CS1 'Pegleg' Cone Skimmer Kit

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3, 9/5/12 Congratulations on your purchase of an AVAST Cone Skimmer kit!

1 CS1 'Pegleg' Cone Skimmer Kit Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Tools Required: Two books or heavy pieces of wood, razor blade Other Materials: Teflon tape Time to Build: Approximately 2 hours not including drying time Version: 2012 'First Mate's Edition' v1.3, 9/5/12 Congratulations on your purchase of an AVAST Cone Skimmer kit! With just a few hours of your time and by following these simple instructions, you can be the proud builder of a new protein skimmer that would retail for more than twice as much as this easy to build kit.

2 Design Goals Our primary design goal with this project was to create a high performance cone protein skimmer yet keep the price affordable without sacrificing quality. We also wanted to keep it simple enough to remain accessible to a beginner builder. Additionally, we wanted to make the CS1 modifiable, so that more advanced builders could try out different pumps, pump placement, and various other performance tuning and modifications. The optional PSK-1000 pump has a replaceable venturi intake nozzle, so advanced users can modify this critical part in order to tune air/water draw. Starting with ver 1.3, we now include the recirculation baseplate with the standard kit as it was the most popular configuration chosen by customers. The recirc base can easily be converted to a standard single-pass design just by removing the ell and closing the intake uniseal with a PVC plug. More on recirculation below. Lastly, we wanted to size the skimmer so it could be used on a wide variety of tank sizes for various applications. We feel this model will comfortably handle 200 gallons of total system volume, but would not be overkill for a 75 gallon aquarium. Material and Parts Selection Based on the above design goals, we opted to use a combination of off the shelf parts combined with CNC milled components to keep the cost reasonable. One of these key choices is the use of the Uniseal gasket in the base plate penetration for the pump. We feel that compared to a glued hard plastic pump connection, this is easy to install, prevents leaks, and allows flexibility in pipe size in case the builder decides to use a different pump or plumbing approach. Additionally, the elasticity of gasket allows for some wiggle room when orienting the pump and reduces vibration and noise from the pump. This will allow the builder a variety of installation possibilities. The inner bubble diffuser chamber is mechanically joined using a threaded rod rather than glued together. Combined with a removable skimmer base, the entire skimmer can be disassembled down to simple components, making periodic maintenance easy. We also opted to eliminate the pre-manufactured gate valve in favor of a custom-built valve that allows much finer adjustments requiring very little finger torque. This means no hands in the water to adjust the water height in the skimmer, and better control over foam production. General Recirculation Theory With a recirculating style skimmer, water throughput (i.e., water from the aquarium passing through to be processed) is decoupled from water circulation. The main skimmer pump, in our case, a pinwheel pump, is plumbed into the skimmer in a closed loop, so that it draws water from the skimmer body, injects microbubbles, and returns back to the skimmer body. Separately, process water is fed into the skimmer via small dedicated feed pump or tee from a larger pump manifold. This water mixes with the recirculating pump and exits via effluent pipe, back into the sump. This design differs from traditional skimmers which have the main pinwheel pump draw water from outside the skimmer, inject air bubbles, and fill the skimmer body with the mixture. There are two major advantages to a recirculating design: control over contact time and increased independence from external water depth. By varying the external feed pump rate, we can allow process water to remain in the skimmer body for a longer period, hence more thorough scrubbing of skimmate from the water. Of course, we need to balance the throughput and dwell time; too long of a dwell time and the aquarium's volume isn't processed quick enough. Too high a throughput, and some skimmable substances won't be removed. Balancing this is relatively straightforward. We should aim for approximately.75x to 1x the total system water volume per hour of throughput. Traditional single pass skimmers are often plagued by the requirement that they sit in a dedicated skimmer chamber in a sump, often within a tight tolerance of +/- 1 inch of water. This is because any change in the outside

