Best DYI Skimmer for Mag7

[hip68]

OKie im getting my Little Giant pump on Monday and i would REALLY like to use it for my returns. This will free up my Mag7 to use on a skimmer. I had planned on buying a Kent Turbo Educator ( this pump was mentioned specifically) but i was hoping to save some $$ and make one myself. It will hafta be all PVC as i dont have the tools available to work with acrylic. I figure i am stuck using either a counter-current type of maybe a downtube with bioballs. Does anyone have any ideas? The total water volume with sump and refugium will probably be at least 150g. id like to voide using my new pump to run a big Beckett style skimmer if at all possible.

TIA
Bryan

[EnzoRocks]

Hip,

I used this site to build my skimmer. I hooked it up two days ago and it works great. I'm driving it with a Mag 5. If you get too much flow with the seven you can restrict it with a valve. Highly recommend this skimmer.


http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sasala.com%2Ffish%2Fdiy%2Fguide%2Fdiy_section3.html%231000

[hip68]

Sweet! ill hafta check that out. It will be ugly as sin.. since i cant afford the acrylic yet. DO you have any pics of yours running or otherwise??

Thanx!

[wedfr]

what tools do you have, You need most of the same things to make a pvc skimmer as you do an acrylic one. Still gotta cut those 10 foot pieces when you get them home. If your dont have a table saw then i guess acrylic is out ut its gonna be a pain to cut that pvc without one too.

You can also get pieces of acrylic cut for you either in generic sizes liek 12x12 or a piece of 1 foot tubing or 3 feet from places liek usplastic.com and mcmaster.com

If your set on PVC id go with either a venturi skimmer
heres pretty good design http://aajenki.tripod.com/aarons_marine_aquarium_site/id32.html
its made out of acrylic but can easily be done from pvc.

or if it were me id do a half and half job and buy some precut pieces of acrylic sheet and make one of the skimmers like cheapreef has made. do a search. theres also a thread called my new skimmer and its got a lot of views and replies those are the same as cheapreefs skimmer

[EnzoRocks]

Here are the pics of my DIY skimmer. I've got a line from the collector cup running to a 1 gal milk jug. I have two air hoses hooked up to it to drive the bubbles. If you look inside the collector cup and gallon jug there's all kinds of snot in it so I assume it's working.

Enjoy

[EnzoRocks]

another pic

[hip68]

Cool :) Thanks everyone. I appreciate the info and the pictures. If a mag5 will drive one ok a Mag7 should do nicely as well. I will post some pictures once i get everything up and running.

[dattack]

You might consider a spray injection skimmer like the aqua c.

[hip68]

ill hafta see if i can find some plans for one of those.. Do they use an airline straight into the water colum or are they injected air more like a beckett?