DIY protein skimmer question

[PokeFish]

I am in the process of making a skimmer from only trash i find, so i can’t use pvcs

I am going to be using this part as the base chamber and having it connect to a neck (soda bottle) that is 2 inches in diameter before going up to the skimmer cup

Is this too wide for the bubbles to collect? I am using a whisper 10 airpump

 

[Troylee]

Too many variables to answer that honestly.. what size stone, bioload, bubble trap? Etc etc. all you can do is make it and then start playing with it! Make tweaks and wait a day and see what it does

 

[Formulator]

Based on my experience, an air pump is not going to do what you want. I know you said you want to use trash, but if you buy one thing, I’d suggest a venturi valve. You don’t pump air, the design of the valve pulls air into the water stream and creates much smaller bubbles in a dense stream. This is how commercial skimmers work. They don’t use air pumps.

 

[TX_REEF]

you have to make the pump from trash too, no cheating :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[PokeFish]

Too many variables to answer that honestly.. what size stone, bioload, bubble trap? Etc etc. all you can do is make it and then start playing with it! Make tweaks and wait a day and see what it does

Cool thanks!

 

[PokeFish]

Based on my experience, an air pump is not going to do what you want. I know you said you want to use trash, but if you buy one thing, I’d suggest a venturi valve. You don’t pump air, the design of the valve pulls air into the water stream and creates much smaller bubbles in a dense stream. This is how commercial skimmers work. They don’t use air pumps.

Ohh thats interesting ill look into it. Ive used a wooden airstone in the past with pvc snd it worked fine, but if it doesnt work ill give this a try

 

[PokeFish]

you have to make the pump from trash too, no cheating :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

**** no

 

[Formulator]

Ohh thats interesting ill look into it. Ive used a wooden airstone in the past with pvc snd it worked fine, but if it doesnt work ill give this a try

It may work OK if that’s been your only experience… but I imagine thats because you don’t know what you are missing! ;)

I built my first skimmer and tried an airstone but after reading more and discovering the venturi, I tried one and it was a game changer. Waaayy better production.

 

[Troylee]

you have to make the pump from trash too, no cheating :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

I’m sure he found it in the petco dumpster lol!

 

[Troylee]

Ohh thats interesting ill look into it. Ive used a wooden airstone in the past with pvc snd it worked fine, but if it doesnt work ill give this a try

You’d need a much larger body than a 12oz water bottle to do something along those lines.. maybe a 2 liter bottle but then again you’re gonna have problems if you don’t have valves or pvc drains etc. I’ve built tons of skimmers from scratch including a atb 1050 deluxe. I have threads in the diy forum that are buried some where.

 

[PokeFish]

You’d need a much larger body than a 12oz water bottle to do something along those lines.. maybe a 2 liter bottle but then again you’re gonna have problems if you don’t have valves or pvc drains etc. I’ve built tons of skimmers from scratch including a atb 1050 deluxe. I have threads in the diy forum that are buried some where.

A much larger body for what? Thats cool! Ill check some of your threads out

 

[Solo McReefer]

"Oh, look what I found in the garbage. I think it's a venturi"

"Honey, is this a venturi?"

 

[FUNGI]

SOOO MANY.....CHECK ON YOUTUBE......
ALSO HERE
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/protein-skimmer-out-of-plastic-water-bottle.225743/