3 water level will typically affect the internal water level accordingly. If the water deepens externally, head pressure on the pump is reduced, and the skimmer overflows. This is particularly bad if the collection cup is filled with nasty waste, which can be quickly liberated back to the tank all at once. A recirculating design with feed pump tends to be mostly independent of the external water level, as the feed pump or manifold has a constant output pressure and flow rate, and is affected much less by its water depth, at least on the order of a few inches difference. The result is less hands-on adjustment of a recirculating skimmer when water levels change, such as during a water change or evaporation top-off cycle. Final Thoughts The end result of this project is a great skimmer that you can be proud of building yourself. There are likely a few variations the experienced builder could add to improve the design. Assembly time is pretty quick and can be completed in a few hours over the course of 2 days. We tried to write the assembly instructions with as much detail as possible so while it may seem intimidating at first glance, we suggest running through the instructions the first time with just dry fitting all the parts together, then after you are familiar with the steps and how everything fits together you can focus on lining everything up perfectly and getting nice glue joints. We hope you enjoy building this kit as much as we enjoyed putting it together! If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact us. Dan Lichens and Justin Casp, Captains Avast Marine Works Preface: General assembly and solvent gluing tips 1. Test fit all parts prior to application of glue. Light sanding of some inside edges of holes may be necessary to make a snug but not overly tight fit. 2. Prep all surfaces by wiping with a damp, lint free cloth then drying prior to application of glue. 3. Use the small plastic tip that comes with the Craftics #33 acrylic glue. It tends to clog quickly, so use a pin to keep it open. Covering the tip in a paper towel when not in immediate use will help keep the solvent from drying in the tip between glue applications.

4 AVAST MARINE WORKS 39 CS1.3 "FIRST MATES EDITION" Material Properties Notes Updated silencer, valve assembly, neck connection, recirculating is now standard feature, easier assembly Drawn by: Dan Lichens SCALE SIZE 1:6 REV 9/06/ A 1

5 # Quantity Part Name 1 1 Cone 2 1 Cup 3 1 Neck tube 4 1 Bubble chamber 5 1 Bubble ring 6 1 Silencer body tube 7 1 Lid ring 8 1 Silicone grease 9 3 Elbow, Tee, Valve rod, 5/16 threaded 12 1 Valve knob 13 1 Valve body " long pipe " long pipe " long pipe 17 2 Uniseal, Valve top 19 2 Silencer rigid tubes 20 1 Silencer top 21 1 Silencer bottom 22 1 Elbow, ½" 23 1 Nut, ½" 24 4 Peglegs /2" long thumbscrews " long thumbscrews 27 2 Threaded rod, 1/ /4" nuts /8" barb elbow /8" plug /8" tubing /2" tubing 33 1 Glue 34 1 O-ring 35 1 Male pipe adapter, Pipe adapter nut, Base 38 1 Flange 39 1 Stand base 40 1 Cup lid 41 1 Cup base 42 1 Bubble plate 43 2 Neck union top and center 44 1 Neck union bottom

Part 1. Collection Cup assembly 1. Wrap barbed elbow (29) with teflon tape and screw into collection cup base (41). Turn fitting outwards or sideways so it does not intersect the neck tube's hole.

6 Part 1. Collection Cup assembly 1. Wrap barbed elbow (29) with teflon tape and screw into collection cup base (41). Turn fitting outwards or sideways so it does not intersect the neck tube's hole. Note that the barb fitting is on the opposite side from the groove. 2. Use the three 1 ells (9) as a spacer to set height of cup base. Place ells on table, then the neck tube (3) inside, and slide cup base (41) over neck tube until it touches the ells. Be sure to use the longer neck tube rather than the shorter bubble chamber tube (4)! This is a snug fit and may require some force to push the cup base down into position. Make sure the groove for the collection cup's tube is facing up! Run a bead of glue between the cup base and neck, allow to dry for 1 hour. *STOP. GO TO PART 2 & 3 BEFORE CONTINUING WITH COLLECTION CUP ASSEMBLY

7 3. Run a bead of glue in cup base groove, then insert collection cup tube (2). Run a second bead around the seam for a nice joint. 4. After this has dried 1 hour, flip the cup and run a second bead of glue on the joint between the base of cup and neck. 5. Run a bead of glue inside lid ring groove on collection cup lid (40) and press in the lid ring (7). Let dry for an hour. Part 2. Neck Union Assembly 1. Place the four 1 thumbscrews (26) into the neck union bottom (44) so that the heads of the screws are on the same side as the groove. Place this groove-down on the table, so the neck ring is resting on the screw

heads. 2. Run a bead of glue all the way around the neck union bottom (44), using the groove on the other side as a guide for the glue bead. Try not to make the bead too thick; 1/8 (3mm) is plenty.

