Anybody seen/build this skimmer?

joeyprice · 01-08-2006, 09:49 AM

I've been searching around looking for a good skimmer to build and came across this guys site. Looks interesting, and I'm assuming I could just plumb the big hole in the side of the cup to a bottle to keep the foam from going everywhere. Any idea why the air input on the venturi would be plummed to the top of the unit? Dont' think I've seen that before but I've been out of the game for quite some time.
Thanks
Joey

http://www.myfishes.com/modules/wfse...p?articleid=17

and here

http://www.myfishes.com/modules/xoop...umName=album14

Geoff · 01-08-2006, 07:46 PM

looks like any normal skimmer. pretty straight forward. i think i would have made it taller, but seems to work fine.

G~

joeyprice · 01-09-2006, 07:21 AM

Whats with the line from the top of the skimmer to the venturi?

jeepjon · 01-09-2006, 09:16 AM

If the skimmer shuts off (i.e.-power failure), the venturi becomes a drain to whatever is plumbed to the skimmer. (think siphon....) At minimum, the skimmer water drains off out of the venturi-at a maximum...whatever can siphon out through the output of the skimmer.
Hope that helps,
Jon

Geoff · 01-09-2006, 11:12 AM

odd, i do not remembe that pic whe i looked yesterday. no matter. that is just a way to keep the venturi from leaking water. not necessarily like a siphon but just a low spot for water to escape. i would not want my air feed coming from the collection cup though. there is a lot of aerosoled DOC's running round in there. i would not want any DOC's to get a second chance at getting back into my system. i would have just stuck the air inlet tube to the side of the collection cup.

another reason that tube is there is to shut off the skimmer if the cup gets full. this may not be the case though since there is a drain for the collection cup. this would compromise the airtightness of the cup.

G~