Best placement for water intake for external skimmer

Jeto2004 · Oct 5, 2019

Will install an external skimmer to my setup. Will have to drill the sump as I don’t wan’t to put the pump into it that feeds the skimmer (main reason to reduce noise level), which will be behind the tank in an utility room.

Was wondering what is best practice: Intake before mechanical filtration or after mechanical filtration.

Input please!

ca1ore · Oct 5, 2019

Doesn’t really matter. I’d do it where it is most convenient.

C. Eymann · Oct 5, 2019

While some will argue that water coming from the overflow has the highest concentrations of lipids/organics and that the skimmer should be placed in / drawing from the first chamber.

However, I completely agree with Ca1ore, wherever is most convenient is fine, as I think the difference in efficiency in correlation to where is skimmer is placed in the sump is negligible, if any.