Crazy Protein Skimmer question.....but I have to ask.

[Vinman75]

Alright, I am embarrassed to ask this, but I am still trying to figure out the whole protein skimmer in a sump thing. I have made my own sump, with a 3 divider bubble trap. I have followed the instructions from Melev's and other websites From what I understand, water flows from the overflow box or holes drilled in the tank down into the sump section where the protein skimmer is located. The tubing from the overflow dumps the water into that section of the sump and the pump on the protein skimmer sucks up the water and shoots it into the skimmer cone and makes the bubbles which collect in the cup and is the brown grossness which is taken out of the water.

The part that i am having trouble understanding is where does the water come out of the skimmer? and how do I get that water up and over the divider and in through the bubble trap section? Is there a tube which is connected to the out put valve? I never seem to see an output tube/opening which sends the water OUT of the skimmer and into the other sections of the sump? How do you get the output water up and over the divider?

This may seem like a crazy question but I have not seen one in action and haven't seen any videos showing in action so I am having trouble figuring this out.

Thank you in advance. Ii am looking at getting a reef octopus in sump skimmer.

 

[amdphenomx4]

Can you take a picture of your sump? What you're saying doesn't make sense. The water should just come out in the same chamber.

 

[Vinman75]

I am not sure I can take a picture, I will have to figure a way to do so. But, from what you are saying, does the water coming into the sump chamber from the display tank get sucked into the protein skimmer and the output from the protein skimmer all occur in the same chamber and then the water just goes up and over? I will attach a link of what I made for my sumo.

 

[Vinman75]

See this link. this is exactly what I made. It has the 3 baffles which separate the protein skimmer from the other sections of the sump. I think what you are saying is that the water from the tank comes down goes into one section and the skimmers output is in the same section as well. Is that correct?


http://aquarists-at-usf.forumotion.com/t31-converting-a-20l-to-a-sump

 

[amdphenomx4]

Yes. All the skimmer water input and output is in the same chamber. It then flows over the baffles to the next chamber. To be fair, you could have it output over the baffle but if you didn't plan for it there's no reason to. All you'll get is a bit of extra skimmed water.

 

[nemodan]

Can you take a picture of your sump? What you're saying doesn't make sense. The water should just come out in the same chamber.

There you have the answer.

The skimmer (at least the ones I always had, nothing high-tech) will expel the water in the "same chamber that is located". The water from the overflow will go to your first section of the sump, where you have the skimmer. Part of that water will be suck by the skimmer pump and will come out in the same chamber. All the water will still be moving from that first chamber to the following that could be a fuge or ??? and then to the last one that has the return pump ( if the sump has 3 chambers).

My water goes to a fuge first, from there to a small sump with with 2 chambers. First chamber has the skimmer and the other the return pump with the ATO. See pictures

 

[Vinman75]

Aaaaahhhh. You guys are the best! Thank you very much for the information. I just wasn't sure and was trying to figure it out. Thank you, thank you thank you. these may seem like basic questions but it is very helpful and I love this website due to it.

Thank you.