5 gal water bottle skimmer? - Page 3

Gobie · #51 02/17/2006, 04:33 PM

douggiestyle
Thatâ€™s a good idea for the cup!

RichConley · #52 02/17/2006, 04:41 PM

Anyone done any largescale flange work? We could probably cut one off at the bottom of the funnel and build some flanges.

douggiestyle · #53 02/17/2006, 05:13 PM

scratch the 3/4" fittting into the 1" threaded reducer. 3/4" is to big. 1/2" does fit. could possibly use a 1 1/2" threaded reducer. i wont be trying though.

will post pictures tonight or tomorrow.

douggiestyle · #54 02/17/2006, 07:16 PM

scratch the scratch. went to the lhs (local hardware store) 1"- 3/4" threaded reducer could be used. just a little tweaking. and i will post pics.
prugs this was an awesome idea.

will leave the pump, needle wheel and venturie design to someone else. im clueless as far as that stuff.

douggiestyle · #55 02/17/2006, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DrBDC
Get those pics up!!! Also if you have a pic of the wall thickness after you drilled it that would be great. Did you measure the thickness?

just over 1/32". maybe 3/64" but not quite.

biggest concern is being able to support the weight of the pump.

Gem Tang Rider · #56 02/17/2006, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DrBDC
I pointed at this thread to kentrob__ because he builds needlewheels and some really nice ones. He said that it would probably be better to go with 3 of these pumps vs the 6000 since they use 1/2" uniseals and those are a lot easier to work with and we wouldn't have to push as hard which may make the bottle dent in. Here's the pumps:

http://www.thereefstop.com/catalog/p...roducts_id/308

I would think that 2 of those pumps, with 1270gph recirculating thru that jug should be enough. But that would depend on how much water you want to feed thru it.

douggiestyle · #57 02/17/2006, 09:09 PM

i just cut a lid. hind site being 20/20, should have made the collection cup higher. only about 1" of clearance between riser tube and lid. maybe enough, maybe not.

kentrob11 · #58 02/17/2006, 10:37 PM

Just took a look at this- For some reason I remembered the 2400s being 500GPH so I would say for starters that 2 would be OK. Has anyone tried the uniseal thing here yet? I'll be interested in seeing if you're able to get it put together without caving a side in....I've got a water bottle I might try myself just for the heck of it :-)

douggiestyle · #59 02/17/2006, 11:09 PM

definitly holds with threaded piping. can pull and twist without causing leak or falling out (which would cause a leak, lol) pump weight may cause problem with standing straight think not because 5 gallons is pretty heavy. wont know till a pump is added.

ChemE · #60 02/17/2006, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tigerarmy40
cheme do you have a pic of the skimmer yoiu are running that on?

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...80#post6735180

douggiestyle · #61 02/17/2006, 11:18 PM

talk about raw!!!
thats awesome cheme.
i assume it works?

ChemE · #62 02/17/2006, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by douggiestyle
talk about raw!!!
thats awesome cheme.
i assume it works?

Exhibit A

It works ridiculously well! I read all these threads about sea-clowns and remora pro's sucking (or at best mixed results) and this thing cost peanuts and beats the snot out of them.

I'd rather spend my cash on corals that I can't DIY for 1/10th the price.

xdusty6920 · #63 02/18/2006, 03:21 AM

man im dying to see somone set one up and give all the details. not sure if i'd try it but its such an awesome concept and the shape is made to be a diy skimmer. anyone got any pics yet?

douggiestyle · #64 02/18/2006, 11:31 AM

im going to put my mag 7 on this. how should i put in a venturi. something diy and easy.

DrBDC · #65 02/18/2006, 12:37 PM

I've seen a diy venturi in the threads on easy as pie euroreef skimmer using a pvc t heated up with a hose barb on it.

So you are going to go with a ventrui style vs. needwheel?

Dumb question here but I've never dealt with venturi and needlewheel skimmers or pumps. How do the needlewheels get their air? Do you install a venturi on those or is there a built in air input? Is the only diff. between a venturi skimmer and a needlewheel the pump impeller and both require a venturi?

kentrob11 · #66 02/18/2006, 01:22 PM

I made venturi's using a nylon washer epoxied to a piece of PVC pipe. Then I drilled and tapped it and put a threaded hose barb in and it works great....might be worth trying...

douggiestyle · #67 02/18/2006, 01:26 PM

will buy a plastic 1/8" hose barb. will drill small hole and force in hopefully will not leak.

ChemE · #68 02/18/2006, 04:39 PM

Something else to consider is what spazz is doing. Make a needlewheel (or buy one) and use an air pump to inject air to the pump inlet.

FloridaFishMan · #69 02/18/2006, 04:55 PM

How does a needlewheel actually work? Is it sucking water and air and then breaking the air up into tiny bubbles? Can someone explain or if you have a link.
Chris

Whaledriver · #70 02/18/2006, 05:21 PM

Dont bother with a venturi they will never be as good as a needlewheel and they make this skimmer harder to make and run.

Has anyone seen the way a Bubble king has a central riser with a dispersal plate to reduce turbulance?
Since I cant draw I will try to describe it to you. You could put this in the center of the water bottle and just glue it in place with some silicone.
It would be a central tube about half the width of the 5 gallon water bottle. I would guess about 10 inches tall. ( wonder around a container/kitchen store)
The bottom of the tube would have 1/2 inch holes drilled around the bottom side of the tube( not the bottom )
There would be one big hole for a 1 1/4 inch pipe for the exit water out of the skimmer. A 90 degree fitting would face tward the bottom. On top of this I would put a float disk of plastic so water could only enter from the 1/2 inch side hole
This setup should alow water to exit the skimmer without alot of bubbles and not interfear with the recirculating water in the skimmer.

The return water from the needlwheel pump would flow into the top half of this central tube. I would then put a grid of some kind to help reduce tubulance. This will allow a thicker and more stable head of foam to gently flow up to the riser.

SORRY FOR THE LONG WINDED IDEA I will try to find a picture

Whaledriver · #71 02/18/2006, 05:23 PM

http://www.captiveoceans.com/pics/BKinternal300-2.jpg

I hope this helps if the picture comes up it shows the riser idea necely but not the exit water so well.

Whaledriver · #72 02/18/2006, 05:29 PM

One other thing I have run into is that one big needle wheel might draw air better at a deeper water depth than a few smaller ones.

ChemE · #73 02/18/2006, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FloridaFishMan
How does a needlewheel actually work? Is it sucking water and air and then breaking the air up into tiny bubbles? Can someone explain or if you have a link.
Chris

They have always been aspirating (sucking air in) and the needles chop or shread the air into very fine bubbles. Recently spazz came up with the (original?) idea of pumping air into the pump inlet.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...hreadid=732601

kentrob11 · #74 02/18/2006, 07:30 PM

He went that route because he was using a 3000+ GPH sequence Dart pump modded with a custom needlewheel. The sheer size of that pump enabled it to handle more air than the pump itself could pull but that isn't the case here. The pumps we're dealing with here can cavitate with a large Venturi alone, much less a pump feeding it.

douggiestyle · #75 02/18/2006, 10:46 PM

somebody pm me whose willing to upload these photos i will email them to you