Model 500 is for 500 gph Size is 10"L X 4"W X 10"H
Riser tube increases the hight another 9 1/2"
Vinyl tube increases the hight another 3"
Total hight is 22 1/2"
Model 1000 is for 1000 gph. Size is 10 3/4"L X 7 1/2"W X 8 1/4"H
Riser tube increases the hight another 14"
Vinyl tube increases the hight another 3"
Total hight is 25 1/4"
Instructions:
Use your built in overflow to power the skimmer. You set your overflow up so that the water falls down (free fall) like Niagara Falls. It hits the bottom and churns in to foamy water. Now you don't want to hear the sound of Niagara Falls, so what you do is put a baffle at the top of the overflow for the water to flow over, and down. To do so, get some egg crate lighting panel, and cut it to the size and shape of the overflow. Put silicone rubber sealant inside the overflow to hold up the egg crate. Put more silicone in so as to direct the water so that it drops (free fall), not allowing the water to slide down the side of the overflow. Put a plastic fish bag around the egg crate and place the egg crate on top of the silicone support. The silicone support should be at a hight such that the baffle is just below the level that the water is running over the overflow. If it is too low, you will get splashing. Then cut some of the plastic bag off at the back of the overflow. Cut enough so that the water can easily flow through without risk of backing up, or overflowing if a small amount of stuff finds it's way there. The plastic bag around the egg crate is to give a smooth surface for the water to flow onto so that it does not splash, as plain egg crate without the plastic bag, would create splashing as the water pours onto it. The water flowing over the plastic bag covered egg crate, also blocks the sound of the Niagara Falls taking place in the built in overflow. After trimming the plastic bag on top of the egg crate to where you want it, trim the plastic bag under the egg crate so that it does not block the water flow, or force the water against the side of the overflow.
Plumb into the outlet of your bulkheads 2" pvc plumbing with two 90 elbows, and connect the 2" pvc plumbing into the 2" coupling that is attached at the top of the protein skimmer. There are two 2" couplings at the top of the skimmer the one in the back is for water in, and the one in the front (where there is an opening at the bottom of the skimmer for water out) is where the riser tube is attached. The foam rises up the riser tube, through the vinyl tube, and into a collection container (not supplied). I like using plastic spaghetti jars for my collection containers.
Fill the sump so that the water level in the sump is as high as the top of the box of the protein skimmer, or slightly higher. The protein skimmer will not produce skimmate if the water in the sump is lower.
If you don't have a built in overflow, but are going to be using an overflow box, then you will need to create the same kind of water fall effect for it to work properly. This protein skimmer was designed for a simple hookup to a built in overflow, but it can be hooked up to an overflow box. Plumb the output of the overflow box down a short distance, and then have it go into 2" pvc pipe. It needs to free fall (not slide down the side) down the 2" pvc pipe to hit at the bottom where you have a 2" 90 angle feeding back under the tank to the protein skimmer. With the built in overflow method you have the water falling like Niagara Falls, hitting the bottom of the overflow creating foamy water that feeds into the protein skimmer. With the hang on overflow box, this same effect has to be created, otherwise you will just get water and big bubbles. To help in creating this effect, you might find it useful to put some kind of obstacle to create a little resistance down in the 90 where the water hits. You need to plumb it so that it pounds down into a bunch of fine bubbles to feed the protein skimmer. You need to allow plenty of air to get into the plumbing going into the skimmer. If you don't allow enough air to get in, it will not create that pounding foaming water effect.