ER skimmer mods: Let's see them!

Kaos · 07/14/2006, 05:42 PM

I'm getting ready to do the recirculation, feeder pump, and gate valve mods to my CS 6-1. So, if you've got a moded ER post a picture and explain what and how you did it to help me get ideas for mine. TIA.

Kaos · 07/14/2006, 08:18 PM

I'm also considering drilling the collection cup and putting a drain fitting. If anyone has done this post a pic.

IowaKevinK · 07/14/2006, 10:13 PM

Oh Man!! I just got a second or third hand cs 6-1 too.
I hope some people will post pictures or at least some links to others, I've been looking and am having trouble finding much info. Mine came with some extra pipe and a gate valve but I'm not sure if the valve goes in the vertical or if it can go in the horizontal.
(not trying to hi-jack your post kaos, just interested too)
peace,

outy · 07/14/2006, 11:33 PM

i just did the drain tube and this mod is a must, it only happened once in a year but the cup overflowed because i was cleaning. ill try and get a pic up . i want to do the gate valve mod cut the body in half and use a 6" pvc coupler and extend the body another 4" as well instead of the pump for raw water mod im going to do the T in the drain line with a ball valve to adjust flow.

how much flow are you going to run through yours, i was guessing at around 200gph

if your interested in mods check out the asm thread, the gate valve is vert with a T above followed by a 90 aiming back in the water with a small piece of pvc submerged, youll see

coondogg97 · 07/15/2006, 08:42 AM

Here are some pics of a CS 12-1 and a CS 8-1. I haven't done anything to the CS 8-1, but with the 12-1 I have added the drain mod and the gate valve mod. It doesn't matter how you place the gate valve, vertical or horizontal will both work. With the large but short collection cup on the CS 12-1 every time I would unscrew the collection cup I would spill skimmate everywhere. It was horrible. The skimmate now drains into a 5 gallon bucket. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the collection cup and added a insert adapter. Then drilled a hole in the lid of the bucket and siliconed another PVC insert adapter on the top of that. Connected a tube from the collection cup to the bucket. I empty the bucket once every few weeks and IT STINKS! But its better then spilling skimmate everywhere! I would love to do the recirc mod, but I don't have the guts to drill into the side of this skimmer.. If I ever did decide to have it done, I think I would send the skimmer back to ER and let them do it!

HTH,

Brian

Kaos · 07/15/2006, 08:55 AM

coondogg97: NICE! I feel the same way you do about drilling into the side of the skimmer. I sent an e-mail to ER to see how much they would charge to do it, but I haven't heard back from them yet. Depending on how much they say it will cost determines if I do it or they do.

While conteplating my sump setup I started thinking. The recirc. mod. is so you can control the amount of time the skimmer has to skim the water. What if I had the skimmer in it's own sump and made it so that the skimmer only got 1-1.5 times my system volume into the sump per hour. Wouldn't this be the same are recirculating it in the skimmer? LMK what you think.

coondogg97 · 07/15/2006, 09:16 AM

I remember reading a while ago about what ER charges. I think it might have been $75.. I know the price wasn't that bad. You can search the forums, I know its out there somewhere. As for the recirc. mod, I am under the impression that adding an additional pump for recirculation in the skimmer is to produce more micro bubbles inside the skimmer which will produce more skimmate. I don't know if I would restrict any of your water volume from entering your skimmer. I think I rather have more water volume turned over that is less skimmed then have less water volume turned over that is more skimmed. That make sense? If I am wrong, someone please jump in and correct me.

Brian

outy · 07/15/2006, 01:16 PM

the slower the water flows through the skimmer, raw water will have that much more contact time to be cleaned better.

personaly i would use a dremel for the hole and save yourself some cash, im with you i would not just drill away on acrylic. I used the dremel on the side of the collection cup and it went very smooth.

Kaos · 07/15/2006, 10:20 PM

Thanks and keep'em coming.

07/14/2006, 05:42 PM	#1
Kaos "Lurker" Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,131	ER skimmer mods: Let's see them! I'm getting ready to do the recirculation, feeder pump, and gate valve mods to my CS 6-1. So, if you've got a moded ER post a picture and explain what and how you did it to help me get ideas for mine. TIA. __________________ Ordinary people are the ones scared to be themselves.

07/14/2006, 08:18 PM	#2
Kaos "Lurker" Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,131	I'm also considering drilling the collection cup and putting a drain fitting. If anyone has done this post a pic. __________________ Ordinary people are the ones scared to be themselves.

