easy as pie euro-skimmer

[topjimmy]

Greetings all,

Just finished my DIY Euro-type skimmer. Here's what i did.

Went to Wal-Mart and bought two clear rubbermaid food containers. A 1gal and a 2qt. By luck the diameter of the mouths is the same as a 4" pvc . The tops are threaded and will screw snuggly into the 4" pvc female adapter. I bought 2 female adapters and a 4" to 2" adapter. To put it together I screwed the one female to the 1gal container the other to the 2qt container. To join them I fitted the 4" to 2" onto the 4" female on the 1 gal, and siliconed the 4" female from the 2qt to it. A piece of 2" pvc is slip fitted into the 2" part of the adapter for a riser tube.

For the input I used a 1/2" male threaded adapter on the inside of the container I made the hole just slightly smaller so that I could screw the piece snug. I used a female threaded on the outside to make a sort of bulkhead. I did the same for the outlet but used 3/4" pvc instead. They are not watertight but pretty close if I had bothered with a gasket or silicon it would be, but since it is intended to be in sump I didn't care.



For pump I'm using a mag 5 that I had. I made the "venturi" for the intake out of a 1/2" pvc tee, with a female threaded top t. I screwed in a male threaded hose barb for the air supply. To get the "venturi" effect I boiled the tee till soft and smushed the middle right under the air supply. This fitted onto the input of the mag 5. I was going to do a needle wheel impeller to but got a little lazy and decided to try it without.

I could not believe the amount of foam this thing produced immediatley. The cup is full of dark green gunk after 12 hours.

I know it doesn't exist without pics..I'll take some.

All together minus the pump It cost me about $30. and maybe an hours work.

Later

JimC.

[Orochimaru]

some pics please..sounds awsome.

[Gololf]

So the 1gal sits upright with the 2qt container up-sidedown on top of it?

Then you have the riser comming up into the 2 qt on the inside?

FL Bob

[topjimmy]

Here are a few pics of it in action..they are kinda crappy I might have to take it out of the sump to get good ones..Maybe I'll draw up a nice diagram.

Here is the top collection cup.

[topjimmy]

I guess It is easier to just look in my gallery.

I'll see if I can get some better pics later.

Later

JimC.

[topjimmy]

So the 1gal sits upright with the 2qt container up-sidedown on top of it?

Yup

Later

JimC

[Gololf]

Could you give me a little more detail on the venturi?
Maybe a pic?

Thanks,

FL Bob

[topjimmy]

The venturi is just a 1/2" pvc tee, with two slip fittings and one female threaded fitting. The threaded fitting has a male 1/2' hose barb screwed in. I don't know if by smushing It I made it any better but here is how I did it.

I just boiled the fitting (without the hose barb screwed in) till it was soft. I took a pair of channel locks and squeezed the fitting in the middle to bring the sides together just below the threaded part. I'll clean out the cup later today and get it out of my sump for some good pics including the venturi fitting.

Later

JimC.

[headshrink]

taggin' along

[Gololf]

I would like to make one for me...I did make one out of regular plastic coke bottles....LOL

I took 6 of them and cut the bottoms off 5....slid them into each other and cut small holes inside so the water could counter flow back down the inner sides...then out. It was powered by a wood airstone from the bottom in an upright position...made dirty bubbles in 2 min.

I'll take a pic of it soon as I can.....it's got to be the getto skimmer of the year...lol

FL Bob

[Gololf]

I tried to make it clear..lol

FL Bob

[topjimmy]

Here are some pics of the E.A.P Euro!

This is the skimmate from about a day and a half

[topjimmy]

Here it is all together. That is a yardstick next to it. Its about 21 inches high.

[topjimmy]

Here is the venturi front and side

[Lunchbucket]

COOL - can you get some good pics of it bubbling??

Lunchbucket

[headshrink]

I just looked for the rubbermaids at WalMart... together they are about $5. They are thin, but if it works, so be it. Let us know if you continue to be happy with it.... I am thinking about making one. Is it tunable?

[headshrink]

Sure wouldn't mind if you put up more detailed pictures

[topjimmy]

Lunch , I'll try to get some pics of it in action..might be hard. I can tell you that the bubbles are very fine and very dense. It sends foam to the top of the riser within minutes.

Headshrink, What other pics would ya like? I have one of the pvc conector, and a few others. It's pretty simple. I would be glad to answer any questions you might have. To adjust the output I tested it in freshwater and cut the outlet pipe to the height I wanted it. Only prob so far is the collection cup takes a little finessing to get off, I'll prob tap it for an outlet.

Later,
JimC.

[headshrink]

Any pics that show the construction/ parts a little clearer would help. Any ideas on an adjustment that wouldn't require something as perminent as cutting pipe?

[J-Bass]

Topjim, are those rubbermaid containers rigid or flimsy plastic? Thinking of taking your idea and makin' a smaller setup for a 20gal. Thanks for this thread.

[topjimmy]

J-Bass,

The containers are rigid but thin. Made it easy to drill the holes. I figure they are good enough for a skimmer design like this since there is not that much pressure.

Later
JimC.

[luceneck]

along for the ride, would like some more details, or pics

thanks

[Ali]

tagging...

[Diego]

topjimmy,
how do you empty the cup w/o it spilling when unscrewed.
Ignore my ignorance.

[topjimmy]

how do you empty the cup w/o it spilling when unscrewed.

The cup is removed while it is still screwed on. The 4" female is glued/siliconed to the 4" to 2" reducer which is just "slip" fitted into the 4" female on the skimmer body. It does require a little patience to get it out I'm going to tap the 4" female and add a drain line. Alternatively you just take the top off before the skimmate gets to that part and you could siphon out the gunk... just be very carefull not to suck to hard.....

Later,
JimC.