Smallest external protien skimmer you have seen?

[huari]

Thanks werew for the good explanation for why I couldn't figure out why the injector keeps choking. Taking your advice, the glue is drying on the second one, this time with 3/4" riser baffle spacing from the wall. Unfortunately I still have the overflow hole to UTR spec, but will lower it progressively.

 

Question for all the dark cruddy skimmers working well, is your bubble rate constant/consistent or does it fluctuate like the pattern I observed in the previous posts?

[Dwarfpufferfish]

Is anybody selling these DIY skimmers? If so email me with details at Dwarfpufferfish@aol.com

[werew]

Huari,

If you get your return drain correctly tuned to your injector's height, the bubbles will be consistent in the "mixing chamber" area. What upsets those bubbles is usually the water level rising in the injector chamber, "drowning" the injector.

 

I like my injector's "jet" holes to be about 1/2" - 3/4" from the water level in the injector chamber.

 

As long as your injector isn't submerged... bubble production shouldn't fluctuate.

[huari]

Thanks Werew, that what I needed to hear. I went a bit crazy and made 2 more skimmers and another 3" is on the way with a different baffle arrangement. The second one is stewing reliefing my first one. I made the overflow hole lots bigger and I'm afraid it my be too big so I'll probably dial up the pump or patch up the overflow after waiting a few days to see if I get better results. As for the first one, I hate to junk it. I think I will cut down a portion of the riser to increase the narrow space I create and attach a strip to replace and extend the old riser. Hopefully it will be reusable. I can have micro skimming all over the place!

Here's a pic of the two skimmers. The old one has crud but never really collected dark skimmate like my Remora. Hopefully number 2 will do better. Number 3 is just a bit taller and number 4 will be wider with black plexi and different baffles. I hope to get a sense of making these better by then. I must say it is quite fun to see the skimmer done. Such an artful object. UTRs design is quite beautiful and it fits well in the hand. I know AquaC will be coming out with the Mini Remora but I must say UTRs is really great!

[huari]

Here's number 2 doing second shift. note wider riser area like Werew suggested and the slanted collection like others and UTR posted to drain more effectively. lesson learned: minimum of 1/2 to 3/4" riser bubble area and no short distances between overflow hole and injector hole so injector doesn't flood.

[NicksAcrylicReef]

Well I scaled mine down to the Mini Jet 404 and wow it works alot better when you use a pump thats better sized for it . I have alot of bubbles but not skimate.... it ran about 2 days so far... but again there may not be any bad stuff in the water I just filled up the tank a few days ago. Is there anything I can do to the tank to test the skimmer?

[momadance]

I've had mine running since last Tuesday with a Mini-Jet 404. It took a few days to break-in but now its running like a champ. It gets better everyday.

[NicksAcrylicReef]

Alright well ill give it a few more days.

 

I did throw a crab and a couple pieces of live rock in it. I guess I could pick up a few pieces of uncuried LR and test it that way

[Dwarfpufferfish]

I am still looking to see if anybody is willing to sell one of these that they have made and have been proven effective!

[huari]

Houston, we have foam!

After a few days, success. Thanks again Werew and UTR.

Summary:

• minijets 404 and 606 PH work fine
  tune skimmer by drilling overflow
  make sure riser baffle area is at least 1/2 or more between the side wall and the 4-5.5" riser piece
  wait and be patient
  

[impur]

Hmm i made one of these and don't get any dark colored foam, only white. I think my riser baffle area is too small though. I'll make another and widen this area. For the injector i used 1/2" schedule 80 nipple. Works good, has threads so seals nicely.

[booboo]

ok bubbles seem to be escaping to much only the teeny tiny ones? that is from a normal 14 inch one

 

I made a 9 incher but need cpvc so i dont know how its gonna work. Its got these crazy baffles that might be use less but i think it should help. There just getting smaller

[EnFuego]

nevermind

[NicksAcrylicReef]

WOOO 5 days after startup and we have foam... and VERY VERY light bio load... basicaly some hermits and snails and a few pieces of LR in a 6 Gal tank.

[Cpt Ahab]

Great post...all 34 pages of it.............once my eyes recover from staring at the computer screen for 3.5 - 4 hours i'll build one:D

[Undertheradar]

I have been trying to think of a way to organize this thread. I have considered making one like it on reefcentral...but they seem to get all jittery over anything that even comes close to a patent law. So I have also considered just starting a new thread here with the basics on how to build one of these and a bunch of pictures and info, maybe get it stuck, and just leave this thread for tech support...what do you guys think?

[impur]

Good idea UTR, filtering out all the crap in this thread would help out a lot of ppl.

[NicksAcrylicReef]

Yea good idea UTR. I think it would work on RC too ... worth a shot anyway hah

 

By the way foam foam everywhere

[RP Beesh]

utr i think you should do it. try to filll the page with all the step and procedure and don't have to worry about interuption between step s

[gregsuazo]

can we have a plan view of the design?

[gregsuazo]

can we have a plan view of the design?

[NCNBilly]

Got mine curing for the night, just a trip to HD to get the CPVC and I'll be testing it tomorrow. I built a squaring jig with some 1x6 I had around, helped alot. I need to practice using the applicator for the Weldon tho - got away from me in a spot or two.

 

Thanks UTR for a kick arse design!

[RP Beesh]

Originally posted by gregsuazo

can we have a plan view of the design?

look at page 13

[NCNBilly]

Fixed the two leaks I had - not too shabby for a first timer - just piled some 16 on one of the outer seams.

 

In the tank with a POS hagen oh I had laying around, no idea of the specs. I used two 7/64th holes in the injector. It's been running about an hour and I'm just starting to see some foam develop. I think I made a mistake at the opening of the bottom of the injection chamber. I only made it about 1/8th inch (that'll teach me to start at midnight). I dremeled it to 1/4 with a ball engraver, keeping my fingers crossed.

[matt the fiddler]

i got a question of taking a good thing and making it more powerful, and transfering it to large nanos/ bigger than nanos..

 

 

what if you take the face print of the front, as seen below, and instead of the depth you guys are using, make it oh, 4-6 times as deep, putting on a pretty powerful pump adding several injectors along the top, some baffles for flow..

 

basically takign the good parts of this design, and transfering it to a bigger skimmer..

 

i am getting ready to build two skimmers- 25 and a 90 gallon system, and thought this design could be used on either, basically make it deep so it is liek having 5 or 7 of these guys running, and since it is compact as it is, that would not take up too much sump space...