Converting a Pass-Through Skimmer to a Recirculator

[ca1ore]

Am I doing this right to center?

Exactly right!

 

[ca1ore]

Are you going to make/buy a skim mate locker for it, or just have it drain into an open drain?

You are about to blow some people's minds who are all about bubble plates, controllable pumps and cones and stuff. Well done.

Pox on all those toy skimmers LOL.

Definately going to use a skimmate container. Probably just a 2 gallon bucket with a snap lid with a couple of level switches drilled into it. Toying with ‘borrowing’ Jeff T’s lifereef idea of pulling air out of the skimmate container as a way to reduce Venturi clogging.

 

[Saveafish]

Pox on all those toy skimmers LOL.

Definately going to use a skimmate container. Probably just a 2 gallon bucket with a snap lid with a couple of level switches drilled into it. Toying with ‘borrowing’ Jeff T’s lifereef idea of pulling air out of the skimmate container as a way to reduce Venturi clogging.

Ive always wondered on that. Don't it pull methane gas back in the system. Or lessen the oxygen pulled in?

 

[ca1ore]

I dunno, maybe. It’s been too many years since I ran a Beckett skimmer and I simply do not remember if it is as prone to salt lock as the mazzei. I tend to be of the view that skimmer as oxygenator is overrated, particularly if your tank is well circulated.

 

[ca1ore]

Swappable injector assemblies. Once this thing is up and running I will experiment to see which perfoms better.

Won't be able to do anything more until the acrylic tube arrives - 2 to 3 weeks out.

 

[Saveafish]

I just hit a delay. Girl friends say" hey can you plumb other tanks into the the sump and it'll handle it" me: yes. Ok I'm want another tank on the other side of the door. Now I have to move it all over and center the sump. This was before I started.

 

[Saveafish]

Now

 

[Saveafish]

To center sump over.

 

[Saveafish]

Now I want the skimmer to straddle both tubs. I found a 40 breeder under my stair case. ( note. I need to gather all my fish things to one place) I'm gonna plumb the 40 to hold the skimmer in a constant water level. I'm hoping that'll work.

 

[Saveafish]

Swappable injector assemblies. Once this thing is up and running I will experiment to see which perfoms better.

Won't be able to do anything more until the acrylic tube arrives - 2 to 3 weeks out.

What size are them injectors?

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

I dunno, maybe. It’s been too many years since I ran a Beckett skimmer and I simply do not remember if it is as prone to salt lock as the mazzei. I tend to be of the view that skimmer as oxygenator is overrated, particularly if your tank is well circulated.

Good question. My becketts usually required cleaning for snails or debris before salt was ever an issue. I hadn't thought of it before, but that's another benefit of going recirculating; the chances of clogging the injectors has to be much lower, since you're not pulling straight from the tank.

That said, if you wind up ditching any of the old beckett injectors, let me know. I'd be willing to take off your hands...

 

[Saveafish]

@ca1ore
Ive noticed Beckett does best above water line. Venture does better closer to the base. You might play with the height of them too. Maybe shorter tubs. Or have them right in the base. My old MTC 1000 I did schedule 20 thin wall from the Beckett to the skimmer. Got more air.

 

[ca1ore]

What size are them injectors?

1" 885X model mazzei.

 

[ca1ore]

I hadn't thought of it before, but that's another benefit of going recirculating; the chances of clogging the injectors has to be much lower, since you're not pulling straight from the tank.

I modded my HSA1000 many years ago for recirculation and found that the beckett got clogged FAR less.

 

[ca1ore]

I've noticed Beckett does best above water line. Venture does better closer to the base.

I do plan to experiment a bit. In theory, any venturi will work better with a larger pressure differential on input versus output; so even a mazzei 'should' work better above the water line - whether it does in practice or not is less clear. The becketts don't work at all if they are materially below the water line.

 

[Saveafish]

I do plan to experiment a bit. In theory, any venturi will work better with a larger pressure differential on input versus output; so even a mazzei 'should' work better above the water line - whether it does in practice or not is less clear. The becketts don't work at all if they are materially below the water line.

Ain't that weird though. Its like it flood the Beckett out.

 

[Saveafish]

1" 885X model mazzei.

Ohh darn you went BIG.

 

[ca1ore]

Well I am using dual 3/4" 784 mazzei on my current MTC Power Pro that is heavily modified and uses a Panworld 150 - and it's a perfect match. Since the modified HSA3000 will use a PanWorld 200, I figured the 1" 885X would probably be a good match. We shall see LOL

 

[Saveafish]

You have an air flow meter or just wing it? I'd love to see what it pulls on a pw 200 with a big mazzi

 

[ca1ore]

This is what the current skimmer looks like. Just not quite enough for the load.