DIY skimmer

[eskimoigloo]

This is my pride and joy, my perfectly working home-made skimmer... doesn't look much, but is very effective (as you can see from the foam in the top chamber):

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y56/eskimoigloo/skimmer.jpg

The main body is made from the container that Maplins sell full of cable ties, the top section is made from the container that cichlid pellets come in, and the adjoining tube contained some plastic BBQ cutlery. Water is fed in at the top from a powerhead in the tank (flow controlled via a clamp on the tubing), and leaves the bottom via gravity. The foam is generated by 2 wooden airstones powered by the twin air pump which you see (if i want dry foam i just run 1 air stone). The top collection cup is then piped off to a coffee jar which is full of green/brown goo. It is roughly 20" overall height, and the main body is approx 4" diameter. The key to it is a 6mm hole in the top of the collection cup which allows the foam to rise at the desired rate (bigger hole for faster foam, smaller to slow it down). It's all held together and sealed with hot-melt glue.

If anyone wants to patent it for me they're quite welcome! ;)

Chris.

[eskimoigloo]

p.s. cost me the price of the airstones and glue to make (about 2 quid!)
everything else I had from when I kept tropicals (and obviously stuff from around the house)
Chris.

[Tangman]

Hi Chris. A very good job there m8, if it works why spend £200 on a shiny new one. Eric

[Gillybaby]

That is impressive. Your getting better foam out of that than I get from my APF600 :eek:

[eskimoigloo]

Been running since January with no major problems. Only downside against bought ones is it's not very adjustable... means it sometimes runs "dry" or sometime trys to empty the tank into the coffee jar (which is air tight to it can't ;))when the water level rises too high in the column!

Chris

[oakwell]

loks great ..well done

[Reefer]

Im gobsmacked, fair play for even attempting, yet alone getting it to work. wow!

[Pinkfish]

Nice one make cool.

[Kev]

I am always amazed by the resourcefulness of some folk within the hobby. Good one.

Kev

[Reefer]

Do you have any other marine inventions to share with us Mr Heath-Robinson?!

[eskimoigloo]

I've got my patent pending "stops powerheads falling off glass cos of those stupid little suckers" invention?

[mrc]

Sir you are a gentleman&scholar I was not happy using an internal skimmer (i have one) ugly things so if you dont mind ill copy yours in a couple of weeks got a lot going on at the mo just wish i seen this before setting my trigon up would have saved me a bomb

[eskimoigloo]

Send me a Pm if you want any more info... I'll be happy to help!

Chris.

[callum_parsons]

that is very cool would you make more

[mrc]

Send me a Pm if you want any more info... I'll be happy to help!

Chris.
Thanks Chris I will were looking after my grandson at the mo so im leaving it till he goes home

[jamieb]

fantastic skimmer, have you thought about trying a calcium reactor? fancied having a go at one of them myself
jamie

[eskimoigloo]

The problem with any reactor is getting the flow rate correct, which is why I don't trust those cheap ones on ebay, as I can almost guarantee the flow rate will be too high. Calc reactor you'll have to be careful with cos of pressurised CO2.

[jamieb]

do you mean with the seals?
would the pressure be that high?

[cl0wn]

eskimoigloo have you thought about using a gate valve instead of a clamp. and maybe tee-ing off from the two airlines, and then pop on an algarde airflow tap, allowing the airflow to be reduced without restricting the airflow and causing strain on the airpump.

fantastic bit of diy by the way. IIRC i read an article about skimmers ages ago on advanced reefkeeping (i think) that stated that counter current air driven skimmers were the most effective. one of the big US names wrote it.

[Guest]

chris thats a great home made job you have done there mate ,it just shows that you dont have to pay a kings randsom for things within the hobby i take my hat off to you

john

[eskimoigloo]

This skimmer bit the dust a few months ago, the plastic started to go brittle with the high pH of the water attacking it, and chasing the leaks was almost a full time job! But given the correct materials I would still be using it. Using a TMC V2 600 now... very good! Phosphates always 0!

Chris

[Mark J]

Nice skimmer!
Certainly better looking than my first ever skimmer that I made lol!
Here's a piccy of it. (probably best to be sat on the loo first as you'll end up wetting yourself lol!!!)

Amazingly, it worked REALLY well! the gunk was really dark and smelly!

Ps. made this for my first ever marine tank in arond 2003

PPs. NO references to a BONG please lol! went through that when I originally posted it on the other forum lol!!!!! (not that I actually know what a bong is etc :D)

[Tetley]

Hi,

Naw nowt like a bong M8 :rolleyes:

[moorish]

good job mate,as long as works what it looks like does not matter.derek

[ovesk8]

Markj that is a cracking skimmer:D Id prefer a bong i think:rolleyes:

[Mark J]

LOL!!!!!
spose it would be usefuill as a bong for when you work out the costs of these marine tanks etc lol!!!!!

[angel1]

Hi,

Naw nowt like a bong M8 :rolleyes:

And whats bong when its at home????:confused:

LILYANN:p

[Tetley]

And whats bong when its at home????:confused:

LILYANN:p


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