DIY 3 gallon skimmer. need help

[LoyalConvict]

I'm planning on making my own skimmer with what i have on hand (i know its almost imposible) but i was wanting to use the 3 gallon bucket as the reaction chamber it may be a 2 and a half gallon not sure. an old 4 inch skimmer body as the neck. pumps i have a rio 2100 - 692 GPH . . . Cap 2200 - 580 GPH . . . AquaClear 901 (110) 960 GPH or so. here's a pic of the bucket and skimmer body i am refering to, 5 gallon bucket for size referance only

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04211.JPG

questions:

1- does there have to be a taper before the neck?

2- what would be the better pump to add water to the skimmer

3- what would be the best for a recirc pump

4- how long should the neck be?

I need as much advice, tips, help as posible.

thenks for any help

[LoyalConvict]

Oh i pretty much wanna make a TurboFlotor 5000 shorty in sump

[dzeadow]

I guess I can only help with a couple, but
1) it'd be more effecient if it had a "cone" to get from the base to the neck
2&3)not sure if you're wanting to inject a venturi mix w/ the first pump or just use it as a feed pump, but usually you want a lower flow pump for the feed pump to get better dwell times, and use a higher rated pump for the recirc. When doing my recirc stand behind skimmer it was mentioned that a 4" neck can handle something like 30scfh of air.. it'd be good to find out what your pumps are rated for.
4) During the same build I read in a few places where 6" tall was the ideal height for the neck.. I can't remember exactly why, but 6" was definitely a number I read, and made mine that way.

I'd definitely look into the 5g bucket skimmer thread and see what they used for parts and just downsize them for your application.

[dzeadow]

just in case you can't get the search function to work:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1017691&highlight=bucket+skimmer

He used a funnel to get from the bucket to the neck

[LoyalConvict]

thanks for the tips danny, and the inlet pump will be drawing air to the reaction chamber too. after going thru my boxes of parts i noticed i had a 2 inch peice of pipe from an old visi-jet skimmer too. if that would be better than the 4 inch.

but i will check on that thread i was trying to search for it too but got the server busy, again thanks

[dzeadow]

the bigger the better. the 2" neck will only handle like 10scfh if that, which isn't much, especially for that size. I'd shoot for 20scfh in the 4", that's what I'm eventually trying to achieve after I spend hundreds of dollars in pumps trying to find the right one :lol:

[LoyalConvict]

ok i'm impatiant as hell and am off to wally world to try and find sumthing that can act as a dome for the skimmer, that and i noticed i'm almost out of silly-cone, I hope by tommorow i'll have sumthing that resembles a skimmer... with luck and hope anyways

[dzeadow]

good luck, looking forward to seeing some pics and progress!

[eznet2u]

Hope this is an "In sump" skimmer. Silicone isn't going to stick to that bucket. :(

[LoyalConvict]

Here's what i found a sterilite plastic storing container, perfect fit on the bucket. i'll be doing more tonight and post pics and progress for those interested

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04222.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04224.JPG

and it will be in sump, i was planning on using oatey PVC Cement to hold it all together. unless it isnt that good of a choice i'll use anything that anyone thinks is the best or better. silicone is to just put a bead around everything to prevent leaks

Oh and if this doesnt work out to good i noticed a 3 gallon water jug that would probably work better, but i'm trying to do this with what i have laying around.

[LoyalConvict]

i had to use a dremel to cut the circles out, it worked ok. i do miss my adjustable circle cutter tho.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04225.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04226.JPG

this is the collection cup from the old 4 inch that slid onto the skimmer body i used a cut off wheel to cut the collection cup off

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04227.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424Image2.jpg

the little lip on it will be perfect to seal/glue from the inside

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424Image1.jpg

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04230.JPG

i still have to cut the neck down and glue it all together but this is how far i got so far

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04232.JPG

any comments suggestions are very much welcome. this is my first DIY skimmer.

but i think i'll use my rio for the inlet and the aquaclear for the recirc. the rio has the impeller from my CSS with fishing line wraped around it and the aquaclear is mesh modded

and would a 3/4 inch PVC be enuff for the outlet? or should i use 1 inch?

and i have an old plastic 3/4 gallon pretzel jar i was gonna use for the collection cup

[not_sponsored]

Looks good so far, what kind of "glue" will you be using?

Edit: never mind saw you're using pvc cement, don't think that will work on the plastic bucket or bowl. best bet is probably some aquamend or something.

[dzeadow]

that a kid! lookin good so far! I would definitely stay away from the pvc cement, it's likely just to melt the plastic and not really bond it to anything. It's too bad that bucket didn't have a screw on lid like the 5g did in the above listed thread so you could put your dome in that and screw it down. Does the bucket have a flange of some kind that you could possibly screw through to the bowl? Maybe you could make some kind of gasket to go between the two and get some nylong wing nuts and nylon bolts and put a bunch of holes around the outside and twist them down. Not sure how tight it would get it, but I think that's going to be your weakest seal, between the bowl and the bucket.