8 heads. 2. Run a bead of glue all the way around the neck union bottom (44), using the groove on the other side as a guide for the glue bead. Try not to make the bead too thick; 1/8 (3mm) is plenty. Place one of the neck union top/center rings (43) on top, so that the o-ring groove faces up. 3. Working quickly, run another bead along the up-facing neck ring, and place the third layer (the other neck union top/center ring (43)) on top, this time with the o-ring groove down. The two grooves combine to form a large channel for the black o-ring. Use the four nuts (28) to bolt the three layers together, and tighten them down to ensure the glue is spread all through the layers. 4. Let this assembly dry for 1 hour, then pull out the thumbscrews and nuts for later use on the skimmer base. 5. Tips for neck union assembly: 1. Don't worry if glue gets on the nylon screws while running the beads. It will not bond to nylon, so they can be removed without risk of damage.

2. Try to avoid glue oozing through to the inside, especially in the o-ring groove. If this happens, just wipe it quickly, let it dry then use the sandpaper to smooth it out if necessary. 3.

It is important that the glue bead goes all the way around the neck rings, otherwise water may leak through the assembly.

9 2. Try to avoid glue oozing through to the inside, especially in the o-ring groove. If this happens, just wipe it quickly, let it dry then use the sandpaper to smooth it out if necessary. 3. Similarly, if glue oozes on the outside of the neck, just wipe it and sand it down when dry. 4. It is important that the glue bead goes all the way around the neck rings, otherwise water may leak through the assembly. You should be able to see the glue joint being formed through the clear acrylic when tightening the nuts. Working quickly helps ensure the glue doesn't dry too fast and will allow the glue to spread out when the rings are tightened. Part 3. Cone Assembly 1. You will be using the 6 tube of the collection cup (2) for this step. 2. Slip bottom flange (38) over cone (1), then 6 collection cup (2), then neck union assembly from step 2 onto cone top. This is the cone clamping setup for gluing. Press firmly on the bottom flange so the cone is seated flush all the way around. Finally, push down on 6 collection cup tube to eliminate any remaining gap in cone seam. 3. Lay cone on side between two books or blocks of wood, with the large end facing you. Run a bead of glue on the inside seam starting from narrow end and moving towards you (big end) in one smooth motion. Try to apply a consistent width bead of glue with no breaks in order to have a nice seam. Practice on a sheet of paper if desired, in order to get a feel for laying a clean bead of glue. Do not get any glue on the neck union assembly as you will need to remove this part again. 4. Allow to dry for 2 hours before removing 6 tube, The other parts should stay on. 5. Make sure the bottom flange (38) is mated flush to the ends of the cone then run a bead of glue around the bottom flange, joining the cone and the flange. Allow to dry 1 hour.

6. Place the neck union assembly groove-up on the table and run a thick bead of glue in the groove.

You may want to practice this fit before using glue, as it can be a tight fit.

You can flip it over to check that the cone rim is fully seated in the groove with a good glue joint.

10 6. Place the neck union assembly groove-up on the table and run a thick bead of glue in the groove. Place cone top into this groove. You may want to practice this fit before using glue, as it can be a tight fit. Push cone down firmly into the neck union's groove to ensure a good bond. You can flip it over to check that the cone rim is fully seated in the groove with a good glue joint. Let dry for 1 hour. 7. Run a second bead of glue on the outside of the cone seam, again concentrating on applying a consistent bead in one smooth motion. 8. Allow completed cone to dry 24 hours before beginning part 4. *RETURN TO PART 1, STEP 3, COLLECTION CUP ASSEMBLY

