Is This An Actual Option?

[Truck]

is it possible that i could make a DIY skimmer, i dont want to fork out for one at the moment becuase i know there not necessary.

so is there anyway i could make my own, all ive heard is that bubbles are sent through a colection cup with water and when the burst the surface scum is deposited in the cup, Is there Anyway in which i can make my own?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yep it is totally possible to make your own skimmer. I havent done it myself but there are lots of plans on the internet for doing it and someone on here (sorry cant remeber who it was now) has made one that I think was really simple but works pretty well.

 

[Truck]

Yep it is totally possible to make your own skimmer. I havent done it myself but there are lots of plans on the internet for doing it and someone on here (sorry cant remeber who it was now) has made one that I think was really simple but works pretty well.

why is something broken when you plan to use it eh i would the search facility lol, anyone know whom produced that thread?

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Found it:
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=260025"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=260025[/URL]

As ski says in the thread I think the collection cup needs to be modified a bit but the rest of the system looks workable. When I (if i ever) upgrade to a bigger tank I think Im going to have a go at a DIY skimmer.

Have a look here for another simple design:
[URL="http/ozreef.org/diy_plans/protein_skimme...re_skimmer.html"]http/ozreef.org/diy_plans/protein_skimme...re_skimmer.html[/URL]

They are fairly simple to make basically you need:
Pump to push the water into the skimmer (ideally one you can connect an airline too).
Air (the smaller the bubbles produced the better, I have a CO2 diffuser from my planted tank which is designed to defuse CO2 into water so with a lot of air pumping through it it should work perfectly)
Reaction chamber - This is where the air and water mix. Ideally you need to keep the bubbles in contact with the water for as long as possible so having the water coming in from the top of the chamber being pushed down with the air source at the bottom rising up should work best).
The top of the chamber needs to be above the water line. The foam will raise up this.
Above the reaction chamber you have the collection cup, the foam should ideally break here and form into skimate which is collected by the cup.

Have a look here for more info on how they work and the different methods used.
http/saltaquarium.about.com/cs/proteinsk.../a/aa052200.htm

 

[Truck]

Found it:
<a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=260025" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=260025</a>

As ski says in the thread I think the collection cup needs to be modified a bit but the rest of the system looks workable. When I (if i ever) upgrade to a bigger tank I think Im going to have a go at a DIY skimmer.

Have a look here for another simple design:
<a href="http/ozreef.org/diy_plans/protein_skimme...re_skimmer.html" target="_blank">http/ozreef.org/diy_plans/protein_skimme...re_skimmer.html</a>

They are fairly simple to make basically you need:
Pump to push the water into the skimmer (ideally one you can connect an airline too).
Air (the smaller the bubbles produced the better, I have a CO2 diffuser from my planted tank which is designed to defuse CO2 into water so with a lot of air pumping through it it should work perfectly)
Reaction chamber - This is where the air and water mix. Ideally you need to keep the bubbles in contact with the water for as long as possible so having the water coming in from the top of the chamber being pushed down with the air source at the bottom rising up should work best).
The top of the chamber needs to be above the water line. The foam will raise up this.
Above the reaction chamber you have the collection cup, the foam should ideally break here and form into skimate which is collected by the cup.

Have a look here for more info on how they work and the different methods used.
[URL="http/saltaquarium.about.com/cs/proteinsk.../a/aa052200.htm"]http/saltaquarium.about.com/cs/proteinsk.../a/aa052200.htm[/URL]

thanks very much i shall have a read

 

[Crazy fishes]

It is probably me being a little thick but I got lost it the explanation of Rabbut skimmer. The water comes up the central tube and overflows in the bottle while the airstone at the bottom produces the air bubbles that clean the water..... where does the skimmate collect??? What is the other bottle for???

Regards

 

[xxBarneyxx]

He has a tube at the tube of the bottle where the collection cup would normally be. I believe this then runs back down into another bottle where the skimate is collected. not sure have effective this is but i would tend to go for putting a collection cup on the top of the first bottle instead. We will have to ask him and see how well its working

 

[rabbut]

It works very well thanks Barney

The water enters through the center tube and flows downwards and out into the bucket. Air is injected into this downward moving water via a limewood airblock and a 200lph air pump (A small ammount of this is used when I store salt RO, bled off into the holding vat) The air is trying to raise up, and the waterflow is pushing it downwards, thus contact time is increased, as the water downflow through the reaction chamber slows down the rate at which the air rises. This should increase efficiency

The foam raises up the neck of the bottle and into the pipe on top as the skimmate collects, and it then flows into the seporate bottle. The skimmer pulls off a dark skimmate. On the 70l tank onto which it is fitted, it pulls more off in relatively dry skimmate, than two Aquamedic Bioflotor's at work manage in wet skimming on a 500l system....

Basically, Barney's dectription is right, but I though't I'd add to it with an attempt to simplify the explanation I made origionally in that thread

All the best
Rabbut