My DIY Skimmer: af648

[alvy]

This is my recent and difficult diy project for AT.

[Tanzy]

Looks pro! Can the outlet handle the flow and where's the drain for the collection cup?

[alvy]

yup there is a drain at the other side..can't see it from here..for the recommended pump, md 55 yes..should be more thansufficient. 1.25 inch gate...cant find 1.5 in S'pore...unless u recommend!

[Joe_P]

Heh heh....

been looking for the MD 55 but shops claim no such model......

BTW, nice DIY........ looks cool........

[Hon]

darn....what a huge monster ...

Looks good enough to skim the whole swimming pool alvy...h.a.h.a.h

I also want leh.... *hint*

[Achilles Tang]

TOMORROW MY BABY'S COMING!!!!

I think I can retire my H&S already!

This baby's 4 ft tall!

[Tanzy]

Heh heh....

been looking for the MD 55 but shops claim no such model......

BTW, nice DIY........ looks cool........

Buy direct from Iwaki Singapore.

[Achilles Tang]

Guess what? My Aquamedic Oceanrunner 6500 can't provide enough 'oomph'.... inspite of pushing 6500litres per hour.

It's simply too under-pressured rated. It's foaming but not providing max efficiency. Probably pushing around +/- 4500 litres due to backpressure.

I need an Iwaki! <_< Damn, there goes my electrical bill... 200watts? x 24/7.

The Alvyfoamer 648 looks very impressive and very well-made... kudos to Alvy for his excellent workmanship. I'll be doing a proper product review once I get the proper pump to run it well. But simply... it's acrylic, laser-cut, looks very professional and not the typical DIY job using 'clear but actually cloudy' PVC.

[alvy]

AT: i suggest u find a stable stand for the skimmer..raise it higher so that the water column is higher than the water level of the sump...at the discharge corner in the sump, ensure that the pipe goes in all the way into the water so that a siphon is created..this will greatly increase the outflow from the valve and the water column within the skimmer will be drained low for maintenance.

[Achilles Tang]

If I raise it higher... this skimmer is gonna be taller than me!

I need a stool to remove the collection cup! LOL!

Thanks, Alvy... I'm gonna decide on the position later when I fix up the new pump first. Can't wait for 'milk colour' but I am already seeing 'dirt' collecting on the walls... from just the sump water and current pump.

[Achilles Tang]

Clean foam.

After one hour, drawing water from sump only.

After 4 hours, drawing water from sump only.

That much gunk from sump water? My sump was disconnected from my main tank for about 1 week. Well, it did smell a little stale...

See coke bottle in background for an idea of the size!

[spade]

what time is the best time to raid his tank

AT, can raid urs this wed/sat to c the skimmer?

[Achilles Tang]

Oih.. dun anyhow quote!

No one is gonna touch my 'precious'!

[Achilles Tang]

Can't wait to put my main tank online with the sump and have my skimmer start working on getting my water cleaned up...it's been too long a wait!

Anyone with lobangs for cheap Iwaki?

[alvy]

Hey..forgot to tell you...you can raise the foam level in the riser chamber to a few inches below the collection cup!!! the 60% water level is merely for break-in and water voume gauging!

[Achilles Tang]

Heh... yeah... I know.. but I still haven't got the tubing for the overflow collection runoff... don't want to have skimmate on my floor!

Morgan just came to my place with Spade to test-run a MD55 on it, it produced more foam but the input rubber hose collapsed to a smaller diameter due to me sticking another smaller hose inside so it can draw water from the sump, so that may have been the problem... It was simply too short.

I am gonna get hard piping to run it with my new pump, maybe going to Hai Cheong tomorrow.

My main tank should be enjoying cleaner water starting Thursday!

[rrrobt]

holy shit !!!!! what can i say long live the skimmer and cheers to you

[Phang]

....... but the input rubber hose collapsed to a smaller diameter due to me sticking another smaller hose inside so it can draw water from the sump, so that may have been the problem.......

HUh???

[spade]

aerofoamer's manual

Aerofoamer.pdf

[Achilles Tang]

HUh???

morgan's input hose of 1" is too short, so it couldn't extend all the way into my sump. So I stuck a smaller diameter hose into it to extend it.

Now water can enter the pump but that also means the the 1" hose has lesser water entering it due to the smaller diameter hose ie. more pressure created... thus it began to collapse due to suction pressure... maybe that is why the optimum level of foam produced is not there.

Geddit? Oih... how come you couldn't make it last nite?

[Phang]

My reef loh... something went wrong with my chiller output.. so went out to get material to remedy...

Or else will get a reef full of bleached acros....

[Hon]

Any chance of a pic to see the Alvyfoamer powered by MX in action.

[Achilles Tang]

Your wish is my command.

here's the Alvyfoamer 648 hooked up to the sump for the breaking-in period.

About 8 hours ago, I got the sump reconnected back to the maintank, did a water change and the skimmer hooked up... and here's the result.

[spiff]

looks like barley in the reaction chamber, at the collection cup looks like mocha

[TanGo]

Mochabarleychino!

Served fresh from the skimmer!