DIY Skimmer

u should have built a few at a time so u can sell em to us , u get urs free ...just something to keep in mind . thats awsome , i hope it works as good as it looks !!!
 
Drum roll please! The moment we've all been waiting for!

Ok maybe not, but here it is anyway. Here is the finished product, well 95% finished. I still need to pick up some tubing to connect the venturi line to the silencer but other than that, this is it.
IMG_0186.jpg


Now that the skimmer is done I have to work on my sump so that I can get this thing broken in and running like it should. I hope to have that done by next weekend. I just need a couple more pieces for my plumbing.
 
impressed !!! u should be proud of that piece , did u make a name for it , like scum guzzler ..lol.. its urs , one of a kind ..
 
Thanks, I'm pretty proud of it especially considering this was my first acrylic project. I'll be even more proud once I figure out this pump and get it to run right, lol. I already have plans for the next one but I've got to get some other stuff going first. Getting to build stuff is one of the thing I love about this hobby.
 
Cool, what temp did you end up using in your oven, and what did you lay it on while you heated it? I have a roll of silicone baking sheet that's not being used...
 
I believe it was 5 min @300 degrees but my oven runs hotter than most. I took a couple scrap pieces and threw them in the oven to fine tune the time it needs to be in there. I just used a cookie sheet with wax paper over it. The wax paper was good to grab it out of the oven but it left wax residue all over it, no biggie I just had to clean it off. And be quick when you pull it out of the oven because it starts to set up pretty quick. Be sure to line up the seem as best you could so that the top and bottom are as even as possible. no big deal if its not you just have to sand it down. Let me know if you give it a try.
 
A quick update on this thing, I finally got my sump together and fired the skimmer up. It's foaming like mad so far so good. Right now I'm running it 8" deep so we'll see how that works. I'll post a pic of it in action soon.
 
I want pics!! Did you take that eggcrate out the was screwing up your clearance? If you did, how much did the water level rise? If it's frothing too much, you may want to try switching out the pinwheel to see if you can cut it back a bit. Even with the stock pinwheel, this should be a pretty good skimmer upgrade for you
 
I didn't take the eggcrate stand out completely because then it would be too deep. I just cut it down a bit and that gave me just enough room to get the cup on and off. If the skimmer fell on either side of that center brace I would have plenty of room. It's still not foaming over into the cup so I have some adjustment. I can't wait till it brakes in to see how well it works.
 
Oh yeah, I forgot about them. Here are a couple with my cell.
Here it is in my new sump. I've still got to straighten out all the wires.
IMG_0277.jpg


Another shot with the collection cup on it.
IMG_0229.jpg


Here's a close up of the collection cup. Its been running for two days wide open while it breaks in and I'm starting to get something in the cup. Notice how close the cup is to the center brace, I didn't plan on the skimmer sitting right in the middle under the brace.
IMG_5110.jpg


Let me know what you guys think.
 
Looks good buddy. It seems like you're already pulling a darker skimmate than you ever got out of the Remora, so things must be working well. Did you look into putting a drain line off of the collection cup?
 
Its on my to-do-list. I have to find a fitting. I hope it works out so it'll help control my PO4 problem. I've had a couple hick-ups with the pump that I just don't understand. About once a day it'll start making some noise and it hardly produces any foam. The first time I took it apart and it was completely fine. I put it back together and it worked fine. The second time I just shook it and its been working since, IDK?
 
Well here is the first full cup from my skimmer. It's still running wide open and was skimming really dry but I had some work done in my house today and some drywall dust got in the tank so the skimmer is going crazy which helped to fill it quite a bit so normally it would be darker crud. Enjoy!
IMG_3534.jpg
 
looks really nice, any new pics/ info of how its running months later? Also, what are your total dimensions?
 
Thanks guys. It's still running however it doesn't skim consistently, I think it maybe too large for my system. The skimmers about 8x10x24" tall with a 4" neck. I haven't given up on it though I have a few mods planned at the suggestion of a skimmer guru on another board, we'll see how it goes. I also have another skimmer that I'm working on that is a bit smaller just to see if it performs better. I'll be sure to post some pics once I get some work done on them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
New- skimmer question
Replies
3
Views
1K
Guygettnby
Guygettnby
D
DIY Stand Help
Replies
6
Views
256
kharmaguru
kharmaguru
Guygettnby
Stuck between 2 skimmers...
Replies
12
Views
1K
Guygettnby
Guygettnby
T
New Deltec Skimmer
Replies
1
Views
827
Vinny Kreyling
Vinny Kreyling
DPauley
Bonnethead Shark Collection and Care in Home Aquaria
Replies
3
Views
811
Dr. Reef
Dr. Reef
Back
Top