# How I installed a pump to drain my protein skimmer collection cup



## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

One of the big problems with deciding how much to skim your reef is the realization that the more you skim, the more often you need to empty the collection cup. 
You can only empty the cup so many times per day. 
I use a EuroReef skimmer that does not have a drain built into the collection cup. That means that I need to check the cup every so often and dump it out & wipe it clean. 
Well, I just modified my setup so that it empties out on its own. I will still need to wipe it down every so often, but I can now skim a bit wetter and not worry about the cup filling and overflowing. 
This method isnt cheap but you can certainly use less expensive parts and timers. As some of you know, I use the LiterMeter III dosing pump to dose kalk. The pump has a built in timer that lets you specify how many liters of water per day to pump. Then, 150 times per day, the pump will dose 1/150 of the daily amount. This dosing pump allows you to add on multiple pumps to the main pump/timer combo. I connected a new pump to draw the skimmate from the skimmer into a bucket. Soon I will plumb it straight to my drain, but for now the 5 gallon bucket works fine. 
The Euro Reef skimmer has holes in the lid to allow for air to flow out. The holes are behind a baffle so the foam does not escape as well, its a good design. They made the holes just wide enough for airline tubing to fit through them. I use more ridgid icemaker type tubing as the LiterMeter was designed for, so I used a drill bit to very very slightly widen one of the holes. It's still snug. I then placed the tubing in, and used an 90degree John Guest elbow at the top, like this: 

The elbow will allow for easy disconnection when removing to wipe clean, as well as ease the stress on the line, as that's the direction it needs to head anyway (instead of bending the tubing). 
Over the next couple days I will fine tune the skimmer some more, as well as dial in the pump to closely match (or pump beyond) what the skimmer removes. I will rather pump more than enough than less than enough, and the good thing about that is the dosing pump was engineered to be able to run dry with no ill effects!
Now I can skim wetter and not worry as much about dumping out the collection cup.


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## Kogo (Mar 14, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

that is the wettest skim I have ever seen... is it always that clear?


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

No, not always that clear, was testing the pump and filled the cup with extremely wet skimmate for that purpose.


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## SteelGluer (Nov 7, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*



MediaHound said:


> One of the big problems with deciding how much to skim your reef is the realization that the more you skim, the more often you need to empty the collection cup.
> You can only empty the cup so many times per day.
> I use a EuroReef skimmer that does not have a drain built into the collection cup. That means that I need to check the cup every so often and dump it out & wipe it clean.
> Well, I just modified my setup so that it empties out on its own. I will still need to wipe it down every so often, but I can now skim a bit wetter and not worry about the cup filling and overflowing.
> ...


You know that is pulling all the good essentiels out of your tank.


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

Can you explain? That's solid feces that comes out of there.. I do waterchanges regularly to replenish trace elements and also test for those things that we know as essential to stony coral reef building. 
My ORP and Nitrate levels sure like the skimmer, too... 
I am always learning, though, and am open to hear your reasoning...


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## SteelGluer (Nov 7, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

Your skimmate should look something like this pic. Click on pic. Not use to this site yet.You are wet skimming to much you need more air less water.

Do you leave skimmer on when you feed?
Do you dose kalk? What kind? Try 1 gallon ro water 1 tblespoon mrs wages pickling lime its the same thing just 90% cheaper.
On that skimmer leave air line open all the way adjust foam so it is at 1 inch above the neck in the cup let run for 1 day or so then play with the air fine tuining it.
Let me know what else you put in the tank.
what size what fish etc etc.


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## Lunatik_69 (Nov 8, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

You have to check your gate valve or the riser pipe. I believe that its too closed, may need to open it a little. Luna


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

Guys if you read my post, the skimmate is not always that clear, I was testing settings on my dosing pump that automatically drains the cup. Refer to post #3 in the thread please! The picture is just to show how I installed the dosing pump into the collection cup, not to display the color of the skimmate. My skimmate is usually a nice brown muck.


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## Lunatik_69 (Nov 8, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*



MediaHound said:


> Guys if you read my post, the skimmate is not always that clear, I was testing settings on my dosing pump that automatically drains the cup. Refer to post #3 in the thread please! The picture is just to show how I installed the dosing pump into the collection cup, not to display the color of the skimmate. My skimmate is usually a nice brown muck.


My comment was towards the title and the pic that you posted. Luna


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

Yes, I guess the title is a little off considering the thread is mainly to describe how I setup my Litermeter to empty the protein skimmer... I took the pic when setting up the tubing with the elbow, which is what I am pointing at in the cup as I described. Sorry to confuse you guys. I agree, that would be way too wet. I will take a new pic and swap it out so it does not confuse people anymore. Cheers


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## SteelGluer (Nov 7, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*



Lunatik_69 said:


> My comment was towards the title and the pic that you posted. Luna


dito


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## coraljunky (Nov 8, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

Why don't you just add a fitting to the cup? I guess I'm just too cheap to buy a pump to empty a cup, lol.


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

I actually had an extra new Litermeter add-on pump laying around and it pretty much fit without drilling any permanent hole that wasn't there already. Although I had to barely barely widen the hole I used, its hardly even noticeable. Also, this way I can pump the waste to places gravity won't take it. For now its going into a bucket but I will plumb it to a main waste line.


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## shwimps (Nov 15, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

i have the same euroreef skimmer i only had to empty once a week and the stuff was brownish u need to install a gate valve on exhaust of it cus the stock angle pipe that u turn for adjustment is hard as hell to "dial in" and sometimes needs to be babysat otherwise the nicest skimmer ive owned and well worth the money it cost


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## reefcrazy (Nov 10, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

it just seems like you did a good job on showing something that could work for some so i say good job on that. and i think you can tell you had the skimmer to the max to show how it works.and thank you for that. but as far as the euroreef skimmer i have 2 of them and both work good. with no add on so i do not understand y you would have to put something on to make it work? but i can say this i paid a lot of money for them for what i don't no because i have cheaper ones and thy work just as good like my g-4 ams and my g-3x so who knows..............


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## potters3 (Nov 10, 2008)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

HI MediaHound"

FIRST IT LOOKS LIKE THE GATE VALVE IS LETTING TO MUCH WATER IN & IT GETTING FORCE UP INTO THE CUP. OPEN THE GATE VALVE A LITTLE AT A TIME TILL YOU GET JUST WET FOAM IN THE CUP. MYBE THE PUMP IS TO BIG? BE SURE THE WATER COMMING OUT OF THE GATE VALVE CAN FLOW FREELY. 

POTTERS3


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

*Re: Cannot keep up with emptying protein skimmer collection cup*

Hi Dave, please read the rest of the thread, ha! That water is just me testing my drain pump that I installed, the point of the thread was to show how I modified the skimmer.


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