Protein Skimmer?

[rustybucket145]

I'm sure somebody has built one. I don't see a problem with it, this is going on a 55gal right? If so it will be fine. You're only issues are going to be with running the pipes through the uniseals. On a 6" pipe the walls are 'flatter' and therefore more likely to properly seal with the uniseals. You might want to do a quick test run on some 4" pipe with a uniseal just to make sure it's going to hold water.

 

[nano10]

are uniseals available anywhere othere then on line?

 

[brc0488]

if u have a plastic supplier near by u can prob get them from there i just got them off line...the shipping wasn't that much but i gotta go my teacher is gonna get mad at me

 

[rustybucket145]

You might want to try a local plumbing supply house. I seriously doubt that HD or Lowes will have any. You better get there today b/c most of them are closed on the weekends though.

You can order them online, they aren't expensive but you may end up paying more for shipping than you did for the seals.

 

[rustybucket145]

Has anybody considered tapping the holes in the pipe? Then using teflon tape over the threads?

 

[reverendmaynard]

I have used 1" uniseals on 4" pvc before. No problem.

I'm using a similar skimmer to the first one linked. Changing of the airstones is not a huge problem, you just need to have a break in the rigid airline a couple of inches down inside the skimmer and put a short length of flexible tubing. When you need to take it apart, seperate the airline at the flexible section, and pull the long rigid piece right out. The problem is that they need to be replaced at least every 2 months, and that gets expensive and time consuming compared to a needlewheel or venturi design.

You need a MJ1200 or similar to pump the water in, and a good airpump to run the airstones. I'm using 2 luft pumps, each with 2 4"x1" airstones on a 4", 5' skimmer.

It's cheap and easy to build, but a bit of a maintenance chore.

 

[nano10]

Thanks for the help guys

 

[nano10]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9197975#post9197975 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reverendmaynard
I have used 1" uniseals on 4" pvc before. No problem.

I'm using a similar skimmer to the first one linked. Changing of the airstones is not a huge problem, you just need to have a break in the rigid airline a couple of inches down inside the skimmer and put a short length of flexible tubing. When you need to take it apart, seperate the airline at the flexible section, and pull the long rigid piece right out. The problem is that they need to be replaced at least every 2 months, and that gets expensive and time consuming compared to a needlewheel or venturi design.

You need a MJ1200 or similar to pump the water in, and a good airpump to run the airstones. I'm using 2 luft pumps, each with 2 4"x1" airstones on a 4", 5' skimmer.

It's cheap and easy to build, but a bit of a maintenance chore.

So it's external and you use a powehead to fill the skimmer? this i can deal with. Have you had sucess with it.

 

[reverendmaynard]

Yup, it sits next to the sump. Pump the water in the intake side and it overflows out the output side back into the sump.

Yes, I'd say it's been fairly succesfull. I've never used any other skimmer on that tank, so I don't have much to compare with, but it produces consistent skimmate as long as the airstones are changed regularly.

 

[brc0488]

im sure if you did tap the holes and use teflon tape it would be fine....