Diy nano skimmer idea

[Dimdim]

Check it out, used a wooden airstone, anyone got any input or thoughts as to how efficient this may be? Its my 10 gal nano with the diy skimmer in the marineland 100 hob filter

 

[Ronin77]

Pretty good idea. You might pull the PVC up to the top of bottom bottle so the bubbles get the cone effect like on my reef octopus. And shorten the top PVC just a hair. Good idea how is it working. I used to run the air one in my nano for awhile till I put a bigger one on.

 

[Dimdim]

I just installed it, the hob filter had to much flow to keep the bubbles in contact time with anything really, it would work with a bigger aquaclear hob for sure as they rise and pour, penguin is a bit different, anyways i moved it into my tank, theres twice as many bubbles now and it seems to be working now ill post an update in the morning with some pics, i just hate how it takes up real estate in my ten gallon

 

[College fishman]

Hey if this works, ill give it a try in my 20gal. Could save a few bucks hahaha

 

[Dimdim]

Hey it works great! Skimming perfectly and everything, you will just have to fine tune ur neck wich pours the foam out in to your collection cup, to the length that works best for your air pumps power

 

[College fishman]

Haha! That's ****ing great man! Ill give it a whirl when I get home. Post some pics if you can of the skimmate. Also, what size PVC did you use? And did you glue it at all

 

[Dimdim]

Used 3/4 pvc and yea epoxy then all purpose window silicone to seal

 

[College fishman]

Not bad man. How did you adjust the height of the tube?

 

[Dimdim]

Cut it with a hacksaw, lol

 

[Ronin77]

Lol Hacksaw, that's awesome I'm glad it's working.

 

[Dimdim]

Look how good this works ! Its the final product , been running for 3 days emptied once, now its running like a 70 dollar skimmer id say !

 

[Ronin77]

Sweet! It's doing good, like the Solo cup mod.

 

[Dimdim]

Lol thanks! The solo cup is perfect, didnt have to ruin any of my plastic tupperwares!

 

[Jake337]

Do you have a lot of microbubbles in the tank? I want to try this but I don't want a lot flying everywhere

 

[Dimdim]

None! Just make sure the body of your skimmer is long enough for the microbubles to have sufficient reaction time to flow up to the collection cup

 

[Jake337]

None! Just make sure the body of your skimmer is long enough for the microbubles to have sufficient reaction time to flow up to the collection cup

Sweet! I want to try this but still have a lot of questions lol. I was wondering, do you have to have a pipe or something inserted in the reaction chamber to add the aquariums water inside? I thought that if you jus have a cut bottom with the bubbler pushing bubbles upward, the same amount of water will be continuously used?

 

[obscurereef]

Create idea! I've seen this done, but in a different way. Glad it worked out

 

[jerrod938]

Could a skimmer be of any benefit on my fresh water tank to help with surface film?

 

[Dimdim]

Sweet! I want to try this but still have a lot of questions lol. I was wondering, do you have to have a pipe or something inserted in the reaction chamber to add the aquariums water inside? I thought that if you jus have a cut bottom with the bubbler pushing bubbles upward, the same amount of water will be continuously used?

The pipe needs to be there not into the chamber, but just a bit below the tope of hole its in, so the bubbles go up the pipe and fall out into the cup, this pipe is the reason why the waste particles and skimmate is not released back down the chamber into the tank again. Without the neck/pipe this would happen. Seal the pipe on the outside on the bottom to the cap, this is the way u can unscrew the collection cup from the chamber in your tank to dump and clean it out without taking the whole skimmer apart and out of the tank hopes this helps

 

[Dimdim]

Could a skimmer be of any benefit on my fresh water tank to help with surface film?

Not at all, if you have surface film, try switching your filtration to a sump or a skimmer attachment for the aqua clear hob filters, this will skim the surface layer of water clearing it of foam and other detritus

If u decided to use a diy pvc u can check a vid on youtube how to make a fantastic one, this overflow can work with a diy wet dry filter IMO is the best filtration method for any tank