DIY Sponge filter; increased efficiency; protien skimming

[ctenophors rule]

ok, for a little background...

When making a sponge filter the amount of space between top of tube and water syrface greatly effects the efficiency because to low and gravity/ currents decrese water flow, and to high restricts the amount of water able to be pushed out of the tube.


now what i want to do is use the bubbles that move water upward in the tube to creae a protien skimmer.

my plan involved drilling four holes small holes and pushing toothpics through them.( or any long thin objest that wont disrupt the bubbles too much). on top off these support beams a collection cup would be placed.

my question is how much would the forced reversal of water flow from the collection cup effect the sponge filters efficiency? and would that be enough to offset the benefits of the aditional protien skimming?

also would a conical collection cup be better than the cylindrical ones? and what about putting a lip on the bottom of the collection cup?

thanks guys!!!

[ctenophors rule]

bump

[pledosophy]

A picture might help out. I am not sure if I follow your explanation.

As far as turning the tube into a skimmer, the amount of flow and air would ahve to be right for the size of tube to get an efficent skimmer. Just having some bubbles does not do it.

Assuming you understand how a skimmer works, I am not understanding your use of the tube to create skimmate.

I'm not saying ti won't work, just that I don't get it.

A picture would help me and others I believe.

HTH

[marspeed]

i have a question how will the water exit the tube
and are you using tooth picks because it' s a prototype ?

[ctenophors rule]

i have a question how will the water exit the tube
and are you using tooth picks because it' s a prototype ?

the toothe pics hold the much wider collection cup off a couple inches off of the tube, allowing the bubbles to go up and collect, and the water to move sideways and down .

i cant get a picture (since i havent made it yet but i will try a diagram...)

[ctenophors rule]

i have attatched a very crude paint diagram. the arrows show where the water travels.

i used black for the arrows, sponge filter and the water line inside and outside the collection cup.

i used orange for the airstone.

blue for the air line tubing

maroon for the bubbles. green for the support beams( tooth pics?)

and purple for the collection cup.

IT IS NOT DONE TO SCALE!!!!!

ok... i am stuck how do i make the pic bigger?

[ctenophors rule]

Assuming you understand how a skimmer works, I am not understanding your use of the tube to create skimmate.


HTH

i have made skimmmers out of plastic bottles before and as long as the bubbles can collect they will create surface tension and pull the gunk out.