# Eheim Skim350 Deathtrap?



## Chronados (Jan 28, 2013)

Anyone have this surface skimmer? I find it's extremely effective but have been scratching my head as to how to prevent small fish from getting sucked in and getting stuck on the foam block. They don't get chopped up by an impeller but I recently lost an adult pygmy cory and a juvie because the foam block isn't submerged and they were just floundering there for a few hours. I find shrimp in there routinely too, but they seem to do ok in the semi-submerged state for a day. I've removed the skimmer for the time being.

I tried putting a circular SS mesh in the center hole to prevent fish from falling in, but surface tension from the water seems to greatly reduce the effectiveness of the skimmer.

Anyone run into the same problems/have a solution?


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## KH2PO4 (Jul 18, 2009)

I use another surface skimmer but I had the same problem.
Got it solved by inserting a sheet of plastic, folded into A-shape, 
into the opening. To make it too small for the fish to enter.

For the Skim 350, I would make it look like this:


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## Chronados (Jan 28, 2013)

Thanks, I'll try that!


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## geesantoz (Mar 22, 2013)

I use a rubber band and cheap screen net fabric i buy from walmart.
i have one otto dead inside the eheim skim350 a while ago.
also have numerous encounter with ramhorn snail or MTS inside it, they seems like to gather on the sponge area due to collected debris by eheim.
so far so good ... will post if any issue with this approach.
Pardon for the crappy mobile phone picture ... also the debris as i just replant the tank.


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## OSagent23 (Apr 3, 2013)

I have 3 of these little guys. I love them. 1 is in a 75 gallon planted tank runs all day and night. Nothing ever got stuck in it yet. The 2nd one is in my beta tank, it's a ten gallon. I run it on a timer for 10 mins in the morning and ten minutes at night. The 3rd one is in a eheim aquastyle 6 gallon. It's also on a timer runs 5 minutes in the morning, 5 in the afternoon and 5 at night. Nothing has ever gotten stuck inside them. 

The mesh idea is a good idea though with the rubber band. I'm going to put that on the one in my 75 gallon tank.


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## geesantoz (Mar 22, 2013)

OSagent23 said:


> I have 3 of these little guys. I love them. 1 is in a 75 gallon planted tank runs all day and night. Nothing ever got stuck in it yet. The 2nd one is in my beta tank, it's a ten gallon. I run it on a timer for 10 mins in the morning and ten minutes at night. The 3rd one is in a eheim aquastyle 6 gallon. It's also on a timer runs 5 minutes in the morning, 5 in the afternoon and 5 at night. Nothing has ever gotten stuck inside them.
> 
> The mesh idea is a good idea though with the rubber band. I'm going to put that on the one in my 75 gallon tank.


Ah ... i am wondering if i put it on timer on night time only to run for couple of hours for 75G, will that be enough to get rid of the surface skim. this will reduce maintenance on the skimmer. 
At the moment for 24/7 operation, i have to clean the sponge every week during water change. This is due to all debris get sucked in as well as the snails as they like the debris collectors. Hopefully with the net this will change, as the floating dead plant material will not be sucked inside the skimmer.


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## kylehca (Oct 15, 2011)

I just lost two Galaxy Rasboras in my eheim 350 skimmer. 
the mesh idea is great, I am going to try that or run it at night for a couple of hours.


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## zodduska (Aug 14, 2013)

I run mine on a timer, it runs for a total of twelve hours.. alternating one hour on one hour off all day. This allows shrimp a chance to swim out while the skimmer is off. I've also placed some filter foam inside the pump chamber to keep fish and shrimp from entering while the skimmer is off. I haven't had any livestock issues since I've been running it like this and the surface is crystal clear.


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## Chronados (Jan 28, 2013)

Zodduska came up with a pretty nice solution here. Works for fish and shrimp:

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=427081&page=5

Edit: Damn forum ninjas


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## zodduska (Aug 14, 2013)

Heyahh!


