Diy fractionator running

[Rhyno8]

So I’ve been running this guy a couple weeks now on my 500gallon built from pvc and an acrylic base plate. It’s filled with k1 to aerate the water on the way down. Currently collecting about a litre of skim a week it’s jet black and nasty. I’m experimenting with different tower heights it’s currently running through a metre of 6”pvc I wanna see how small a unit I can make and keep the same results. I’m waiting on a new nitrate test kit to see if it has a positive effect on them.

 

[BIG-G]

These type things always interests me.
I have use diy skimming for salt but never fresh.
Can you give some more details about how you built it?
Is the water flow adjustable by valve or the pump controls? Is there extra air injection or just the crashing water through the system itself enough?

 

[CrazyKoiCracker]

Yeah more details please.

 

[duanes]

Here is one I built, that you can see in the video its running on a 500 gal pond, I believe it is a similar concept to the OP, although mine uses lava rock to crack the air water interface, it doesn't use any extra air.
koi pond fractionation
I got the plans on koiphen.com, DIY Phoam Phractionator, for smaller indoor tanks, the plans were downsized a bit.

 

[Rhyno8]

These type things always interests me.
I have use diy skimming for salt but never fresh.
Can you give some more details about how you built it?
Is the water flow adjustable by valve or the pump controls? Is there extra air injection or just the crashing water through the system itself enough?

I’m away for a couple days but when I get home I’ll take some photos of it to show how it’s built. I don’t use any extra air injection other then the diy Venturi I tried with it hooked up to my big air pump and it didn’t have any extra benefit. There is a gate valve to tinker with the flow I just used what I had laying about, it’s running about 700gph after you take into account head height. I want to try with a bigger pump next. Still in the playing around stages. I basically followed these plans

 

[BIG-G]

I’m away for a couple days but when I get home I’ll take some photos of it to show how it’s built. I don’t use any extra air injection other then the diy Venturi I tried with it hooked up to my big air pump and it didn’t have any extra benefit. There is a gate valve to tinker with the flow I just used what I had laying about, it’s running about 700gph after you take into account head height. I want to try with a bigger pump next. Still in the playing around stages. I basically followed these plans
View attachment 1365398

Thanks yes I would like to see more about the build.
So how is air introduced? Is the pump allowed to suck air through a Venturi same as with protein skimming with salt water?


I know that it’s harder with fresh to produce the skimmate because of surface tensions and bubble size as compared to saltwater.

I would consider this if there is a way to make it efficient and effective as compared to energy consumption.

 

[Rhyno8]

Thanks yes I would like to see more about the build.
So how is air introduced? Is the pump allowed to suck air through a Venturi same as with protein skimming with salt water?


I know that it’s harder with fresh to produce the skimmate because of surface tensions and bubble size as compared to saltwater.

I would consider this if there is a way to make it efficient and effective as compared to energy consumption.

I have a home made Venturi on the elbow on the top just tap for an air pump hose, and a hole drilled on the cap to create vacuum. I’ll do a full break down when I get home.

 

[Rhyno8]

A few more pics to get an idea of construction I just put a 70cm tower on to see how small the unit can go and still be effective and some nice thick skim. I believe it would run better with the same media as the commercial freshwater skimmers like the clarity but I only had access to k1. Added benefit is it doubles as a wet dry filter and pumps the sump full of oxygen rich water.

 

[Rhyno8]

Revised height, I’ll give it a couple days and see how it goes producing skim compared to a metre in height. Also a pic of a 5 days skimmings it’s cones out a lot darker now seems like it had to break in.

 

[BIG-G]

So the air is just sucked into the top by gravity pulling it in.
How hard is it to maintain? If there was to be a clog or slow down of water return would it over flow and pump water out of the tank?