DIY Skimmer - Page 2

gunn55 · 04-22-2008, 5:34 PM

Yea, you can use a skimmer on fresh water but all your going to collect is dirt not real skim mate. like any filter would so that don't make them real skimmer's.Don't tell me about giving advice,I have been in this hobby for over 45 years and any advanced reefer will tell you you are kidding yourself if you think you are going to pull out what salt water can or even close.
And I don't care how many people told you it works,it don't.
And yea i saw all them hokey set up's,and all that they collect is a little dirt or if you leave it for a while some more dirt wich i can get with any filter and a pad.
If it did they would be selling ton's of them that say for fresh water use.
Shifting gears here, you are right you can skim FW if it's under very high pressure.
Not the one's we see avail. in lfs or on the net.

amehel0 · 04-23-2008, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunn55

Yea, you can use a skimmer on fresh water but all your going to collect is dirt not real skim mate. like any filter would so that don't make them real skimmer's.Don't tell me about giving advice,I have been in this hobby for over 45 years and any advanced reefer will tell you you are kidding yourself if you think you are going to pull out what salt water can or even close.
And I don't care how many people told you it works,it don't.
And yea i saw all them hokey set up's,and all that they collect is a little dirt or if you leave it for a while some more dirt wich i can get with any filter and a pad.
If it did they would be selling ton's of them that say for fresh water use.
Shifting gears here, you are right you can skim FW if it's under very high pressure.
Not the one's we see avail. in lfs or on the net.

ok i tell u what when you've done your research then ill listen to your advice. look round on the net they arent the same as saltwater skimmers. the skimmate is just liquidy but more then you would get out of a normal saltwater anyday. and btw dr joe if u know about the recirc pump can u tell me how to mount it?

amehel0 · 04-23-2008, 12:08 AM

u wanna know y the dont sell because a not many people know about them and b there rediculously expensive

gunn55 · 04-23-2008, 7:50 AM

You can also adjust a skimmer to skim like water or like gunk on a SW set up.
And salt water skimmers are not that cheap ,the good ones any way.
Do a search on Bubble King.
Any way I'm not trying to be a smart a%&, just tryin to help.
That's the great thing about this hobby, what one person say's a product works and another say's it's usless.
You have to try thing's out sometime's for yourself.
Good Luck to you and I wish you well.

mosthated · 04-23-2008, 8:40 AM

i looked into freshwater skimmers once.. damn i wish i had that link.. anyways the ones i was looking at were made to run with ozone too? that where i got lost and quit looking into them.. and for the recirc pumps i think what a lot of people use on diy skimmers is called a uniseal or somthing a long that lines.. you might want to look at reefcentral and do a search for diy recirc skimmer and im sure you can find what im talking about..

billm90 · 04-23-2008, 4:11 PM

I have been looking at fresh water skimmers as well and they do exist and they do work. However they do not work like a salt water skimmer. At least what I have found

Look up koi pond skimmer, or variations on that.
also foam fractioner

Most pump the water into the top of the chamber under high pressure, it goes over bioballs and makes a foam, this foam exits about 1/3 the way up the chamber, water returns from the bottom.

I found several posts on lots of forums about this. one guy had a ton of nasty comming out of his pond in 24 hours.

http://www.aceofkoi.co.uk/shop/images/tornado%202.jpg

http://www.koivista.com/files/sharpy...er_working.JPG

http://koishack.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7706

http://forum.koimag.co.uk/tm.asp?m=7...tein%2Cskimmer��

http://www.koi-bito.com/forum/genera...ctionator.html

http://home.netcom.com/~larry_l/foam_fract.htm

http://www.absolute-koi.com/filtrati...extractor.html

amehel0 · 04-23-2008, 5:07 PM

yes i have seen a link of one in action i ran one yesterday and i had a huge amount of organic waste. i had etremely fine bubbles and lo and behold i got gunk~!