11 Part 4. Base and bubble chamber 1. Glue the bubble chamber ring (5) to the top of the bubble plate (42). The groove of the bubble plate should be facing down and the beveled edge of the bubble chamber ring (5) should be facing up. You are simply gluing the bubble chamber ring to the face of the bubble plate, not the grooved side. Allow to dry 1 hour. 2. Use the long threaded rods (27) to attach the bubble chamber (4) and bubble plate assembly to the skimmer base (37). The order from the bottom follows: nut, skimmer base, bubble chamber, assembled bubble plate (threaded). 3. Insert uniseals (17) into center hole and perimeter hole of base plate (37). Uniseals should face down, i.e., away from the bubble chamber. Install the 1/2 input elbow (22) in the small hole; use nut (23) to secure this fitting.

4. Insert the 1 male adapter (35) into the perimeter hole nearest to the edge. The threads should face up on the bubble chamber side of the plate.

The cone body will be very close to this face, so some additional sanding of this nut face may be necessary.

Place the silencer top plate (20) groove side up on the table, and run a bead of glue in the 2 groove.

12 4. Insert the 1 male adapter (35) into the perimeter hole nearest to the edge. The threads should face up on the bubble chamber side of the plate. Secure this fitting with the 1 npt nut (36). Note that the nut has one face sanded down; position this face along the perimeter. The cone body will be very close to this face, so some additional sanding of this nut face may be necessary. The male adapter will be the attachment point for the effluent pipe. Part 5. Silencer assembly 1. Place the silencer top plate (20) groove side up on the table, and run a bead of glue in the 2 groove. Place the silencer body tube (6) into the groove and press down, flip over and check for a good glue joint. 2. Use one of the long pieces of PVC pipe (16) as a guide for the silencer bottom plate (21). Insert the PVC pipe into the small groove in the silencer top plate (sand the edge of the pipe for an easy fit). Run a bead of glue in the groove on the silencer bottom plate, and press it into place on the silencer body tube. Let these joints dry for a few minutes.

3. Push the acrylic rigid air tubes (19) into the silencer

Pull a tube out about 1/4, add a drop of glue, then push it

13 3. Push the acrylic rigid air tubes (19) into the silencer assembly, one on each side. Leave about 3/4 (20mm) sticking out for soft tubing attachment. Pull a tube out about 1/4, add a drop of glue, then push it back to its original position, twisting as you push to distribute glue evenly. This just needs to be held securely, no need for a watertight joint here.

Part 6. Gate valve and effluent tube assembly. 1.

Make sure to thread the rod through the gate valve top plate (18), then thread on the black geared valve knob (12) to the threaded

Check the fit of a 1 tee (10) with the groove of the gate valve top plate.

Run a bead of glue in the groove and press the tee onto the gate valve top plate. The valve body should be inside the tee.

14 Part 6. Gate valve and effluent tube assembly. 1. Assemble the gate valve by screwing the short threaded rod (11) into the gate valve body (13). Make sure to thread the rod through the gate valve top plate (18), then thread on the black geared valve knob (12) to the threaded rod in the same way. Tighten the valve body and knob by screwing them onto the rod in opposite directions. 2. Check the fit of a 1 tee (10) with the groove of the gate valve top plate. Use a razor and/or sandpaper to prep the top edge of the 1 tee if necessary. Run a bead of glue in the groove and press the tee onto the gate valve top plate. The valve body should be inside the tee. Check that the glue joint is secure and the two parts are well seated. 3. Build effluent pipe assembly. We do not recommend gluing the PVC parts if possible, this preserves future configurability. The assembly order is: male adapter (35) in base, 1 elbow (9), short segment (14), 1 elbow (turns up), long riser pipe (16), gate valve tee (10), short segment (14), tee, long riser pipe (16), silencer.

Part 7. (Optional) Pump venturi and recirculation loop assembly 1.

Usually the venturi fitting can be friction fit securely onto the pump volute.

