DIY skimmers

has anyone in the club  ever built there own skimmer ? If so is it worth it to builb one rather than than buy one. If any of you have built one can you post a pic. so I can get some ideas if it's worth it.

   thanks

         mike

I've build a few.  Do a search here (in the DIY forum).

Here's a thread on a venturi skimmer I built:  http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=570

Here's one on a beckett head:  http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1413

There's a picture of the beckett I'm currently using in this thread:  http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9807& PN=4

I don't know if there are any advantages to using a cylinder other then acrylic extruded acrylic tube is not very expensive and the added work of making a box just isn't worth it (unless you're plan involves tube larger then 6" diameter).

The expensive parts are the venturi, bulkhead and outlet valve.  The cheapest venturi is the Beckett Foamhead which costs around $20.  The outlet bulkhead will be $10-15 and the outlet valve (gate valve, not ball) will be about $15-25.  I think the 6" tube is around $7 a foot and the acrylic sheet can be had very cheap if you can find the right sized pieces in the offcuts bin at Regional Supply.  Otherwise you'll be buying a sheet at about $115 (a sheet would build 3-5 large skimmers).

One of those threads has a drawing of the skimmer (autocad or pdf).

I have that one you found on ebay. I've never had any other skimmer, but it seems like it's doing what it's supposed to. Stinky brown foam collects in it. Occasionally the air mixture or whatever gets wierd but I think that's because of changing water level where I keep it.

I wondered the same thing, but couldn't afford anything else so I thought I'd
try it. I don't know if more costrly skimmers get a lot more junk out or will
last longer or are easier to set up or what. Probably have to ask somebody
else those questions.

So I went and baught a peice of tubing today but I think it is to wide I got a 2 foot peice of 6 inch tube with some 1/8 inch thick scrap. do you think that is to wide ? Oh and if I didn't menchin it's for a 150 and it will be 1 and a half  feet

Jon,

I thought you could give your opinion of the JEBO skimmer I mentioned above.  I figured that I would add a venturi inlet in the tubing conecting the skimmer to the pump and either have both going or close off the factory inlet.  I'm not sure all that I have to look at but for 30 some bucks I figured I could retrofit it to increase efficiency.  I don't have all the tools needed to precision cut.  (I still don't have a table saw).  For me, this would be the way to go though I would love to build one from scratch (maybe next year)

John

I thought you could give your opinion of the JEBO skimmer I mentioned above.

I'm not sure what it looks like, I can't get on Ebay from work.  I'll try to remember to have a look when I get home.