My New DIY Beckett Skimmer

[weisoon]

Just collected my new DIY beckett skimmer. Have yet to test it out. Will be using the MD55 to run it. Cheers.

[Ian]

[Hon]

Nice skimmer weisoon. How abt some pic when its running under a MD55 flow. By the way, what is the dimension ..

[roidan]

very nice leh

[Hon]

roidan's backside itchy liao ..

[roidan]

no lah...

got 2 spare beckett nozzles idling around

[weisoon]

Hon,

the total height is 40". Main body tube is 200/190mm diameter, raiser is 120/110 diameter. Upgradeable by putting in one more extension. but have to use a stronger pump though. As requested by some reefers, some more pics.

P1010180.tif

[CalciumReef]

you might want to change the elbows where the water enters the chamber to 3 x 45 degrees one to minimise pressure loss.Good that you have chosen to use a sXXXXX gate valve for precision tuning

[Hon]

Just in case some cannot view the file in .tif format.

I have convert it to a .jpg for easier viewing .. kee .. kee

[weisoon]

Calciumreef

Only 1 90 degree elbow. The other is a 45 degree elbow. so total only 2 elbow inside the skimmer sump. Think pressure loss not too bad.

Pic of the housing.

[weisoon]

Thanks Hon. Kids playing with the cam and must have changed to Tiff mode....I did not check and just paste on the post....hehe..

[AlfaRomeo]

Weisoon, very nice skimmer. Post some pics up as soon as you have it running on the md55 pls.

[RAV-65]

Bro,

u DIY-ed yourself or bought it?

Vincent Ho

[weisoon]

RAV-65

The beckett housing fabricated myself. As for the arcylic body, ask a shop to fabricate to my specs. All other parts sourced from all over singapore!

[roidan]

actually some say that the box below the cylinder will cause burps...a simpler and more direct method is the one precision marine's skimmer...

no box below...

burping meaning...now and then there will be a sudden surge of bubbles from the box trapped at the corners of the box and then surge upwards and the foam on top will seem like its burping instead of a steady foam ....

just my 2 cents

[AlfaRomeo]

For this type of skimmers, where should the internal water level be?

[roidan]

think very hard to see water level coz all filled with foam....probably adjust the gate valve till u see the foam build up to a level that u want...and then wait for it to foam over into the cup with all the wastes

[weisoon]

roidan

I think 'blurping' will not be a problem if one can adjust the level of the 45 degree elbow to be more above the cylinder/box sump interface. Also tilting the angle of the 45 degree elbow to direct the output further up into the cylinder main body will reduce such effect.

As you can see, there will be a lot os swirling of the output due to the angle of the output thus increasing the contact time.

As for the height of the riser, better to go slightly higher a bit and the dujust the gate valve to the required foam quality that is desired, either wet or super dry. If the iniyial design of the riser is too short, then you sure cannot get dry foam.

[AlfaRomeo]

weisoon, issit true that the cylinder main body should be as high as possible to ensure maximum contact time between the swirling bubbles and the water?

[roidan]

definitely.....given 2 similar skimmers..one shorter...one taller...the taller definitely more reaction time and draw more waste out

[AlfaRomeo]

Thanks Roidan.

Weisoon, your skimmer made from ozone-safe materials? just in the case in the future you need/want to inject ozone

[roidan]

actually by drilling the cylinder itself at the bottom, above the box, to input the beckett driven water, will definitely minimise the problem....u will lose one or 2 inch of reaction height since u start higher now...but i think for a tall skimmer like yours...the benefits outweigh the loss of the 2 inch reaction height

and the box will have water with much less microbubbles to return to the sump....

something like the position below...and then do the swirling angle just like what u have now...should reduce alot of microbubbles at the box below...

[weisoon]

Alpha,

Good question.....still yet to find out if the arcylic is ozone safe. But for me, not going to run a ozone....think will be killing those good bacteria also. Going for a more natural system like the ZeoVit, which is currently running in my small tank.

Longer main body=longer contact time BUT need stronger pump like a MX70. As my tank is 4', think my DIY one is already a bit overkilled.

Contact time can also be increased through swirling, as in 'tornedo' effect in the main body. Turning the water round the body as the bulk of the water and bubbles rise up to the riser.

1 section main body like mine max height can go is about 500mm, as any longer, then you will have problem trying to mount all the pipings and doing cleaning unless if you have a basket ball player's arm

If higher main body is required, then make another section of same 500mm and bolt them, then servicing is much easier. IMHO

Roidan

Drilling the cylinder body to insert a pipe has the joint problem. As you know, the local shops have yet to reach the standard to make a proper joint else water will leak. Unless you use weld-on 16 or 40 to bond the pve and arcylic together, which I am going to get them in May Maybe I will organise a bulk order.

[roidan]

tats true..i forgot...

it uses a curved joint inside the cylinder and also a curved one outside.......just like the one my H&S uses to attach the needlewheel pump

u are right, not easy to make or get here i think

[weisoon]

Just to side track a bit, just back from Germany and saw at the place where I bought my noozle for my skimmer they have another bigger size unit. My current unit is same size as the beckett and the bigger unit is 2.5 times the height and diameter is 1.5 times. Pipe diameter to fit this giant is 1". Normal size beckett uses only 0.5" pipe.

Cannot imagine what the output will be like when use a stronger pump to run it.