Skimmer plumbing question

FransSny

FransSny

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Hi guys,

i am sitting with a "interesting" dilemma, space between my sump & stand is to narrow to fit a skimmer bigger than TS1 in diamater. Unfortunately TS 1 is to small for the job.

So now I was thinking would it be possible to plumb 3 sumps on 1 large recirculating skimmer.

Otherwise I would have to get each sump its own recic skimmer
 
What is the height you got there. Seems very flat if a ts1 can not fit.
Why not mount a big skimmer sideways :)

Now for an extremely stupid suggestion. Why not put a small normal 60L ABOVE your display. On a cupboard or whatever. And put an durso overflow in it back to sump second compartment or display tank. Pump water up to it from first chamber. No balancing of pumps, what goes up eventually overflows down. Power outage, just make sure of your syphon break like you normally do on your display.

There problem solved....:thumbup:
 
RiaanP said:
What is the height you got there. Seems very flat if a ts1 can not fit.
Why not mount a big skimmer sideways :)

Now for an extremely stupid suggestion. Why not put a small normal 60L ABOVE your display. On a cupboard or whatever. And put an durso overflow in it back to sump second compartment or display tank. Pump water up to it from first chamber. No balancing of pumps, what goes up eventually overflows down. Power outage, just make sure of your syphon break like you normally do on your display.

There problem solved....:thumbup:
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Hi Riaan,

Sorry should have explained in detail. Its for a stacked bank of tanks, the sumps are very high, thus a very narrow opening between each sump & the tank above it.

As for the the stand are a bit high !
 
Yes Frans, I reckon it was for a stack. Just put the skimmer remotely at least the same height as the bottom display tank.
Why MUST the skimmer be under the display tank? Just us being used to it. Put it next to the stack, or behind, or above, but in your case above will likely be too high.

Or if you got two stacks next to each other, then pull them 40cm apart, And have two skimmers on top of each other, each in a small tank. One for left side, other for right hand side. Yes you will waste an extra pump to pump water up to the skimmer. But if you got no other choice, then what else must you do?

What you doing next week Monday night?
 
RiaanP said:
Yes Frans, I reckon it was for a stack. Just put the skimmer remotely at least the same height as the bottom display tank.
Why MUST the skimmer be under the display tank? Just us being used to it. Put it next to the stack, or behind, or above, but in your case above will likely be too high.

Or if you got two stacks next to each other, then pull them 40cm apart, And have two skimmers on top of each other, each in a small tank. One for left side, other for right hand side. Yes you will waste an extra pump to pump water up to the skimmer. But if you got no other choice, then what else must you do?

What you doing next week Monday night?
Click to expand...

Agreed Riaan, the skimmer could be anywhere, thinking of going remote !

Monday...fishing LOL. No nothing do you feel like a short trip

JD167 said:
Wouldn’t plumbing 3 sumps to one skimmer be a little risky when it comes to spreading disease from quarantined LS?
Click to expand...

Also concerned about this JD, but each tank can be shut off by itself from the main system. Also have a dedicated hospital tank

keyaam said:
Please post a pic.
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Wish I could if my wife the tourist stops driving around with it all happy snappy. Similar to the setup singularity was selling
 
Frans, huge recirc skimmer, with feed small feed pupms in each of the sumps, then you can just use some ball valves on the return from the skimmer to each tank to try and balance the flow, will be tricky but i think that it will be your best bet.
 
Singularity said:
Frans, huge recirc skimmer, with feed small feed pupms in each of the sumps, then you can just use some ball valves on the return from the skimmer to each tank to try and balance the flow, will be tricky but i think that it will be your best bet.
Click to expand...

Thanks Chris

you know what the system looks like. I was thinking all tanks flow into 1 holding tank wit a huge skimmer. This is situated just above the current sumps but remotely, return to individual sumps can then be gravity fed or via pump/s controlled by ball valves
 
Frans you will have to do it with feeder pumps from the sumps, otherwise you will have balancing issues, you will have to balance when you use feed pumps aswell, but i think it will be a bit easier
 
better, 3 remote tanks, 3 skimmers each one overflow to one sump.
3 feeder pumps. Each system separate.

Or
use 3 external skimmers, just remotely. Especially skimmers with 2 pumps, one circulating with venturi the skimmer itself, and other feeding pump. Like I got now on my aquamedic shorty. Then if skimmer is higher, just put bigger feeder pump.

Hows that for an idea...
 
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