skimmer

[thincat]

will using a larger ph help produce more bubbles in a skimmer. My skimmer is a "clear for life" skimmer that came with the unit. It works good but I'd like to make it better.

 

[CaptainAhab]

You can over drive a skimmer but not to the 'nth' degree. You should put a valve on the intake so you can fine tune the over driven flow.

I'm not sure if it works on all design/type

 

[thincat]

I'll give it a shot and let it run for awhile then report on it.

 

[CaptainAhab]

You can also mod them by boring out the intake to get a better flow and/or mesh mod the needlewheel. I've got a link somewhere that shows/explains how to do it if you're interested.

 

[thincat]

Yes, should be interesting.

 

[CaptainAhab]

AquaNerd: Modifying a Protein Skimmer

 

[thincat]

Thank you

 

[ccCapt]

Alot depends on the size of the bubbles produced, diameter of the skimmer body and the diameter of the neck. Assuming the bigger ph will produce more bubbles, it will also push more water into the body. There is a limit on how much air/water the skimmer can handle.

Here's a great article by my friend Ken Feldman. It gets quite technical, but has lots of good info.
Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Feature Article: The Development of a Method for the Quantitative Evaluation of Protein Skimmer Performance