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## geesantoz (Mar 22, 2013)

kylehca said:


> I just lost two Galaxy Rasboras in my eheim 350 skimmer.
> the mesh idea is great, I am going to try that or run it at night for a couple of hours.


Hope the mesh can help ... i come across from the other forum that he put a window net with a glue surrounding the V hole on the side but not the whole head.
I am just lazy to find my glue gun, and have this left over net fabric laying around the tank. so i try with using rubber band to see if it still can float.
perhaps next improvement will be to look for black rubber band and black net so that is not too obvious with the green. And also as learn from zodduska, perhaps another screen net wrap on the ouput pipe if i put this on timer. Of course I will use another rubber band ... 
With this cheap screen net and rubber band, if it get too dirty, i just tossed it away and replace.


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## Chronados (Jan 28, 2013)

The issue with any kind of mesh is that mesh fine enough to prevent tiny fish and shrimp from going in also impairs the function of the surface skimmer due to surface tension.


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## hisxlency (Jan 26, 2013)

My shrimp always get caught in it. I tried a mesh made of a fiber and eventually it rotted away. I need to find a plastic type.


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## freph (Apr 4, 2011)

I've got the same issue. I usually just fish the critters out daily. Great product....if only it was more livestock friendly.


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## mootay (Feb 16, 2015)

Hah. I figured a thread like this existed somewhere. I foresaw the problem of various critters getting stuck in this filter and opted to make a screen insert. 

Just a simple nylon screen-like fabric(very rigid) glued to a plastic ring. It might impair the skimming function some but I don't really mind. The snails in my tank tend to eat the film also, which is why I thought about this.


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## ste (May 4, 2016)

I set the skimmer on the time clock so that it's on with an interval of 15 minutes.
If a fish or shrimp get caught in it, it is only trapped for 15 minutes. Then it has 15 minutes to get out before the skimmer starts again.


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## Willcooper (May 31, 2015)

mootay said:


> Hah. I figured a thread like this existed somewhere. I foresaw the problem of various critters getting stuck in this filter and opted to make a screen insert.
> 
> Just a simple nylon screen-like fabric(very rigid) glued to a plastic ring. It might impair the skimming function some but I don't really mind. The snails in my tank tend to eat the film also, which is why I thought about this.


I have not had this problem with mine. Has been running 24/7 for a year. But if I did have a problem this is a very well executed way to prevent it. Nicely done


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## RedGrey (Sep 12, 2018)

*3d Printed Guard*

Resurrecting an old thread.

I picked up a Skim 350, and it really made a big difference in my surface scum I've got it on a timer to only run at night to avoid off-gassing of CO2.

I 3d-printed a small guard to keep fish out... could go even finer, but I used 1 fin per gap. Happy to print these for anyone that has the same issue. PVT me.


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## RedGrey (Sep 12, 2018)

I 3d printed a guard. Happy to make more if anyone needs one:


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## Willcooper (May 31, 2015)

RedGrey said:


> I 3d printed a guard. Happy to make more if anyone needs one:




What are you charging?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

These things actually work for people? I tried both the Eheim and Azoo models and they were both garbage that didn't do a thing.


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## blue tom (Apr 2, 2018)

Ha, such an old thread, but well-timed on the resurrection. I came here looking for advice on excluding livestock not from a Skim350, but from my floating skimmer that's on the glass intake tube (jardli or whatever). I've lost otos and cories. I find shrimp living happily in the bottom of the canister filter. But usually it's the snails. Today, a snail got lodged in the intake tube, that lowered the flow, which enticed a shrimp to follow it in to dine on the dead snail. Also slowed down the CO2 reactor, which started making noise as it filled up with gas. Happens all the time. I even put a little plastic cap on top of the skimmer strainer (like you'd find on a little takeout condiment cup), but I guess the snails just push it out of the way on theor way up and over.

I was thinking of shoving some filter foam down into the top of it, but I feel like it'll reduce the skimming abilities. Maybe a plastic mesh is worth trying. This has annoyed me for years.


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