Venturi Air Intake for Aquarium Pump

thingiverse

Venturi air mixing nozzle for a protein skimmer pump in my aquarium. This one is designed to be a snug press-fit around a 32mm diameter x 8mm deep circular pump inlet (such as on the Syncra Sicce PSK1000 Skimmer Pump that I happen to have), and accepts a 10mm (3/8") flexible air hose connection. No actual photos because I printed it and immediately installed it into my aquarium sump. Happy to report it works exceptionally well. That said, unless you have the same or a very similar pump, this specific fitting isn't likely to work for you. I chose the Syncra Sicce PSK1000 Skimmer Pump because I needed to replace my failed pump on my protein skimmer for a 300-gallon saltwater aquarium and this one appeared to be a good tradeoff between price and performance on Amazon. (I wasn't willing to pay the ridiculous price for an original equipment pump and was therefore trusting my judgment and tinkering skills to save the day.) Long story short -- if you have the same pump, or are willing to get the right pump, this may work for you. If you are an aspiring CAD designer who needs a venturi intake, consider using this design as the basis for your own design. They are not that hard to design... basically a sketch of a bunch of concentric circles, a bunch of extrusions of various lengths, and some fillets to blend it all nicely together. I designed this one in Fusion 360 in about 30 minutes. One variable you may need to play with if you design your own is the degree of constriction on the water intake in the center. More constriction just before the air inlet creates more of a pressure drop, which will suck in more air, but will also reduce your total water flow. The optimal choice will depend on how powerful your pump is.