DIY Skimmer Shut off

[Grav]

I made several changes yesterday including:

 

New Sump

Return and drain plumbing

Pipe stand (durso) mods

Re-plumed skimmer & changed how water gets to the fuge (same pump)

and a few other random small things

 

Now the old sump had no "real" baffles so was very forgiving on water level, but caused other issues, (I'm sure you can guess)

 

Well, I set the skimmer to run too wet and in the morning I was darderiously close to over flowing the skimmer collection jug (5 gallons) this caused the water level in the area where the return pump is to drop very low and turn the Mag 18 into a massive becket injector... lots of bubbles in the tank.

 

If I had an auto-top off and been away for more than 8 hrs I could have flooded the basment with skimmat and droped my specific gravity so low as to kill everything.

 

ANYWAY, my question is, any suggestions on a float shut off that would block the air coming out of the skimmer?

[flowerseller]

I run my collection cup tube into a 1g milk jug, and down to 1" from the bottom. This sits in a 5g bucket. Point being, when the skimate run off level gets too high in the milk jug, it backs the skimmer up and drops the bubble level in the chamber.

[Grav]

Chip,

 

Simply put: I don't "get it"

 

You mean just the back pressure of a gallon of watter shuts down your skimmer?

 

Phil

[xeon]

If your skimmer is the kind where you cut the airflow on the output of the collection cup and it stops your skimming from bubbling.... you can do this. On the top of some kind of container, place two holes... one for skimmate to enter and another to attach a device with a ping pong ball that will float to the top and block air when the level reaches a certain height. When the skimmate floats the ping pong ball and blocks the ultimate air flow... no skimming.

 

If you Google "Protein Skimmer Waste Collector", you will see some of the commercially available models that use this design. As a tip, T12 bulb protectors work pretty good for the "ball holder". The other parts are PVC, a threaded nipple fitting and of course a container that would lend itself to this application and be air tight.

[Guest HVF21221]

Mine did run over last week while I was on vacation. Of course it never has before, but everything happens while you are away. One popular design is the ping pong ball shut off. I think I am going to use the simple float switch from grainger. The float switch is cheap and I will wire it to a plug that the skimmer pump will run on. When the float rises it will cut off the skimmer pump. Easy to do.

Howard

[flowerseller]

Hi Howard,

I have a "Grainger" float switch too. Mines is for like 15 watts, enough for a powerhead. Your switch bigger?

[craby]

My skim mate container has the ping pong ball shut off. It basically is an old 1/2 gal wide mouth jug w/ a plastic lid 1st hole taped for 3/8" NPT to barbed fitting for skim mate inlet & 2nd hole has (2) 1" to 1/2" bushings glued back to back @ hole w/ short piece of 1/2" pipe. A 1" cap is glued to the top bushing. A 1" coupling w/ cap is glued to the bottom bushing. Both caps have (5) 1/8" holes drilled for air flow. Oh, & don't forget to put the ping pong ball in the bottom section before gluing the bottom cap on :P . HTH.

[Lee Stearns]

Man you guys and your compicated systems- I live by the Kiss principle, that way ther eis nothing to go wrong- if a coral is that sensitive to change- I guess it won't do well in my system-- Though i have a feeling Chip after this sunday will bring me over to the dark side of having a Kalk reactor- I have to admit his stable fast growth is tempting--

[Guest HVF21221]

Grainger #2A554 30 watt

#2A552 60 watt

 

This is the #'s for float switches

[flowerseller]

Hey Lee,

The guy above, Howard, is the one that we actually made the reactor from,

( we have an extender "option" that raises the pump higher in the chamber )

and he also has a pizza oven. Get the connection?

I still think you should make reactor and put it online soon.

I'm looking at Sunday's options which seem to be late afternoon - very early evening.

 

Howard,

Thanks for the Grainger info. I'm sticking with the current milk container for now, although we just got a new laundry room floor so................

We cooked 15 pizzas Saturday evening and I only burned part of the edge on two.

[Guest HVF21221]

15 Pizzas? Party time?

 

I use a jelly bean jar that is a nice size with a screw on lid. I think I will drill a hole in the lid and put in the switch, should be an easy fix. I could make a whole new collection container out of acrylic to match the skimmer but it's kind of a joke now that I like my jelly bean jar!

 

Howard

[flowerseller]

That's why I still use the milk jug!

Plus, it's in constant supply since w/3 boys we go thru 7g a week.

 

Our oldest son had kids over, man to be young.

They didn't have them like that when I was in high school.