Think I could extend the tubing of my skimmer?

[DamselnDistress]

I really hate the looks of my skimmer on my tank. It's a turbo flotor hang on and it works really well. But it just looks so gross on my tank and its in an open area. I have a really expensive wood floor and can't build a sump and risk ruining the floor. Do you think I could extend the tubing on it and put it down in the cabinet? I mean I could extend the tube from the pump inside the aquarium down into the skimmer if it was sitting in the stand. Also the return tubing I could just run into the tank like my canister filter is set up. Could I maybe hook the skimmer into my canister filter somehow? Any ideas?

 

[loganj]

Although I'm not familiar with the Turbo Flotor HOB, most HOB skimmers are "self leveling" meaning they have outlets designed to maintain a certain water level in the skimmer body. Either way, your skimmer will need somewhere to dump. If you try to push the water back up to the tank, I'm thinking it's going to pour out around or through the collection cup.
You can get a pressure switch that would regulate the water level in your tank. If you set up a sump with one of these switches in the main tank, it would be as close to disaster proof as a sump can be. Correctly adjusted, the switch would shut off the circulation pump before the tank overflowed in the event of a broken siphon.

 

[DamselnDistress]

Where could i pick up one of these switches? How do they work and how much do they cost?

 

[loganj]

I have a wholesale supplier who carries them. PM me if you want any more info on that one. You might also check at www.championlighting.com . I'm pretty sure they also carry them. They work off pressure. The switch has a sensor that goes in thesump. As the water level drops, as it would if the siphon was broken and the sump contents were being pumped up to the main tank, the pressure on the sensor decreases and the switch is triggered when it reaches a preset level. Not only will this keep the tank from overflowing into the floor, it saves the pump from running dry.
EDIT: I encourage you to solicit some other opinions on the viability of a setup like this before you do it though. 8)