First Skimmer Build

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Deano1956

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 1, 2008
1,265
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Morris, IL.
After alot of reading and thinking I came up with my skimmer design although nothing new from what has been done before me. It will be a Dart NW powered 15.25" x 54" bubble chamber with an air pump assist (60 scfm) 8" neck and of course the cup, so roughly 6' tall. The chamber is pvc 1/4" thick and the base is 1" pvc and I will be able to mount the pump to it. It will be in 2 parts, the first section is 13.5" so I can get in there for any reason, maybe to intall a bubble defuser/plate if needed. It will be flanged together with the top section with loys of plastic thumb screws. I would like to make the transition on top out of 3/8" acrylic but haven't figured out where to heat it up enough to make the cone shape, where I work we have a tank with Gliceron that we heat up HDPE sleeves to stretch them so this might work. Any ways here's a few pics to start.
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Super excited to see yet another skimmer build. The ones on R2R have gotten me interested before...I wish I had the money/skills/tools to do my own.
 
Nothing much to add, but decided to use orings between the flanges instead of flat gaskets, should seal better and easier. Here's the groove cut in:

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Here"s another pic, I can see it's going to be awhile before this is up and running but thats ok as I look for deals on parts.

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Well the chamber is 15.25 x 54 like you see and I should be pulling 120 scfh, a 8" neck but not sure how tall of a neck yet, I would think easily 1500 gallons and drawing 200 watts. Maybe it could handle more but I sure could'nt tell that. My 6" x 54 Lifereef lookalike says it's rated for 1200 gallons so this should be twice that but how do you tell, you know?
 
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