reverendmaynard
02/27/2006, 10:52 AM
Hey guys,
Thanks to everyone who has posted about DIY CC skimmers here, I have succesfully created one that works really well. It's 4"x6'. The only parts that you can't get at HD or lowes are the airvalves, t's, and airstones, and the .5" uniseal. You can do without the uniseal if you want, but you'll spend alot more on a 4x2" wye and all the adaptors necesary to get down to .5"
It runs on a MJ1200, and 2 airpumps (1 whisper 60 and a second large Hagen, don't know the model) that pump through a pair of 3x.75" limewood airstones each. The airpumps are loud, but otherwise it would be silent. I really like this kind of skimmer because instead of a really complicated setup to get around the limitations of a small skimmer, you just use a large skimmer body with a very simple design. Not much tweaking necessary.
Pics of the skimmer...
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_top4.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_top2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_top1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_bot1.jpg
2 days worth of skimmate...
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skimmate1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skimmate2.jpg
Thanks to everyone who has posted about DIY CC skimmers here, I have succesfully created one that works really well. It's 4"x6'. The only parts that you can't get at HD or lowes are the airvalves, t's, and airstones, and the .5" uniseal. You can do without the uniseal if you want, but you'll spend alot more on a 4x2" wye and all the adaptors necesary to get down to .5"
It runs on a MJ1200, and 2 airpumps (1 whisper 60 and a second large Hagen, don't know the model) that pump through a pair of 3x.75" limewood airstones each. The airpumps are loud, but otherwise it would be silent. I really like this kind of skimmer because instead of a really complicated setup to get around the limitations of a small skimmer, you just use a large skimmer body with a very simple design. Not much tweaking necessary.
Pics of the skimmer...
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_top4.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_top2.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_top1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skim_bot1.jpg
2 days worth of skimmate...
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skimmate1.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d41/epolacek/125_sw_tank/skimmate2.jpg