Skimmer (AquaEuroUSA 135recirc)
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This page is dedicated to the AquaEuro 135 recirc skimmer we have on our tank. I have done some modifications to it, which are documented here. Click on photos for larger versions. I've included updates over the months, so to make it easier to navigate feel free to use these links to get to the info you want:
04/26/2007 : Received and Set-Up Skimmer
02/10/2008 : Replaced Stock Pump with AquaBee 2000/1
04/05/2008 : Modified Inlet Fitting
12/18/2008 : Operating Update
04/26/2009 : Converted to External Operation
April 26, 2007 -- AquaEuro USA 135 Recirc
This came with basically no installation instructions, so it's a good thing that it worked great as soon as I put it together. Got this installed on the system in early May, 2007. I leave that valve 100% open and it's a decent dry head of foam. Pretty good! The pump isn't so hot; inefficient and some people have seen corrosion inside. I haven't broken mine open yet to check. I decided to install this inside my sump, and I'm glad - the inlet fitting has a slow drip because it's just a compression fit. All in all, a great value.
February 10, 2008 UPDATE -- Replaced stock pump
The stock pump on the AquaEuro USA skimmers (King 590 pump) has been documented as having severe corrosion problems on an internal plate. Besides the inefficiency of the pump, this corrosion was my primary motivation for wanting to replace the pump. So far (one week in), the AquaBee 2000/1 is a great match-up. This was an easy DIY project, and the results have been excellent.
Here's the inside of my pump. I had previously sealed all the openings and back half with silicone to try to minimze any corrosion... I'd say it was moderately successful. You can see how the silicone was discolored from clear to brown.
The skimmer body is similar in size to some EuroReef skimmers which claim around 500 lph of air throughput. I decided this should be my goal as well and after some research decided on an AquaBee 2000/1. I purchased this through Petorama and it came complete with the pump, venturi, and associated piping. Unfortunately, the unions on this didn't mate up to a standard 3/4" union I could find at Home Depot or Lowes, and it sure didn't mate up to the stock AquaEuro unions, so I had to make some modifications.
Parts:
(1) 1/2" coupling
(2) 3/4" unions
~1 foot of 3/4" PVC pipe
(2) 3/4" Uniseals
I carefully cut the unions off the skimmer assembly, and used a dremel to grind down a flange on the pump discharge until it was smooth. This fit into the 3/4" union - not a perfect fit, but tight enough to be glued and work. I also used the dremel to grind out the inside of the other union until the 1/2" coupling fit inside. Here's the final product when all glued up.
Now to the body of the skimmer. As it turns out, the AquaBee assembly basically lines up exactly to the existing openings for the King590 pump. This was great. I sawed off the AquaEuro fittings fairly close to the body.
I used a 1-1/4" holesaw to drill new holes that would accept the Uniseals. I tried to center them up over the existing holes, which was pretty difficult. I got close enough. This also wound up cutting out the tee inside the skimmer - fine by me.
Popped in the Uniseals...
And then the pump! It fit perfectly.
When I started it up, everything seemed great. A foam head was created right away and nothing seemed to need adjustment. The pump was a bit finicky on start-up, in that sometimes it created a great head of foam and other times it barely pulled any air through at all. A little frustrating but I could live with it.
Until the 4th day of operation.
I started it up, and it turned into a volcano. The foam overflowed the neck, filled the collection cup faster than it drained out, and blew the lid off the collection cup. I tried shutting down and restarting, no change. I decided to run with it, keeping a close eye on it, to see if it would settle down... NOPE. It filled a gallon container with crystal clear skimmate in less than an hour. BAD.
I decided to lower the water level in the skimmer a bit by pulling the discharge tee off, leaving just the short vertical standpipe.
Now 3 days later and it seems to be working fine at this new water level. It's a nice skimmate, not too wet not too dry. I'm very happy.
April 5 , 2008 UPDATE -- Changed out feed fitting
I replaced my sump return pump with a smaller pump, a Mag 1.9 pond pump. With head losses, this pump is giving me about 100 gph - exactly the "ideal" feed rate for this skimmer from what I've read online. I changed my display tank drain piping a bit to give me a 3/4" line to the skimmer (and left a valved-off 1" line in place, for maintenance or emergency - see the Sump & Piping page for pics). I also drilled out the stock feed fitting on the skimmer, which only accommodated a 1/2" OD tube (if memory serves me correctly). This was too small to make me feel comfortable about having all of my drain water flow through it, I could just envision a big flood from a tank overflow. Using the same procedures documented below, I put in a 3/4" Uniseal and inserted a 3/4" barbed fitting. I'm now directly feeding the skimmer with 100% of the overflow water from the display.
December 18 , 2008 UPDATE -- Everything's working great
Still no problems to report with the modifications I've made to this skimmer. Everything's working great! No regrets on either of the big changes I made. I did re-install the tee on the discharge so I could direct the effluent into my refugium area of the sump. When I did that I cut the standpipe about a half inch shorted. Now I operate the skimmer with the discharge ball valve partially closed, to get a wetter skimmate. In hindsight maybe I could have left the standpipe at the same height it came out of the box? Too late to go back now!!
April 26 , 2009 UPDATE -- Switched to External Operation
More details soon !!