Advice on DIY skimmer

[jdbassin]

I'm wanting to build a skimmer for my 56 as I am dissappointed with my sea clone. Can anybody tell me where I can find plans for the best DIY skimmer out there based on personal experience????


jd

[Geoff]

if you DIY skimmers, they you are always changing them. i am on my 3rd design. the problem with the Sea Clone is that it is just small.

take a look at my site for ideas. this is a good size. i am able to keep my tank pretty clean using this skimmer. the biggest thing to remember is bigger is better. whether it is taller, or bigger in diameter.

G~

[jdbassin]

I'll definately check it out. So how well does it work compared to commercial skimmers??


jd

[Geoff]

my newest skimmer, cost around $40 does a fine job. it is not the skimmer that is the important part. it is the air delivery system that makes the skimmer good or not. it is the pump that is the real workhorse for a skimmer. the more powerfull the pump the better the skimmer will be. this includes airstone driven skimmers. the more powerfull the air pump the finer the bubbles and the more stones that can be driven. i like venturi driven skimmers. they are low maintenance. can be made fairly cheap. the venturi valve is about $15-$20 depending on size. then i would get at least a Mag 7 for the pump. something like an inline pump that can handle some head pressure would be even better. the more back pressure in the venturi valve the finer the bubbles.

my latest skimmer is made with only one modified part. i have found that modified parts are difficult to keep from leaking. this latest one is completely made out of PVC. you can make it completely out of acrylic but the cost goes up significantly. besides if you make it out of PVC then if you do not like the way it is performing, change it. it only cost you another $40 bucks. you already have the two expensive parts, the pump and the venturi.

if you are interested. i can come up with a parts list for my current skimmer.

G~

[jdbassin]

Yes please do send me a parts list, That would be really great. Thanks for all the help


jd

[Geoff]

do you have a Lowe's by you? i can not find these parts at HD. i will give you the parts list for what i used. you can adjust the height all you want. now the height adjustment we talk about later. this is really dependant on where the skimmer will be placed.

G~

[jdbassin]

Yes I do actually, I have a lowes just down the road from me. FYI The skimmer would stand either beside or behind the tank. It sits in a corner so theres a lot of room behind it.


jd

[wanareef]

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-...16/sump811.jpg Here's a pix of Krux's cabinet with the skimmer that I made for him, and the sump and the phos-ban reactor. It's a beckett style with the beckett nozzle. I'm toying with using the Mazzei's inplace of the beckett's. Cost a little more - about 2.5x's of the beckett, but it's suppose to use a smaller pump = less over all cost on electricity. Will have to do the math over several years use and the initial cost.

[Geoff]

sorry it has taken me so long. been busy.

i am getting it together. i knew i should have taken pics when i was doig it. it was kind of an emergency skimmer build so we did it in a night. i did the fittings and the cutting and my wife did the glueing. took about 4 hours.

i have not forgotten about it.

G~

[yousuredo]

wanareef, what was the cost of construction and do you have a parts list.....so i can give it a try

[wanareef]

Not sure of the cost as I buy sheets of acrylic at a time - cheaper. The cost of the flat 1/4" is about $3.50 sq ft the tube $18 a foot x 6" dia. The 3/8" for the flanges about $ 4.50 sq ft all is cast material. Thumb screws $.15ea, "O" ring material $1.00 ft, qt can of weldon #4 $7.00 plus you'll need a table saw, router and a drill press. Of course the bits for the router and drills press, carbide tipped bits for the router are a required here.

Flanges = $18.00
6" tube = $36.00
4" tube = $12.00
body = $22.00
beckett = $15.00
PVC

hth

[jdbassin]

That pic is awesome. Do you have plans drawn up to build it. I'd love to see it


jd

[yardboy]

Originally Posted by wanareef

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-...16/sump811.jpg Here's a pix of Krux's cabinet with the skimmer that I made for him, and the sump and the phos-ban reactor. It's a beckett style with the beckett nozzle. I'm toying with using the Mazzei's inplace of the beckett's. Cost a little more - about 2.5x's of the beckett, but it's suppose to use a smaller pump = less over all cost on electricity. Will have to do the math over several years use and the initial cost.

Two questions, where do you get the injectors, and how in the world is he going to clean that skimmer?

[yousuredo]

can a beckett mod be done on any skimmer

[Geoff]

Originally Posted by yousuredo

can a beckett mod be done on any skimmer

not necessarily. it all depends on the max flow that the skimmer can handle. eductors, and beckets take a fairly high pressure pump to work. a side effect of this is a lot of water being used. the skimmer needs to be able to handle all of this water.

all skimmers are a tube to collect air bubbles. it is the delivery method that is different. unless you have at least a 1" drain on the skimmer, any of these "fancy" delivery methods would overflow the skimmer.

G~