Are both pumps sitting in the same chamber? In my sump, the return pump chamber is really small... Could I set up a second return pump in the skimmer chamber?
Yes, both pumps are in the return chamber. The EcoTech is hard plumbed to a UV and the Sicce returns direct to the tank. You’d be surprised what will fit in there. My return pump chamber is 6.89” wide and 9.72” long and I fit an EcoTech Vectra S2 and a Sicce SDC3 in there. I could think of several reasons why you wouldn’t want it in the skimmer chamber.
1. The pump chamber is the chamber with the lowest water level in your sump. If you pull water from the skimmer chamber it will cause weird things to happen with water level and auto top off.
2. If the pump in the pump chamber failed now your skimmer chamber level will vary which will mess with your skimmer. Either it won’t work or it will overflow.
3. Between the skimmer and return pump chamber is a bubble wall which dissipates bubbles before the pump returns to the display tank. If you put a pump in the skimmer area you will get micro bubbles in your display.
If you don’t have room to fit one you could keep another pump of the same type on hand and switch them out every time you need to clean them. This would allow you to have one on hand if it failed. Plus you wouldn’t need the additional plumbing and check valves.