Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquattro
Personally, I like the LFS advice. I would run the skimmer in the sump on it's own pump. I would drain the overflow with 2 lines directly into the sump. One day something is going to go down that tube, either fish, snail, or something. I wouldn't want it going into my skimmer  But hey, I like pumps, I run 5 in my sump -lol
Not knowing what type of skimmer it is, it might not even work without a pump. is it airstone driven? If not, gravity probably won't have enough pressure to work a venturi well.
Most overflows are noisy, so you need to modify the intake with a durso or stockman type fitting to get it quiet. You may not have room judging by the pics. |
Hi. That is good advice. Sometimes it's one of those things where we (as people) would rather ignore the truth than face it head-on. The skimmer is presently broken at the inlet (as shown in the pics). After discussing the issue with my girlfriend we've decided to keep the overflow box, because we bought it and stuff. She absolutely does not approve of removing the overflow box and trying to sell it, and building a simple PVC overflow in its place.
I really was just planning on having the gravity drain make the skimmer work, but what the heck is the point of using a skimmer if it's not operating properly?
I bet I could talk her out of the Weipro skimmer, and cut our losses. Maybe I can sell it in its broken condition for half price or something.
Maybe it would be best to plumb both drains right to the sump and then invest in a good brand name skimmer and pump. Can you recommend one that would still sit externally (as there isn't much room in the sump). I guess if leaking was an issue I could put the skimmer in a 5 gal pail but the sump is only 10 gal and I want to keep some rock in there. There's room in the cabinet for equipment to sit beside the sump (i.e. external skimmer).
I guess the last thing I need to ask then, is: since the overflow is much too large for the tank, can I use only one of the drains, and keep the second one as backup (in case of a water level increase in the overflow)? I realize two drains operating in parallel will double the flow out of the tank, but I am not sure that's what I want here. One 1" drain should probably do the trick.