External Skimmer advice

[Metasyntactic]

I was wondering if anyone has experience running a recirculating skimmer outside their sump?

I'm currently building a skimmer with 8" diameter skimmer that I had planned on being 42" tall but didn't account for the cone section when I put in my order for acrylic. I have a length of 8" diameter acrylic tubing that is 8 inches too long. If I leave it as is, the skimmer will end up being 50" but it won't fit in my stand. I could cut off the extra height but there's extra space behind the aquarium that isn't visible and I could conceivably run the skimmer as a recirculating skimmer external to the sump.

I'm considering feeding the skimmer directly off the overflow by having the overflow line split with a Y connector and have the skimmer side of the split set with a gate valve to control the exact flow off the overflow into the skimmer. The other side of the Y would feed into a sock (considering having the return line for the skimmer go to that same sock).

My only real concerns with running it outside the sump are leaks and the extra complexity of having the drain line split, running one end to the skimmer, then pumping it all the way back into the sump. The plus side is a much larger skimmer and more control over flow through the skimmer... plus it means I can add a bunch of space to my refugium.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Leaks and gunk coming directly from the tank would be my main concern. You'd also have to weigh how difficult it would be to perform maintenance with such a configuration.

 

[paphater]

I ran an external skimmer for a number of years and honestly I think you'd be asking for a flood running off the drain. A pump wouldn't take up that much more room, you could even tee it off the return pump which is what I did. Aside from the skimmer flat out failing, if you have the skim mate collector located in the sump you will never have to worry about a flood. Second option would be to incorporate a float valve but considering the environment I'd be cleaning it every week. I loved the space I saved with my external but it was extremely finicky, overflowing one week and producing hardly anything the next.

 

[Metasyntactic]

I ran an external skimmer for a number of years and honestly I think you'd be asking for a flood running off the drain. A pump wouldn't take up that much more room, you could even tee it off the return pump which is what I did. Aside from the skimmer flat out failing, if you have the skim mate collector located in the sump you will never have to worry about a flood. Second option would be to incorporate a float valve but considering the environment I'd be cleaning it every week. I loved the space I saved with my external but it was extremely finicky, overflowing one week and producing hardly anything the next.

Did you have a valve on both the inflow and outflow? I'm surprised the flow varied that much.

 

[paphater]

I did, part of it was most likely related to the skimmer as it was very much over sized for the tank. Even with a consistent skimmer it's reasonable to expect a flood here and there if you don't have a plan for an overflow.

 

[BigHildy53]

I like my external recirculating skimmer. I pump it from the first chamber and return it to the second. If you have a controller. A couple of leak sensors can add the necessary safety.

I also used a poly tray from NewPig to protect the carpet.

 

[Pife]

I run a four-foot-tall custom-built recirculating skimmer from Geo. It is definitely outside my tank I run a overflow from the cup back to my Sump and have never had any issues. Knock on wood.

 

[mcarroll]

I could cut off the extra height but there's extra space behind the aquarium that isn't visible and I could conceivably run the skimmer as a recirculating skimmer external to the sump.

I get that there's space behind the tank, but was there an actual reason for not cutting it to fit? Are you able to make a good cut on a tube that large?

Seems like bad planning to parlay a simple oversight in materials into permanent added complexity and a permanently increased risk from leaks or flooding. I'm guessing you planned it the way you did for good reasons. Personally, I'd make it fit as intended.

 

[Metasyntactic]

I get that there's space behind the tank, but was there an actual reason for not cutting it to fit? Are you able to make a good cut on a tube that large?

Seems like bad planning to parlay a simple oversight in materials into permanent added complexity and a permanently increased risk from leaks or flooding. I'm guessing you planned it the way you did for good reasons. Personally, I'd make it fit as intended.

I mean, I wanted to make the skimmer as large as I could since this is for a 450 gal tank and I'd already been planning on making it be a recirculating skimmer. I could cut it on the table saw if I set up a jig but it just feels like a waste of plastic. The added 8 inches of skimmer tube would certainly let the bubbles have longer to bind.

Honestly, it came down to measuring how much I'd have to cut off and seeing how much skimmer I'd be losing that made me want to look for a way to make it work. It certainly adds complexity but I feel like the added efficiency might make it worth it.

 

[FartyParty]

I run an external recirculating octopus 110 on my 50 gal cube because Triton requires the entire sump to be a refugium. It tees off the manifold and sits in a 10 gallon Rubbermaid bin. I run the Apex ATO and there are two free sensor slots, so I picked up a leak detection block for the skimmer bin. If the skimmer ever leaks, which it hasn’t yet, the return pump will shut off and text me. I would not consider running a skimmer externally if it does not recirculate, as it would be too difficult to adjust skimmate level.

 

[mcarroll]

8" is not quite a 20% increase in height. Hard to imagine there being a noticable difference in a 42" skimmer vs a 50" to be honest.

 

[Muttley000]

I've been running a MTC external skimmer on my 500 gallon system for a few years now. Never a flooding issue, and I have a skimmate locker that if the skimmer did go nuts once full it stops the air flow and kills the foam head. I have a float sensor in it that kills the skimmer just in case.

 

[lapin]

Same here. Ext on a 600. It has its own pump from sump to skimmer. Waste bucket has sensor that tells the air pump to shut off if the bucket gets full.