Re-designed surface skimmer

[paul b]

Hi I don't have a sump but I still need to skim the surface of my tank and for many years I used this home made surface skimmer. The strainer on the bottom right side lets in some water but not enough, I let the rest of the water overflow into the top to skim the water. When the water in the device gets lower it creates more suction and more water is forced through the strainer on the side.

There is a powerhead that sucks water out of the tube on the left side and directs it to the large HOB protein skimmer then back to the tank via the algae trough. The problem is that without a sump, the water level in the tank varies a little from day to day even though I have an auto fill.

The surface usually has a film on it because this model was not automatically adjustable so sometimes the top of the unit was to deep and sometimes it was just above the water. To correct this I added a new top that is connected with floats so the top of the surface skimmer is just slightly below the water at all times so it very effectively skims the thinnest top surface film off the water. It will clear a film covering the entire top of the 6' long tank in a couple of minutes. My tank gets a film because I feed oily food every day like live worms and fish oil soaked pellets. I don't like those surface skimmers with the square teeth as they do not skim the very top surface very well.

This is the old model with the rigid top

 

 

New model with the two adjustable floats.

 

 

And how it sits in the tank skimming just the top fraction of an inch off the surface. I have been toying with this for many years and I think this prototype is perfect. If I get time I will build a better looking model.

 

[YHSublime]

That, sir, is a very cool design! Interesting way to skim the water surface!

[paul b]

Thank you, it works well

[paul b]

OK so I had to build a new surface skimmer because I built a bio pellet reactor and the plumbing wasn't condusive for the surface skimmer.  I used the old top from the last surface skimmer.  This one has an adjustment in it so that I can turn a screw and adjust the water level inside the device.  Most of the water enters from the screen at the bottom.  There is an adjustable screw above it that is accessable with a screwdriver from the top.  The rest of the  water overflows in a very thin film over the floating part at the top with the floats.  I replaced the stainless steel hardware with nylon because the stainless was to heavy and it didn't float correctly.

The offset tube goes up to the bio pellet reactor, then to the protein skimmer, then to the algae trough.  At all works with one pump.

[flooddc]

That's some innovation!

[paul b]

It seems to be working well.  Now I have to work on my tiny outboard engine from my Dinghi.   Today seems like innovation day

[paul b]

Outboard is fixed, just needed a little tweeking.  It is only 1 3/4 hp and is for a two person dinghy.

 

The surface skimmer works well. I never liked those surface skimmers with the square tooth design, some waxy films don't go through that and I just want to skim the very top surface as that is where the gunk is. The adjustable floating top allows me to skim a paper thin film. The water flow to through the strainer at the bottom allows me to adjust the level in the skimmer which is something my last model did not allow for. As the level of water in the device falls, there is less preasure inside and more water will flow through the strainer so there is always the same level inside and the surface always pulls in just enough of the surface water to keep the thing working. I like this design and hope it will last as long as the last model which is filled with tube worms and brittle stars.
 

[jason the filter freak]

Pretty freaking cool, though all your stuff normally is