[LoyalConvict]

I was thinking of doing what i use to do when i'd break fenders off my dirt bike. drill a bunch of holes and use zip-ties, just cut and replace. and for the gasket i was thinking of doing that loose at first and packing it full of silicone (try) and cut a straight line around it after it dries and tighten up all the zip-ties to smush it down/together. then like i said if i need to take it off just cut the ties and replace em'.

unless there's a problem with that

but i got my recirc pump installed. hit a road block tho, i wanted to use 1 inch pvc as the outlet but cant find a gate or a ball valve so i'm gonna have to take a long drive back to town and get one sometime today and either that or an adjustable stand pipe.... here's pic's of the recirc installed

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04235.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04236.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04237.JPG

beautiful use on the zip-tie on the clear tubing huh? it was a PITA to slip the tube on i tightend up the zip tie before i slid the tubing on to make it as tight as posible. couldnt find a plastic hose clamp that size either to big or to small

[LoyalConvict]

well here it is mostly...

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04238.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04239.JPG

I had to ditch the pretzel jar cos it cracked when i was cutting it with my dremmel, so i used a Fiji Mud bucket as my collection cup

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04240.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424DSC04241.JPG

[dzeadow]

how are you going to be able to remove the collection cup without the stuff falling all over the floor? unless you're attaching the riser neck to the collection bucket somehow and it all just detaches from the main body?

[LoyalConvict]

sorry i forgot to take a pic of this...

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424mage11.jpg

that will be glued to the bottom of the collection cup. there will be a fitting on the side of the collection cup also to drain the skimmate from it

[LoyalConvict]

nothing is glued together yet, and after reading the aquaclear 802 (70) mod, i think i might use my aquaclear 70 for my input pump, if i'm able to copy what hahn did.

but for now i need ta take a nap and dream about it

[dzeadow]

I've tried the AC70 mod, I still haven't gotten it up to where he had it.. I think I got 10scfh max so far, but there's a couple of more things I'd like to try before I give up on it... he was able to get it up to 17 some how, which would be great, especially if I could get that at 12" depth, that's what I need.

[not_sponsored]

Getting the bucket to acrylic to seal is gonna be a pain. It's ok if the rest of the skimmer leaks a little but if the collection cup leaks it defeats the purpose of the skimmer.

[LoyalConvict]

i have a stick of aquamend i was going to use to "glue" it all together. well hold fast epoxy stick, i was gonna rough sand every contact area with 60 grit to give it something to bind into. or would this not work?

[LoyalConvict]

i got back from the store, couldnt find anything to make an adjustable stand pipe like what randysacye uses on his, i only got a ball valve so adjusting it in at first is gonna be a PINTA, after i get it all together and running i'll post pics for anyone interested

[stugray]

For a glue between different plastics try "Marine Goop" if you can find it.

For the "adjustable stand pipe", there are two different PVC repair joints at lowes or homeDepot that allow you to change the length ( one has a compression on each end, the other has a slip joint with a rubber O-ring seal ). Both will give you an adjustable hartford-loop-type of output.

Stu

[LoyalConvict]

i wasnt able to do anything today, my sister came down from main to visit, i did find some of that marine goop at ace hardware... that epoxy worked ok but i was trying to "test" it and after pulling on it from differant areas i ended up peeling the whole thing off with out much force

[dzeadow]

ahh, the master of the 5g bucket stops by! What's marine goop, is it actual glue? What about that 2 part epoxy that says it's a plastic welder? It says its not good for 2 kinds of plastic, one of which I'm sure is this bucket...

Loyal. How did you seat the pluming for the pumps into the bucket, did you use a uni-seal or just siliconed it?

[LoyalConvict]

i used a 1 inch peice of vinyl tubing slid up tight on each side and siliconed it, i'm not to worried about leaks it will be in sump, i think i'm gonna try and find some of that marine goop, the 2 part epoxy dries hard and i think the flexing of the bucked made it come loose, but it worked fine in the collection cup, but if i cant find the marine goop or a reef same type of "glue" i'm just gonna drill holes on the outside lip of the bucket and the "dome" and zip-tie and silicone it. i'm on pretty much a zero dollar budget. i'm gonna try to hunt down an expansion coupling today,

[Ratpack]

A reef safe glue would be superglue gel. That should hold since it is plastic.

[LoyalConvict]

finaly got the parts to make an adjustable stand pipe. i'll be putting the rest of the skimmer together tonight/tommorow the inlet pump stand pipe etc... any suggests or ideas are still definitely welcome

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/174424123.jpg

[eznet2u]

Just a suggestion...

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/7035/174424dsc04237wv7.jpg

[LoyalConvict]

Ok recently i've been playing around with modding a QO 4000, and an AC 70 (802) and 901 (110). so i havent done much in regards to the skimmer body. but on my birthday thursday my Old lady got me a few things the best of wich was a bottle. a 3 gallon water bottle, now i'm basicly gonna set my bucket skimmer aside and start modding the 3 gallon water jug

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1744243_gallon_jug.jpg

I've already read thru the posts in regards to modding a 5 gallon water jug. so as soon as i get some more enkamat to mod my QO pump for recirc duty's, i'll hopefully be able ta finaly get it going