Turn your crappy seaclone into something usefull!!!

[crrichey]

Hi all. I had an idea. I was looking at my old seaclone that was stored in my aquarium stand. Then it hit me. Fluidized bed filter!!! Right now I am working on getting everything planed out. I want to try it on my 60-gallon. It would be a nice hang on the back filter. First I discarded everything except the skimmer body itself. Next I tore out the tube that is located on the bottem of the skimmer. That was a bit difficult. I had to use the end of a broom. I worked it inside the small tube and snaped it off at the base. After this I cut out a piece of egg crate that would fit in the bottem of the skimmer. I placed a piece of screen over the top of this and secured it with a few twist ties. This will keep sand from falling down into the very bottem and ending up in the tubing. I am next going to take some plexiglass and cut and shape it so that it covers the top of the skimmer and creates a tube for the water to return to the aquarium. It will end up looking like a duck, kind of. I will also add some screen up top to that sand does not end up inside the aquarium. What I am hoping will happed is that as the water spirals up and into the tube that it will pick up sand and carry it up to the top of the skimmer. Then it will fall back down along the sides of the skimmer and sucked back up again. It will look like a convection current. Only it will be made of sand!!!

[Mikefromaz]

I dunno.... It seems we all have something to "hate" don't we? :) I have one of the newer SeaClones and am completely satisfied with it. I don't claim to be an expert, but I get about two collection containers a week of dark brown/green gunk from it, it is quiet, and has been running for two years without so much as a hiccup. I am sure there are better skimmers, and in all probability if and when I can afford one I will buy it, but I have no gripes with SeaClone.

[laddy00]

I have a feeling those twist ties aren't going to hold up very long. You did use the plastic screen right? Overall it seems like a good DIY project.

[crrichey]

sry for the mix up, i was talking about the plastic ones for holding cables and what not together, not the ones you find on your sliced bread or stuff like that!

[caribbeanguy]

some pics wold be nice

[caribbeanguy]

some pics wold be nice

[greenb]

Pics would be great once your done and you know it works :)

[crrichey]

yeah, that would be nice, but i dont have a digital camera! i might try out one of thoughs disposable cameras that come with the disk.

[MIKE NY]

It's a good idea. I have two old seaclowns that I have been playing with the same way, but I was trying to use them for a phosphate filter using rowaphos and phosban. The problem I have been having is keeping the media in the tube.

[cloudjockey]

I was going to turn mine into a beer bong.

[DJ88©]

Turn it into a kalk doser..