Hob Skimmers

[GrayScale]

I know I've been creeping around the salty side of the forums for a couple of weeks asking how to convert my 10g into a nano reef. After further thinking once I move I think I want to go a little bigger, 55g! 48"x13"x20" with a 20g long (30"x12"x12") sump.

I am planning and drafting my own stand for it at the moment but while it's in the drafting stage I'm trying to learn more about sumps and biggest of all, the protein skimmer.

I've got a few questions about the skimmers and the plumbing for the return. I was looking at the deltec skimmers but they are way outta my price range and I've read really good reviews about the AquaC Remoras, in specific their HOB Skimmers. These are the questions I have:

1. Where in the sump should the skimmer go, first or last chamber?
2. Will HoB skimmers work well in the sump or is it best on the display?
3. How does the return plumbing work? Does it return to the display from the sump or does it return into anotherchamber of the sump?

And basically any and all information regarding protein skimmers in a sump setup would be great since it's the only thing that truly baffles me.

 

[spadge]

i dont know about the hob skimmers but i use a tmc 500 compact, which hangs on the side of my sump, this has built in intake and return and directly pumps water back into my sump, i have it in the first chamber solely for space saving and practicality, i dont suppose it would matter wich section it was in really but my theory of placing it in the first compartment is hat all the protein is sucked up before hitting my filtration media in the baffles, if you have a seperate return i would plumb it directly into the return pump section this wayyour skimmer is not sucking in previously skimmed water and wasting the efforct, this i must say the tmc compacts do as the return is very close to the intake im sure half the water it takes in has already skimmed, anyways its a nice little skimmer for economy of size and i beleive reasonably priced... i think the tmc 500 compact was 126, although i got my free....


Hope some of this helps

 

[GrayScale]

Nice bit of info especially knowing that HOB skimmers will work in the sump. The tank I'm getting will have a built in overflow in the tank and will have 2 pre-drilled holes on the bottom for the intake/return plumbing.

 

[GrayScale]

Any other info can provide on skimmers?