DIY Skimmer

[minfinger]

What do you think?
Instructions
http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/diy6inskimmer.htm
Skimmer's 101
http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/skimmer101.htm

[skipm]

The design is fairly similar to the skimmer at Tideline except it is constructed out of PVC which makes it much more affordable. I have heard good things about the Snailmans skimmers before and you couldn't ask for a much simpler design. One thing you may want to add is a cap for the top of the collection cup. I have seen skimmers occasionally make bubbles that didn't want to break for some reason and they would pile up and overflow the cup, this may not be a problem with this skimmer due to the size of the cup or possibly the location if it didn't matter if it were to overflow.
What kind of pumps were you thinking of using with this? Skip

[minfinger]

According the the Skimmer 101 page, I need a 6" pipe for the 180 Gallon Prop system. I'll probably make the main chamber about 4' tall. The diagrams call for about 140GPH pump for 180G of water. I'll probably just throw one of my extra Hagen 402s in the sump and use it that way.

As for as your collection cup idea. I was going to do that anyway and put a sealed top on it and then build one of these at some point.
http://www.hawkfish.org/snailman/diywaste.htm

[minfinger]

How about this

[Troy182]

How tall is that skimmer? What Diameter? Do you have plans for how you are going to change that airstone once a month? What air pump is gonna be required to push enough air to fill a 6" X4' skimmer? What's gonna stop the water from running through that airline if the power goes out (forget all these questions if that is an in sump, open bottom skimmer. Couldn't tell from the pic)?

[minfinger]

The second one I posted was an open bottom Skimmer. The Skimmer attachment just comes right out the bottom.

Here's a link to the US Patent Office Search I did. I think it's one near the bottom, but my Home PC can't see the images.

Link (http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=43&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&S1=((aquarium+AND+skimmer)+AND+fish)&OS=aquarium+AND+skimmer+AND+fish&RS=((aquarium+AND+skimmer)+AND+fish))

If that doesn't work, go to www.uspto.gov and do the search for Skimmer AND fish AND aquarium

[skipm]

I think the first one you posted would be the one I would go with. All of the parts are fairly easy to obtain from Home Depot or Lowes and it shouldn't be too expensive to build. I don't think the second skimmer would be anywhere near as efficient. I do think that you will need to go with a bigger powerhead to feed it though, it will have around 4 feet of head pressure and this will decrease the output substantially. Keep us updated and give me a call if you need help building this monster. Skip

[minfinger]

Yeah I was going to build one like the first one anyway. I liked that web page because he laid out a parts list and I can walk into Lowes and buy it all.

Also...I'm going to be needing 2 Calcium Reactors...Lets get togther and do something.

[skipm]

I think that Troy and I will be starting to build his in the near future, if you want to join in thats fine with me. We would just start batch cutting all of the parts and doing the prep work on 3 instead of 1. I have also come up with another modification to make it even simpler and it will use less PVC fittings that the one I already built. I'll have to get with Troy to see if we can come up with a time to work on them and then we'll let you know when if you are interested. Either that or maybe we can get together sometime up there if that works out better. LMK, Skip

[minfinger]

I'll have to come down on a weekend or 2 and we can knock a bunch of it out. I'll even pay you guys for what you do when I'm not around?

Do you take frags ;):confused:

[minfinger]

Ok it's offical...HD and Lowes suck for parts! It's impossible to find those impossible to find parts at "The Home Store"

Home Depot - "We've got everything...you don't need"

[Troy182]

that's why skip and I have been thinking of doing a US Plastics order and an equatic ecosystems order.

[minfinger]

Do they have the pay with frags option on the check out page? I'm going to do some huntign around and seeif I cna find something.

[skipm]

What are you looking for? I may know where you can get it or a substitute part. Skip

[minfinger]

All the parts for that Skimmer :D

[minfinger]

I checked out Lowes the other day. You can get everything you need for the sump. 6" PVC, 6" to 4" reducers, and all the other parts are standard plumbing parts. I think I can get out of it for les than $50.