Skimmer Body Shape (Why Round?)

[Silencer]

Why are skimmers round?

I'm going to build a skimmer and it seems like a square skimmer would be very cheap and easy to make. All the large retail skimmers are round though, so it seems like there must be something I'm missing. Is there a performance-related reason or other factor that would make it less desirable to build a non-cylindrical skimmer body? Thanks.

 

[formula831]

A square skimmer would work just fine...tubing is stronger, less seams to leak, ect............
IMO tubing or a hex shape is better...if you watch the bubbles they seem to move more freely

 

[shag26272]

example: remora, cpr bakpak

 

[BeanAnimal]

square will be fine. Most commercial models are round because ROUND = no seams to glue, no jigs or other fabrication costs. They simply order tubing and cut it.

Bean

 

[areze]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6510954#post6510954 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
square will be fine. Most commercial models are round because ROUND = no seams to glue, no jigs or other fabrication costs. They simply order tubing and cut it.

Bean

this makes sense to me now. round would take a big step out of the build process. building a small square box sounded so easy. it really hasnt been.

 

[Silencer]

square will be fine. Most commercial models are round because ROUND = no seams to glue, no jigs or other fabrication costs. They simply order tubing and cut it.

This has kinda been my guess too. Even though tubing costs more in materials they don't have to pay for labor to construct boxes out of sheet acrylic so for them it ends up being the better option.

I've heard a few other things though. Some people say that skimmers have to be round because the water column has to spin inside of it. Other people say that a square or other non-round shape will break up bubbles or cause other bubble-related problems. Having never had or really seen a skimmer in person I'm not sure what is true.

My plan is to build a recirculating Euro-reef clone as they seem to be both highly regarded and very simple in operation. I don't really have the tools or the budget to work with larger diameter acrylic tubing however, so making a square shape out of the cheaper and easier flat sheeting is a rather attractive option. Of course performance is the most important thing, especially since I'll be using this on a 180g sps reef with a very heavy fish load, so if a square skimmer has performance drawbacks I'll have to put up the extra money for the tubing and find a way to work with it.

 

[smp]

It doesn't have to be clear, that's my input.

 

[dhnguyen]

The Deltec MCE6000 is not round and it works fine. I think the most important part in a skimmer is the pump and not the shape of the skimmer body.


D.

 

[mpomfret]

I am in the process of setting up a 75 gal reef tank. Still working on the cabinetry and some electrical, but getting ready to start on plumbing. Anyway, one of the things I have been kicking around has been building a protein skimmer into the sump rather than buying/building one as a separate unit.

The idea is to insert a 3 baffles in the sump just before the return chamber so that the water flows under baffles 1 and 3, but over # 2. Then set air stones on both sides of the center baffle and hook them up to an air pump (Rena Air400 is what I have in mind for the moment). The collection cup would be a trough made out of acrylic that would straddle all 3 baffles.

The upside is that if it works, I save some space. The downside is that I waste a couple of pieces of acrylic and some sealant and have to build something else....But is the idea sound ?

Matt