The result is a securely attached venturi fitting that can be removed later and the air stem

15 Part 7. (Optional) Pump venturi and recirculation loop assembly 1. Attach venturi fitting to pump volute intake stem. Usually the venturi fitting can be friction fit securely onto the pump volute. If it is a little bit loose, apply PVC glue to the inside edge of the venturi fitting, and allow it to dry without pressing it onto the pump. The dried glue will cause the venturi fitting to have a tighter friction fit with the pump volute stem. The result is a securely attached venturi fitting that can be removed later and the air stem orientation changed if necessary. 2. Install a 1 elbow (10) onto venturi, then press the 2.5 pipe section (15) into the elbow. These should be friction fit; gluing is unnecessary. You may want to sand the remaining exposed rim of the 2.5 pipe to make it easier to press into the uniseal.

Part 8. Final Assembly 1. Place cone body on skimmer base plate (37).

oriented correctly so the cone can go on the base.

Assemble peg leg stand. Screw 1/2 1/4-20 thumbscrews (25) through bottom flange into base plate.

Wait to install the stand base (39) until the pump is in place. 3.

16 Part 8. Final Assembly 1. Place cone body on skimmer base plate (37). Look down through the cone and check that the 1 npt nut (23) that holds the effluent pipe male adapter (35) is oriented correctly so the cone can go on the base. One side of the nut is sanded; this side should face the cone wall and will be a tight fit. 2. Assemble peg leg stand. Screw 1/2 1/4-20 thumbscrews (25) through bottom flange into base plate. Screw peg legs (24) on alternating 1 screws (26) underneath flange. Wait to install the stand base (39) until the pump is in place. 3. Use included silicone grease (8) to lube the uniseals in the skimmer base. Press pump input and output nozzles into uniseals. Orient pump so that the air stem doesn't point toward the effluent pipe. Press the effluent pipe assembly into the male adaptor. Again, this should not be glued unless you wish; not gluing it allows you to reorient in the future.

Place o-ring (34) into neck collar groove, apply silicone grease to o-ring, and put cup onto skimmer. 6.

17 4. Once pump and effluent pipe are in place, press the peg leg stand base (39) over the legs. This should only be friction fit, and can be pressed up until it touches the effluent pipe elbows. The stand base will keep the effluent pipe in place. 5. Place o-ring (34) into neck collar groove, apply silicone grease to o-ring, and put cup onto skimmer. 6. Attach 3/8 airline tubing (31) from skimmer pump to the silencer. 7. Attach feed pump or tubing from pump manifold to the input barb fitting. 8. Place lid on collection cup, and if not using the drain fitting, cut a small piece of the 3/8 airline tubing and insert the 3/8 plug (30). 9. Place stickers on skimmer body.

Your skimmer is now complete! Please take a few minutes to thoroughly clean all components using hot water and/or vinegar before placing into your aquarium.

18 Your skimmer is now complete! Please take a few minutes to thoroughly clean all components using hot water and/or vinegar before placing into your aquarium. This will help remove all residual oils from the acrylic manufacturing and residual solvent contaminants. An easy way to do this is to fill your kitchen sink or a bucket with 6-8 of hot water and run the skimmer so it overflows for a few hours. Part 5. Operation and maintenance 1. When configured in the (default) recirculating mode as described above, the skimmer can be run in any depth of water up to just below the neck union. If non-recirculating mode is desired, simply take off the elbow from the venturi and plug the second uniseal. In this case, we recommend running the skimmer in 6-8 of water for best air draw results, with 7 being the ideal depth. Deeper sump water will result in less air draw, therefore if you have a high bioload, 6-7 depth is probably best. Feel free to experiment with what works best for your particular system. 2. Use the gate valve to adjust the water level inside the skimmer. We suggest keeping the water level at the base of the neck union to start, and adjusting from there based on your bioload and skimmer performance. Remember that the ideal water throughput rate in recirculating mode is about.75x to 1x of your total system volume per hour. Use an appropriate feed pump or tee from a return pump to achieve this rate. Small pumps like the Maxijet 600 or 900 are good choices. 3. Clean pump every six months by removing and running for a few hours in a bucket of strong vinegar water solution.

'Mutiny' Ozone Reactor Kit

'Mutiny' Ozone Reactor Kit Skill Level: Beginner Tools Required: Scissors or razor blade Other Materials: Teflon tape Time to Build: Approximately 1 hour not including drying time Version: 2012 spray nozzle