skimmer location - first chamber of sump, or last chamber before return?

[esacjack]

Im about to start installing my skimmer into my sump. I realized that the skimmer might actually be more beneficial if its skimming the first chamber of the sump versus the last chamber of the sump. My only concern is the first chamber of my sump (excluding drain chamber) is only 5.75 inches, and my RO NWB100 requires 6.75 inches of clearance. I may have to just cut out the baffle and move it about 2 inches over. Any thoughts on best location to skim?

[Juiceman]

I don't have sections, but I would think to skim prior to a refugium or other things of that nature. Plus it will give any micro bubbles a chance to go away prior to being put back into your tank.

[+brian.srock]

+1 to what Juiceman says. Have mine in the last section and combined with my reverse algae scrubber it was putting a lot of micro bubbles into my tank

[ckyuv]

x3 on first chamber if possible to prevent bubbles

[(Bio)³]

I have my sump setup with vert bubble trap then LR holding section then skimmer then mechanicle filtration then return pump. I choose to let the debris hit the LR area first to build miracle mud up, I always wanted dirtiest water to hit my fuge and then skim out any extra

[jestep]

I have a berlin system. Skimmer in first. Mud based refugium with macros in the second. Return pump as well as Carbon/GFO reactor feeding from the 3rd returning back to the first.

[esacjack]

thanks for all the replies! I went ahead and cut out the first chamber and moved it two inches down stream. Now I have a 7.75 space to work with for my skimmer. Now just need to figure out how to sneak a fuge into sump not designed for a fuge

[Kaplanm]

If you skim prior to the fuge, don't you wind up nutrient starving all the micro fauna you're working so hard to grow?

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[jestep]

I don't think it's a huge worry. The best skimmer only removes a fraction of DOC's, still less than 50% if I remember correctly. Most of us overstock enough to easily grow macros with as much skimming as we want.

[Planeden]

It'd be interesting to test the water before the skimmer, after the skimmer, and after the fuge to see if there is a measurable difference. I just wonder if the water flows through the system so fast that the levels are relatively constant throughout, making the skimmer location not matter in that sense.

[Planeden]

I don't think it's a huge worry. The best skimmer only removes a fraction of DOC's, still less than 50% if I remember correctly. Most of us overstock enough to easily grow macros with as much skimming as we want.

To some extent do you think that the system maintains a balance on its own based on how you stock, feed, and filter. Your macros will grow proportionally to how much nutrients they have to feed on. So, the macro may grow more or less depending on the location and effectiveness of the skimmer?

[Neon Reefer]

Some cool 3 chamber sump designs I am looking at have the skimmer in last chamber next to return pump. However, it shows the discharge line from the skimmer plumbed back to the overflow drop tube in the first box