Skimmer location

[AquaSquid]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'm setting up a 75 with a 35 gal sump/refugium. Where is the best place to place the skimmer? It can act as a hang on off the main tank or in the sump itself. Any advantages of one location over the other?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[davejnz]

I prefer to keep all the tanks equiptment out of site.A sump skimmer does have some advatages over a hang on skimmer.Proteins/organics have a tendency to rise to the surface of the tanks water,thus leaving a film.A hang on skimmer often has its intake well below the surface where the proteins are concentrated.With an overflow on your tank,the surface of the water is skimmed/drained into the sump.With proper plumbing,you can direct this water directly towards ths skimmers intake.The skimmer in the sump needs a stable water level.This stability is important for the skimmer to achieve maximum effectiveness.It is easy to provide a stable water level by installing a baffle/divider in the sump.8-10" of water heigth is a good rule of thumb for most skimmers to sit in.If you already have a pre-assembled sump and dont want to install any baffles/dividers,another option is to find a bucket that the skimmer can fit into and place the bucket in the sump.This would be more effective than just leaving the skimmer in a sump where the water level fluctuates.

[AquaSquid]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Here's the issue. My tank is not fitted with an overflow. It was a fresh water tank that I'm converting. I was planning on using my fluval 404's. The first would pump water from the tank to the sump/refugium. The second would draw from the sump and send it back to the tank. Both would hold live rock rubble. the outflow would have carbon as well. I love these Fluvals and would love to use them.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[davejnz]

That wont work,it would be very difficult to balance the output from 1 Fluval into the sump and the output from the other to the tank.If your tank isn't drilled,you need an overflow that'll hang on the back.The overflow will only drain as much water from the display that's pumped back into it from the sump.

[Fally]

The two pump setup is not a good one. If one of the pumps died, you would pump all the water out of one of the containers into the other, overflowing it onto the floor.#ed_op#br#ed_cl##ed_op#br#ed_cl#The overflow ensures that any ammount of water pumped into the tank runs out the overflow. If the pump dies, the overflow stops. I once came across an over the back DIY overflow. You should do some searching, you can acomplish what you wanted with only one of the pumps.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#

[Whoyah]

Here is the link to a DIY overflow (aka weir).

http://www.captivereefing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2013&highlight=weir

Overflows can be purchased online at places like Marine Depot or Dr. Foster and Smiths.

I got mine off e-bay.