DIY skimmer addition 2

[hurleycr]

Ok I submitted a version of this design once, I have changed it due to your guys suggestions. Does this look correct... will it work.

Keep in mind that I have to have less than 9" of water in the second sump with the skimmer.

The first sump is a CPR900 wet/dry. If my drawing doesn't do it justice, sorry I tried.

Thanx in advance.

[1234]

Instead of two "boses" why not just one? I think your bottle neck will be at the BH's between the two boxes. Not enough flow= starve pump. JMO :D

[hurleycr]

I have some left over acyrlic from another project, and I just bought a new skimmer that requires more space than what I have in the current box. Why do you think it will bottle neck at the two bulkheads? I thought if I lowered the last BH that it would feed by gravity just fine. I will be also using a flexible hose for the connection, to keep from stressing the acrylic and it cracking. The pump will only be pumping at 300gph because it is going up about 4 foot of tube.

I agree that a larger box would be ideal and that is maybe what I will have to do. I just didn't want to buy more acrylic if I didn't have to.

Do you know if I will have a problem with the water level changing in the skimmer box?

[T Sandman]

Looks pretty good. Just be sure to drill for the bh's as low as possible.

[hurleycr]

why? i thought in order for me to keep enough water in the second compartment I needed the bulkhead to be at or around the water level I wanted to keep in that sump.

[T Sandman]

1234 made a good point with the bh's possibly not flowing enough and the pump possibly running dry. You really have nothing to regulate your water level in the second box. If your skimmer is water level sensitive you will need to baffle it off to keep it consistent. I would really put another set of bh's on there.

[hurleycr]

Ok so you think two sets of BH's. OK, I'd rather have too much than not enough.

O yeah, what do you prefer for a wet/dry....bio balls, or bio bail??

[T Sandman]

I myself would use neither. If you have no other forms of biological filtration I would recommend bio-balls. I have had no experience with bio-bail.

[hurleycr]

the only reason I want the wet/dry is because before, I added it I could never get a reading on nitrates. I always had a little bit either 1 or less. After I added I haven't had those spikes. Though I have about a 4" inch deep sand bed, with around 100 pounds of live rock. In a 75 G.

Any suggestions.... would you make the refuge, bigger and ditch the wet/dry?

[hurleycr]

I'm reconsidering this... all together now. I have looked at other posts from a long time ago. I see where people have had problems with this type of design. I may just redesign the whole thing into one large sump. Though I don't know how I could get it under my tank if I made it any larger than 36". I really want a larger fuge area. ERR....