Self Cleaning Skimmer Head

[Pbrown3701]

Has anyone tried using one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Burkert-Normall...5820082QQihZ019QQcategoryZ45037QQcmdZViewItem

connected to a simple timer to shut off the air being pumped to a NW or Venturi skimmer every few hours to clean the head?

I notice that when I pinch the airline tubing providing air to my venturi skimmer (connected to an air pump) for about 30 seconds and then release it, that the skimmer will overflow quickly and come back into normal opperation. Thus, cleaning the head. So if you use a simple electric solenoid valve to do this every few hours...you get my drift. Has anyone tried this?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Interesting. I don't know if that would work for a skimmer though. Often the skum will build up so thick that a simple back wash won't do the trick. If simple backwashes do the trick for you, I couldn't see why this would not work.

Oh, and good to see another Stillwaterian

 

[Pbrown3701]

I'm in the habit of pinching the tube when I walk by the tank. It seems to clear out the riser tube at minimum - and for 10 bucks, it's worth a shot i think.

Yes - you must be the other 1 person in town that does reef? :lol:

 

[Conceyted]

hmm i can block off my venturi tube to my needle wheel but the thing will keep on overflowing untill i ler air back in. I think its becasue my riser tube is freaking LARGE and goes higher than the collection cup. (gatevalve modded g3)

 

[Pbrown3701]

ahh yes, i'm not using a NW though, just supercharged venturi. I'm using a CSS 125. If you kill the air supply to a NW, then you are replacing the air with water and increasing the effective flowrate - hence the overflow. But this mod could work for you also as it does overflow - you would just use a much shorter time on the air valve shut off.