Wasted money on an EXTERNAL skimmer??

[AquaMonkey]

I finally broke down and bought an Octopus DNWB-110 Recirculating Skimmer.

I got the external model because I didnt have room in my sump. I also planned on buying the 200 model so that I could use it later when upgraded to a larger tank, but do to how tall they are I had to go with the smaller model. I only have 26" in the cabinet under the tank.

So... I plumbed the thing into my tank. I have a mag 3 with a valve to control the inlet water.
I was leery of how the water would get out because the return from the skimmer is below the level of my sump. I had to plumb it up and over.
The long and short is... Do I need to get the skimmer higher than my sump so the water can return to the sump via gravity?

Right now all it does is fill up and out the top. If I would have known it was this way I might as well have just bought a larger skimmer and plumbed it through the wall into my garage where the top off water is. I also could have just bought a cheap 10 gallon to stick it in and saved a little money on an internal skimmer.

[reefboyr34]

How much did you pay for the skimmer? i think you could have gotten an SWC xtreme 120 skimmer. it would have done the job or the 160, not that much bigger but, it should fit in the sump.

[AquaMonkey]

The area I made in my sump for a skimmer before I really had a clue was 6 1/2X11 3/4 or so.
I dont think I could tilt a skimmer into the sump the way things are any way.

I was just hoping I could plumb the return somehow getting it to angle up and into my sump. I am looking at running it out the wall and into my garage I'm thinking. I don't want it sitting on my floor outside the tank. Just mad that it made to sit outside the sump youd think that there would be a way to have it flow back into the sump. It does drain into the sump, but it takes the skimmer filling to overflowing to get the pressure to do it.

That and the total lack of information that came with the skimmer is really irritating, I couldn't even find any video's or picutres on the web to see how it is suppose to be properly assembled.
Enough rambling I am going to bed

[Marchingbandjs]

well you cannnot angle it up. You can put some 2x4 underneath the skimmer to raise it up a couple inches to where it can flow in downstream

[crazy4reefs]

I am not familiar with the skimmer you refer to but I believe most skimmers performance can be impacted by the pressure on the return. Best bet is to contact the manufacturer.

[FREAKABHISHEK]

Turn the silencer to set the water level as desired
and i must tell you its a good skimmer
just bought the same skimmer for my tank

[Chris27]

You can't mess with gravity, water will always seek it's own level, depending on how your sump is set up, you could just drill a hole in it for the skimmer return...

[lordofthereef]

Originally Posted by Chris27

You can't mess with gravity, water will always seek it's own level, depending on how your sump is set up, you could just drill a hole in it for the skimmer return...

+1
External skimmers are most frequently attached to a drilled sump. I don't think I have ever really seen an external skimmer NOT set up that way.

[jeepguy242]

i have, but the skimmer was always on a platform that was higher than the sump

[AquaMonkey]

My original intention when I built the sump was for an internal skimmer. When I really got to looking at buying a skimmer a while later, I found out that they are a heck-of-a-lot taller than I thought, and slithly larger than the area I had set aside for one.

I would drill into the sump but it isn't acrylic and I bought it second hand, so i don't know if it is tempered of glass.

When I bought the skimmer I had never seen an external skimmer other than pic's online and mostly internal ones, so I had just assumed when I got it the return would be just go right up into the sump or was high enough/had enough pressure to overcome the forces that be...or had a way of pumping it out.
*shrug*

Live and learn-

I will have one heck of a knowledge base when i upgrade my tank later in the not to distance future.

[dschnepf]

I ran into a very similar issue with the same skimmer as you, I ended up elevating it on 4 bricks so gravity would allow it to be up and over the edge of sump and therefore allow gravity to take its course.

Also +1 for the skimmer itself, quality product once set up and adjusted properly, good luck

[insane]

Originally Posted by AquaMonkey

The area I made in my sump for a skimmer before I really had a clue was 6 1/2X11 3/4 or so.
I dont think I could tilt a skimmer into the sump the way things are any way.

Some insump skimmers need to be taken apart, put skimmer pieces into sump while sump is outside of stand, place sump into stand then reassemble skimmer.

My sis was upset when her new Oct Cone wouldn't fit in the new sump while it was in the new stand.