Skimmer -in or out of sump?

co_alpine · 07/26/2009, 07:58 PM

I have been reading a lot of the skimmer threads on here before posting this (and there are a lot of them) but I have not found one that talks about the difference between in and out of the sump. (if i missed it please link me)
I am setting up a 40G that has a 20G refugium and have limited room for the skimmer. I have some room in the first chamber that is about 12" deep but I am not sure if that is best or if I should put it external?
Are there pros/cons to running it out of the sump area (other than less space needed)?
thanks in advance for any help on this.

popeye20 · 07/26/2009, 08:50 PM

If you have the room to place the skimmer in a way that your tank gave it direct feed and it drained into the sump external is ideal. You want the water going to your skimmer to be direct from the tank before any type of filtering idealy anyway. A recirc skimmer, directly fed and depending on the amount of flow from your tank you could skim all of the water prior to it hitting the sump, or if your flow is to high for that T off the line and control the ammount thru the skimmer with a ball or gate valve.

co_alpine · 07/26/2009, 09:55 PM

Right now I have the water dropping from the tank to the first chamber which only has the heater in it and this is where I drip in from the calcium reactor. I was thinking of adding a pump in there to push to the skimmer, so the water will be unfiltered.
the drain rate to the sump is about 600g/hr so if did not do a pump I would need a skimmer to handle that rate or like you said build in a T to push some to the sump and some to the skimmer.

What are some of the leading external skimmers? Or can most be made to skim externally?

noboddi · 07/26/2009, 10:08 PM

If you go with an external recirculating skimmer, you will want to slow down the flow a bit. the rule of thumb is to pass 1.5x the tank volume through a recirculating skimmer. This increases the contact time and the water that comes back is very clean.

Its easiest to feed a recirc skimmer with a small powerhead IME

07/26/2009, 07:58 PM	#1
co_alpine Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Littleton, Co Posts: 13	Skimmer -in or out of sump? I have been reading a lot of the skimmer threads on here before posting this (and there are a lot of them) but I have not found one that talks about the difference between in and out of the sump. (if i missed it please link me) I am setting up a 40G that has a 20G refugium and have limited room for the skimmer. I have some room in the first chamber that is about 12" deep but I am not sure if that is best or if I should put it external? Are there pros/cons to running it out of the sump area (other than less space needed)? thanks in advance for any help on this.

07/26/2009, 10:08 PM	#4
noboddi Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 813	If you go with an external recirculating skimmer, you will want to slow down the flow a bit. the rule of thumb is to pass 1.5x the tank volume through a recirculating skimmer. This increases the contact time and the water that comes back is very clean. Its easiest to feed a recirc skimmer with a small powerhead IME __________________ Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem - William of Ockham Current Tank Info: 55 gallon (36x18x20), 40 gallon sump, 25 gallon refugium, TEK 6x39w fixture, Osmolator, Kalk Reactor, Vortech MP20, 2 Koralia 3s on controller, Acropora, Anthelia, Montipora, Starry Blenny, Yellow Watchman, Rainford Goby, Tiger Gobies

07/26/2009, 08:50 PM	#2
popeye20 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: las vegas nv. Posts: 41	If you have the room to place the skimmer in a way that your tank gave it direct feed and it drained into the sump external is ideal. You want the water going to your skimmer to be direct from the tank before any type of filtering idealy anyway. A recirc skimmer, directly fed and depending on the amount of flow from your tank you could skim all of the water prior to it hitting the sump, or if your flow is to high for that T off the line and control the ammount thru the skimmer with a ball or gate valve.

07/26/2009, 09:55 PM	#3
co_alpine Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Littleton, Co Posts: 13	Right now I have the water dropping from the tank to the first chamber which only has the heater in it and this is where I drip in from the calcium reactor. I was thinking of adding a pump in there to push to the skimmer, so the water will be unfiltered. the drain rate to the sump is about 600g/hr so if did not do a pump I would need a skimmer to handle that rate or like you said build in a T to push some to the sump and some to the skimmer. What are some of the leading external skimmers? Or can most be made to skim externally?