Cheap and easy surface skimmer....

Great idea!

I'd like to add one to my 46 Bowfront, but I'd hate to tear the whole thing down just for that. Any ideas on a way to attach it with the tank still full of water?

Will silicone cure under water?

I wonder if just piling a bunch of rock against it would be good enough, it doesn't have to be absolutely watertight for it to still work well does it?
 
So far it's working great. No surface scum and the top-off works perfectly. I'll definately be using this design in any future tanks I setup.

Cuervo, I don't think the silicone would cure wet, and I can't really say for sure on the seal. I think between the rocks and the pressure of the water it would pretty much stay in place.
 
Something you said earlier inspired me...

you said "one type of PVC floats"

I started thinking.. the overflow doesn't really have to be attacked to the tank at all.

I'm going to try this tomorrow:

Take the piece of ABS, and stick an edcap on it, cut it to the length of my intake on my HOB skimmer. Cut the teeth for the overflow on the other end. I think a couple of short pieces of 1/2 in PVC with end caps glued on and stuck to the top should be able to keep the thing from sinking.(mini-pontoons) Then just let it float in place with the skimmer intake inside it.

If it works, I don't even have to worry about the water level dropping a little.

I'll put it together tomorrow and see what happens. I guess my biggest question is how I'll get the balance between the skimmer cavitating and the thing overflowing totally. Won't know until I try.

Thanks again for the great idea!!
 
hey, this looks great. Sorry if this is a dumb question but how exactly does this reduce skum? i always see teeth cut out but i never knew there purpose. Does the skum get stuck behind the teeth?
 
The teeth are just so a fish or snail doesn't end up in your overflow, potentially blocking the drain or kiling the animal. Some people use a solid top and use 1" of gutter guard or similiar.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8015785#post8015785 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amiricle
so how does this reduce skum?
Click to expand...

Scum floats. When it floats it accumulates in a thin layer on surface of the water. Surface skimming is designed to pull this thin layer off the top of the aquarium display tank so that the scum can be filtered in the protein skimmer.

The use of teeth technically reduces the surface skimming a little. Some people don't use teeth at all as a previous poster stated. The point here is that without the teeth a thinner layer is transferred into the overflow box, thus more scum. People who don't use teeth use other creative means to keep critters out of the overflow box.
 
I've seen sooooo many designs and have not come across this one until tonight. I like it. Worth looking into.

Cuervo definitely let us know how that goes.


Jon
 
I know this is a dumb question but i cant find it anywhere. How do you mod an AC to be a ref and filter? what exactly needs to be done to it?
 
Just do a search for AC refugium or something like that and you should find quite a few threads on how to set it up.

BTW, so far the overflow is working great.....
 
Your tank looks great. Great ideas. When I move my tanks around I am going to drill my 75 and might do the pvc trick for and inside overflow. What exactly do you guys use to glue pvc to glass and how long does it take to cure?
 
I would use Silicone. It adheres to PVC about as well as it does to acrylic. 48 hours is the cure time.

There may be other adhesives that would work well too however.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7846271#post7846271 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rljlll
oh ok i have heard that the black pipe releases toxins but the white and the grey electrical is ok though any thoughts
Click to expand...

ABS is inert, like pvc, while in normal use. ABS is more toxic WHEN IT'S BURNED than pvc, but I wouldn't want to breathe the smoke from either material.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7837380#post7837380 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CoolUsername
This is kind of like what I was thinking:

arc_overflow.png


I would cut teeth into the top edge (long straight). I think this is the perfect material for this application. And I guess I have more tools to work with it than the alternatives.
Click to expand...

Do they make any larger than 4' diameter? If you use 4' dia. PVC like your illustration above, the radius is cut down to 2', so the pipe would only come out from the tank wall 2' and the overflow chamber would only be 2' deep. I guess it would still work, but I can't imagine that you could use even a 1 inch dia. pipe for your T fitting inside the overflow and have it fit.
 
Do they make any larger than 4' diameter? If you use 4' dia. PVC like your illustration above, the radius is cut down to 2', so the pipe would only come out from the tank wall 2' and the overflow chamber would only be 2' deep. I guess it would still work, but I can't imagine that you could use even a 1 inch dia. pipe for your T fitting inside the overflow and have it fit.
Click to expand...

to eliminate that issue, put the tee on th outside of the tank, not in the overflow area. then cut part of 90 elbow off to shorten it and use that on the inside of the tank in the overflow.

I like this idea very much. I have been contomplaiting changing my overflow box to a coast to coast style for better and more efficient skim. I may just use this method and do it once I have a few other things out of the way.
 
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