to secure it, may be switch them, which I had previosly done.
Originally the Quietone4 was the return and worked fine, may go back to that. Right now I am tired of messing with it.
I put the pump in the sump but the vibration is kind of too much noise, so I know I want the pump outside.

Will it matter if the skimmer pump is rated higher than the return pump, I would think not but what do you guys think?

[Little Luey]

It is foaming!!! yeeeeaaaa!

At last I get some skimate. I think I will still change the pumps but it will be later.

[Geoff]

glad to hear you are getting some skimmate production now!!

G~

[Little Luey]

this is what I have so far in skimmate since the skimmer has been running. I still want to change the pump but this is progress.

[Little Luey]

So far so good with my skimmer. I changed the pumps so now I am pushing 1300gph thru the skimmer and back to 1000gph on the overflow, maybe more like 700gph. At the top of the skimmer I have a barbed connection with a 90deg bend attached to a hose, instead of messing with the ball gate to adjust the skimmer I am moving the connection, unscrewing it to raise it up. I plan on skimming wet enough to get 5gal skimate a week, this will be the water I replace in my sump. No more water changes for me once I get the Seios.

[Geoff]

sounds like a plan. keep an eye on the salinity and you should be fine. you may still want to do some real siphoning every now and then in some of those really dead areas. usually in the sump.

G~