Beanhead and I are planning to build a third version of the Reef Splash counter current needle wheel recirculating skimmer. "Say That Fast 3 Times" Both of us are ( I will have) a large open sump outside and away from the display tank that allows us unlimited height and size skimmer. Beanhead in an ajoining room and mine will be in the basement. Several improvements are planned for this build that will encorperate some of the designs from the extensive threads on the subject on Reef Central. We will be using a 6" body column instead of a 4" and the height will go up from 29" to 40+ inches on mine. This will allow the base to be more stable and for the contact time in the chamber to be alot longer. I had wanted to use clear acrylic but one of the design requirements of this skimmer is cost and it is just to prohibitive to use clear acrylic that retails for about 50 dollars a foot for 6" diameter acrylic. It is nice to be able to see the bubbles in the column but it is by no means remotely neccessary. I will be doing a mod on a ocean runner 2700 pump impeller that involves using wire mesh to replace the needles on the impeller wheel. This is suppose to drastically improve the skimmers capacity. I have plans to run ozone through this skimmer. So that is the plan - it will be several weeks before we get started, but I will post pics as soon as we do. If anyone wants to get in on this and build one along with us is welcome too. I still have some of 4" pipe left over if someone wants to build a standard one. Just pm me and I will let you know how much the parts will be without the pump. This is one of the best DIY projects that I have done outside Normans phytoplankton culture station.
Here is the main Reef Central thread for the impeller mods: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthrea ... enumber=10 Here is the cheapest place that I have found for 4" pvc union @ around 38.50 a piece with shipping for two. Most other places are selling them for twice that. http://www.flexpvc.com/cart/agora.cgi?product=Unions
Any date set for SPLASH III? I am planning to take vacation time if necessary for that event. I am allready set for skimmers, but it sounds like a great project. I have been considering a DIY Ozone reactor, and Carbon bed.
Well I am tired of thinking about all the mirade of designs and possibilities to improve the design so this is the plan. The skimmer will be a 6" clear acrylic recirculating skimmer. 6" Acrylic Tubing - Ebay - 48.00 4.5" Acrylic Tubing - Ebay - 32.25 Acrylic 3/8 sheet - Already have - 0.00 4" union slip - www.flexpvc.com - 31.28 Ocean Runner 2700 - Already have - 0.00 Nylon Screws - Home Depot - ? Weldon 40 - ACI Plastics Miscellaneous PVC - Home Depot - 20.00 Hopefully arount 150$, of course it will probably be twice as much.
Well it took about a month for me to get a new Ocean Runner pump in, I later found out that there was nothing wrong with the first one. The pump was having a hard time starting but there is a rubber endcap on the impeller shaft that wasn't seated where it needed to be. So I guess that I will be butting two Ocean Runners on the new skimmer. I had to make more changes to the Reef Splash II design other than enlarging the recirculation and output fittings to 3/4 inch. The venturi was to far away from the pump intake and was not drawing in enough air to even pull the water out of the air line that leads to the venturi. So I removed the recirculation loop and replaced the union which was also modified to better hug the side of the skimmer. I moved the venturi to about an inch from the pump intake and will make it even closer on the Reef Splash III. This vastly improved the air intake and is working great now. The foam is alot dryer than I care for, so dry that it has a hard time lopping over from the riser column into the collection cup, so I had to be sure to put the top on the collection cup so the skimate will be pushed out to the sides and down into the collection cup. I will be doing the mod to the needle wheel impeller in the next couple of days. I finally found the Gutter Guard material that I have been reading about in my research. I found it at Kaufmans Lumber on Asher Ave. in Little Rock. Neither Home Depot or Lowes had it. Replacing the impeller needles with the gutter guard is supposed to greatly imporve the performance of the skimmer. I have also ordered a Dwyer air guage so that I will be able to measure the suction of the venturi effect on this skimmer and the one Beanhead and I are building.
I got the mod done for the Ocean Runner. It works great when the venturi is pulling in air but tends to cavitate when the pump is completly submerged with no venturi. I am missing two washers on either side of the impeller that I have called Aqua Medic to ship me so perhaps that will help. Thanks for the link to the TalkingReef video. I have bookmarked that sight and will watch all of their great videos.
