# Help me DIY the smallest surface skimmer possible



## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

You could use any off-the-shelf skimmer and drive it with a pump. But the skimmer itself is pretty big and then you'll also have the powerhead in the tank. I use the Tom Aquatic in my 90g and live with it's ugliness.


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## reybie (Jun 7, 2007)

I hooked up a surface skimmer to a powerhead for temporary skimming duty before. It works just fine, I point the powerhead output towards the canister intake to suck up some of the oily surface scum.


Here's a cell pic of my skimmer on the right side. I have it hooked up permanently now.

IMG_20111114_190446.jpg by reybie, on Flickr


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

I worked pretty hard to set this tank up with nothing coming over the tank rim--inline heater, co2 reactor, etc. all plumbed through the bottom. I only put the koralia in to deal with this scum problem. So I really want to minimize the size of any new gear I add. I'd love to find a way of inverting a small powerhead and adding a "weir" of some kind to it to force it to grab water from the surface.


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## tzen (Dec 31, 2008)

I'm gonna say it: Just run a tube all the way to the surface to reach a skimmer from your intake. A clear lexan, etc, tube would be as unobtrusive as anything else you could do.
Beautiful tank, by the way.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

tzen said:


> I'm gonna say it: Just run a tube all the way to the surface to reach a skimmer from your intake. A clear lexan, etc, tube would be as unobtrusive as anything else you could do.


Okay, let's say that I'd give up and be willing to do that. What would the skimmer itself actually look like? I.e. what would I hook the clear tube to?


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

Without the "floating" part of the skimmer you might have problems adjusting it as your water level changes, even slightly. Most commercial skimmers have an adjustment to set the amount it takes in from the surface vs the bottom inlet. If it takes it all from the surface it might take in air at the same time.


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## Naekuh (Oct 19, 2011)

SNS are u injecting CO2? 

if your surface skimmer spirals and you got too much suction though it, you will lose a LOT of co2 as its spiraling down the surface skimmer.

id say go with the attachment, as it would be the least amount of headaches for you, unless u like DIYing. 

ive used things similar that on my other setups a while back ago, and its OK... It does the job.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Naekuh said:


> SNS are u injecting CO2?


Yes, and I think I inject a lot. 4-5 bps into a rex-style reactor . My drop checkers (I use a couple) are all pale green. 



Naekuh said:


> id say go with the attachment, as it would be the least amount of headaches for you, unless u like DIYing.


Uh...did you look at the links in my signature? I'll DIY anything. (Unfortunately.) I'm now leaning towards a commerical float/skimmer attachment connected to a powerhead.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

ADA makes a nice surface skimmer.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Craigthor said:


> ADA makes a nice surface skimmer.


And others are already discussing it on this site. Can't believe it just came out, right in time for me to be pulling my hair out and tempted to throw some money at the problem...


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## Jim Miller (Dec 24, 2002)

I've made a small skimmer that I haven't yet tested to run from my thru the bottom bulkheads. I made a small PVC manifold with a couple of O-rings to fit around the outlet screen. Into that I have a small hole drilled and a bit of airline tubing force fitted.

At the other end of the tubing I made a floating skimmer so I don't have to worry about water levels. It's just a small (could be smaller) pill bottle filled mostly with filter foam and a small slug of closed cell foam to provide floatation. The cap was removed and I cut slots in the top of the bottle to allow water intake with the cap on.

The tube from the manifold is inserted into the bottom of the pill bottle again with force fit.

I think it should work but kitchen remodeling has kept me from trying it out. I used a vet pill bottle which are usually green. I'm sure there are other containers that might work. This shouldn't be visible at all in my typically overgrown jungle. The scum should be drawn down into the filter.

Jim


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

Jim Miller said:


> I've made a small skimmer that I haven't yet tested to run from my thru the bottom bulkheads.


Post pictures! This sounds like an interesting idea.


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## AccidentProne001 (Nov 19, 2011)

The white scum/skin "problem" appears quickly in my newly set up plant quarantine storage bins.

I have not installed water movement or air device. Just using some Flourish Iron, some Kent Blackwater Expert, some Kent plant nutrients and some poodle pee.

Oddly, there are a million blackish particles that precipitate out to the bottom, after a day or so, and the white scum/skin collects on top of the water.


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## Naekuh (Oct 19, 2011)

sns26 said:


> Uh...did you look at the links in my signature? I'll DIY anything. (Unfortunately.) I'm now leaning towards a commerical float/skimmer attachment connected to a powerhead.


Oh im sorry!!

lol... DIY is the way to go, you wont hear me complain roud:

however i think it might end up costing you more, with a lot more time committed on a DIY then a commercial for this type of application!


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/fertilizers-water-parameters/153420-surface-film-another.html is a good discussion about surface film. I have been fighting it too, and never did find a good solution.


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## audioaficionado (Apr 19, 2011)

I just have lots of surface ripple that pushes it over to the other side and helps break it up somewhat. Still has some surface scum, but only over 20% of the surface.


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

sns26 - just curious, but do you have any of these in this tank? If so, are there any in the 20g too? I RAOK'd some java ferns, wisteria, and valisneria americana to a friend who kept them in a pickle bucket for a few days before he could plant them. Sure enough, come day 3 he had that whitish-silver film on the surface of the water in the bucket. We put an air stone in there and within minutes it was gone. There was nothing in that water other than dechlorinator and those plants...just curious because I get it too, and I am also researching surface skimmers.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

m00se said:


> sns26 - just curious, but do you have any of these in this tank? If so, are there any in the 20g too?


I'm not sure what you mean by "these"? There's some swapping between my 57g and my 20g, but the 57g has tons of java fern and mosses, while the 20g has almost none.


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

audioaficionado said:


> I just have lots of surface ripple that pushes it over to the other side and helps break it up somewhat. Still has some surface scum, but only over 20% of the surface.


With a koralia nano just under the surface and creating good ripples, I can barely keep a 3" by 3" patch of water clear. The rest is filmed. The film definitely reflects some light and must also be limiting gas transfer. My CO2 levels are certainly nice and high.


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

By "these" I meant the plants I listed. Sorry I wasn't too clear. It was late, and I was on beer #3 roud:

I'm beginning to believe one of those aforementioned plants is releasing the crud into the water. My (poor) intuition is trending towards the java fern for some reason..


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## sns26 (Mar 29, 2010)

m00se said:


> My (poor) intuition is trending towards the java fern for some reason..


Well, that would certainly fit. I have tons of it growing now, and the problem seems to be getting worse as it grows. (of course, everything else is growing too)


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The tank that I had it the worst in had loads of needle leaf Java Fern in it. I can't see why that would be a cause though.


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

Very scientific, you see (big grin)

....I don't have any idea either. It's just curious that the bucket those plants were in had dechlorinated tap water, and those 3 species only.


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