07/15/2006, 08:42 AM	#5
coondogg97 Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: South Eastern, PA Posts: 243	Here are some pics of a CS 12-1 and a CS 8-1. I haven't done anything to the CS 8-1, but with the 12-1 I have added the drain mod and the gate valve mod. It doesn't matter how you place the gate valve, vertical or horizontal will both work. With the large but short collection cup on the CS 12-1 every time I would unscrew the collection cup I would spill skimmate everywhere. It was horrible. The skimmate now drains into a 5 gallon bucket. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the collection cup and added a insert adapter. Then drilled a hole in the lid of the bucket and siliconed another PVC insert adapter on the top of that. Connected a tube from the collection cup to the bucket. I empty the bucket once every few weeks and IT STINKS! But its better then spilling skimmate everywhere! I would love to do the recirc mod, but I don't have the guts to drill into the side of this skimmer.. If I ever did decide to have it done, I think I would send the skimmer back to ER and let them do it! HTH, Brian __________________ "When people are already won over, the challenge is to blow their minds." -- DAVE MATTHEWS Current Tank Info: 150 Gallon Tank, 50 Gallon Rubbermaid frag tank. 1 x 250MH 2 x 175MH Euroreef CS 12-1

07/15/2006, 08:55 AM	#6
Kaos "Lurker" Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,131	coondogg97: NICE! I feel the same way you do about drilling into the side of the skimmer. I sent an e-mail to ER to see how much they would charge to do it, but I haven't heard back from them yet. Depending on how much they say it will cost determines if I do it or they do. While conteplating my sump setup I started thinking. The recirc. mod. is so you can control the amount of time the skimmer has to skim the water. What if I had the skimmer in it's own sump and made it so that the skimmer only got 1-1.5 times my system volume into the sump per hour. Wouldn't this be the same are recirculating it in the skimmer? LMK what you think. __________________ Ordinary people are the ones scared to be themselves.

07/15/2006, 09:16 AM	#7
coondogg97 Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: South Eastern, PA Posts: 243	I remember reading a while ago about what ER charges. I think it might have been $75.. I know the price wasn't that bad. You can search the forums, I know its out there somewhere. As for the recirc. mod, I am under the impression that adding an additional pump for recirculation in the skimmer is to produce more micro bubbles inside the skimmer which will produce more skimmate. I don't know if I would restrict any of your water volume from entering your skimmer. I think I rather have more water volume turned over that is less skimmed then have less water volume turned over that is more skimmed. That make sense? If I am wrong, someone please jump in and correct me. Brian __________________ "When people are already won over, the challenge is to blow their minds." -- DAVE MATTHEWS Current Tank Info: 150 Gallon Tank, 50 Gallon Rubbermaid frag tank. 1 x 250MH 2 x 175MH Euroreef CS 12-1

07/14/2006, 10:13 PM	#3
IowaKevinK Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Davenport,IA Posts: 194	Oh Man!! I just got a second or third hand cs 6-1 too. I hope some people will post pictures or at least some links to others, I've been looking and am having trouble finding much info. Mine came with some extra pipe and a gate valve but I'm not sure if the valve goes in the vertical or if it can go in the horizontal. (not trying to hi-jack your post kaos, just interested too) peace,

07/14/2006, 11:33 PM	#4
outy Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: auburn CA Posts: 4,021	i just did the drain tube and this mod is a must, it only happened once in a year but the cup overflowed because i was cleaning. ill try and get a pic up . i want to do the gate valve mod cut the body in half and use a 6" pvc coupler and extend the body another 4" as well instead of the pump for raw water mod im going to do the T in the drain line with a ball valve to adjust flow. how much flow are you going to run through yours, i was guessing at around 200gph if your interested in mods check out the asm thread, the gate valve is vert with a T above followed by a 90 aiming back in the water with a small piece of pvc submerged, youll see

07/15/2006, 01:16 PM	#8
outy Moved On Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: auburn CA Posts: 4,021	the slower the water flows through the skimmer, raw water will have that much more contact time to be cleaned better. personaly i would use a dremel for the hole and save yourself some cash, im with you i would not just drill away on acrylic. I used the dremel on the side of the collection cup and it went very smooth.

07/15/2006, 10:20 PM	#9
Kaos "Lurker" Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,131	Thanks and keep'em coming. __________________ Ordinary people are the ones scared to be themselves.