Opinion on gate valve set on skimmer

[Bobbofin]

Opinion on gate valve set up on skimmer

I bought a Reef Dynamics (Euro Reef) skimmer and will be adding a gate valve this weekekend. My question is about configuration. I've always put the gate valve after the vent/riser tube so most of the air bubbles go up the vent/riser tube not through the gate valve and into the water like in #1. I usually build my gate valve assembly like #1 with great results but Jeff from Reef Dynamics said the gate valve should go before the tee like in #2. This makes no sense to me, you'd be forcing 100% whatever bubbles exit the skimmer through the gate valve. An opinion of someone who built #2 would be great so I don't waste my time.

 

[biggyclops]

to be honest i have only seen the #2 setup... i notice that #1 setup from the octopus setup you sold and wondering if you put it that way by accident...

i think in setup #1 setup you are defeating the reason for the mod....

 

[Bobbofin]

I basically copied what Marine Solutions sells. It worked good for years, no air bubbles, fine control of water level. Loooking for an opinion on #2.

 

[biggyclops]

i think what you can do with option 2 is make it into a reverse durso... which will hopefully eliminate bubbles all together.. i just got an octopus 200 that has a bubble plate with the gate mod... have to say.. this is the first skimmer i have ever owned that i don't need to run the return into a micron sock to get rid of the bubbles..

 

[JohnK]

Huh, interesting discussion.

I've always prefered #1 because with #2 if there is some slight obstruction that gets into the valve (not all that likely, but it could happen) the skimmer will have nothing to do but overflow into the collection cup. With #1 at least some backpressure can blow out of the open vent tube, though the level in the skimmer body would still back up, just not as much.

It also seems like #1 may allow some of the air to vent out, whereas I would think that #2 would keep all the air trapped in the water until it starts pouring down.

Biggy, do you have a pic of how your skimmer is set up exactly? I'm wondering if the newer style design might just be doing a better job of seperating the foam from the water on it's way out (Yes, I did say that I thought this would only be a secondary effect of the bubble plate the other day, but I'll be the first to admit that I may have been missing something )

 

[Bobbofin]

I'm wondering if the newer style design might just be doing a better job of seperating the foam from the water on it's way out (Yes, I did say that I thought this would only be a secondary effect of the bubble plate the other day, but I'll be the first to admit that I may have been missing something )

I'm not a fan of bubble plates. They take up too much space in the reaction chamber and decrease contact time of the water and the bubbles. They are only effective when you have a very strong pump or pumps and there'a a lot of turbulence. Part of the problem with skimmer design is that they make the skimmers too narrow to fit in small places and put huge pumps on them. They ignore the contact time of the water and the bubbles. They're coming up with catchy things like mesh mods and bubble plates instead of proven effective design. There's a reason why Bubble King Skimmers are so wide, short and stubby even with the bubble plate. My INS100 Reef Dynamics skimmer(Euro-Reef 100) is 6" wide and 22" tall. There's a great video series, episode #88, on YouTube by Jim of LA Fish Guys with Jeff Macare of Reef Dynamics (formerly Euro-Reef). Jeff explains over eight videos and two hours all about skimmer design. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXuEebGU9zA&feature=player_embedded

 

[Joel A]

I'm not a fan of bubble plates. They take up too much space in the reaction chamber and decrease contact time of the water and the bubbles.

not trying to throw you under the bus here... but every good skimmer on the market has a bubble plate these days... they decrease turbulence very effectively, so the bubbles rise up nicely and produce a nice solid, steady, frothy foam.... they also basically eliminate micro bubbles on the skimmers output... i would never buy a skimmer in todays market without a bubble plate.

 

[MikeG]

I have tried both. When I first bought my Euroreef, I set it up like #1 and the waterlevel would occasionally be in consistent. Set it up like #2 about 2 years ago and have never had an issue since.

 

[biggyclops]

Huh, interesting discussion.

I've always prefered #1 because with #2 if there is some slight obstruction that gets into the valve (not all that likely, but it could happen) the skimmer will have nothing to do but overflow into the collection cup. With #1 at least some backpressure can blow out of the open vent tube, though the level in the skimmer body would still back up, just not as much.

It also seems like #1 may allow some of the air to vent out, whereas I would think that #2 would keep all the air trapped in the water until it starts pouring down.

Biggy, do you have a pic of how your skimmer is set up exactly? I'm wondering if the newer style design might just be doing a better job of seperating the foam from the water on it's way out (Yes, I did say that I thought this would only be a secondary effect of the bubble plate the other day, but I'll be the first to admit that I may have been missing something )

AAAaah the bubble plate!!! u remembered! my setup is the same as this one http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus-nwb-200-br-needle-wheel-protein--br-skimmer-496.html but without the stand pipe (just a gate valve) first time i am running a skimmer without a sock.. i can prob get a pic when i get back home next weekend