super skimmer

[hotimportknight]

Alright after playing around with a RIO 600 I picked up today for hours to no avail I went back to the original pump until further tinkering. I did notice a chunk of salt stuck in the air nipple, I could have sworn I got it all out when washing it down the other day, but I guess I missed a piece. Now its working better than it ever has, pump just below the water and the air inlet clear combined make it work much better. Must have been that when I moved the pump up it then the air inlet got plugged at around the same time, because the performance didnt change at all.
Let me know if you think things look on par...
This is the body of the skimmer seems to be making a nice bubbly froth.

And here is the collection cup. After looking at the before and after pictures I'm not really sure if it is doing anything or if its a placebo effect. Doesnt actually look much better than before, but here it is:

[ccCapt]

Dunno...still looks like not enuff air/too much water getting into that. I would take the skimmer apart and soak the pump, the impellor and venturi in vinegar overnight and fill the skimmer body with vinegar and let that all soak overnight.
I really didn't think that RIO 600 would work. Way too small.

[hotimportknight]

On RC it seemed to work great, I think it will work good too once I get that venturi piece I need. I understand the concept too, move less water through it to allow the bubbles to stay longer. I'll give it a shot anyway, pump only cost 20$, but i spent 10 ordering that stupid little venturi fitting... I guess I'll find out when that comes in the mail.

[ccCapt]

Your original pump is about 500 gph and now you dropped down to a pump that's 200 gph. I have a hard time seeing how a pump 60% smaller will make the skimmer perform better. You have 60% less water and 60% less air going into the skimmer. How is that an improvement?

[hotimportknight]

I don't know about it being 60% less air... Less water flow doesnt mean less air necessarily. I'm going to experiment with the RIO when my venturi part comes in the mail. It will be sucking air at the inlet making bubble froth, and I might also attach an air pump to the outlet side to make some larger bubbles as well and see if that effects anything. Its basically just an experiment. I liked what I saw on RC with the RIO 600 hooked up, made some NICE foam. Way better than I'm getting now at least.

[ccCapt]

I'm all for experimenting and mods. Good luck with it.

[ccCapt]

Just wondering...how are things going with the skimmer?

[hotimportknight]

I haven't done anything more yet. The rio 600 I got didn't come with the inlet venturi part that I needed so I ordered it that day and I have no idea when its supposed to come in even... Ecoreef.net was the only place I could order it from.

[hotimportknight]

Wow, just got my new piece in UPS today, the 10$ part to make the rio into a venturi pump... dismantled my sump and skimmer and wow, what a waste of time. I thought it looked Ok in the test bucket i was using, hook it up to the skimmer and wow... pathetic. You were right. I think that guy on RC worked for RIO or something and was trying to lie to increase sales. there is NO WAY those pictures of inches of thick foam came from this pump...

[hotimportknight]

Comparison of the stock CSS125 pump to the RIO 600 someone posted about on RC which makes "Bubble Milk" (my ass...)
Stock pump not performing well enough for me...

replaced with RIO 600 with optional venturi intake that little plastic part that costs 10$ shipped...