DIY Skimmer, plastic or glass?

[Darsh]

Quick question please.
I'm making a small skimmer for a 100L/25G which I will setup with an airstone and a slow feed from my return pump.
Is there any difference between having a plastic or glass body? Think wine bottle size.

 

[KrisReef]

most people have plastic (acrylic) skimmers probably because they look cool and also because if they tip over they are not going to possibly break into shards as you might get with a tall column of glass? Plastic might be safer and probably easier for most people to work with during construction. I think the performance of the two materials for making a foam column isn't a big difference, but maybe there is?

 

[Darsh]

Yes glass will be more difficult to work with. I plan to drill 2 holes, one in the bottom of the bottle and one in the side. If it fails, I will use plastic haha.
I was just wondering if maybe there's a difference in getting good foam on the two different surfaces?

 

[reefwiser]

When I make diy skimmers I just use PVC pipe. Cheap and easy to work with. Clear piping is great if you want to charge money for it. [emoji1787]

 

[Darsh]

When I make diy skimmers I just use PVC pipe. Cheap and easy to work with. Clear piping is great if you want to charge money for it. [emoji1787]

Yea I guess so but I want to see inside too haha

 

[Sod Buster]

 

[Darsh]

Cool company, but not cheap! Also, I don't think they ship to Europe.

 

[Sod Buster]

Urgh, yeah probably not. They make interesting shaped plastic containers also.

 

[Sod Buster]

You have honey containers over there. Find a big one and use the shape of the bear for the body.

 

[Darsh]

Haha a bear skimmer would be cool

 

[reefwiser]

Yea I guess so but I want to see inside too haha

When you know skimmers the only thing you need to watch is the head on the top. I have used skimmers for 40 years now. Quite simple devices though people get caught up in all the bells and whistles. An clear is one of them.

 

[Darsh]

When you know skimmers the only thing you need to watch is the head on the top. I have used skimmers for 40 years now. Quite simple devices though people get caught up in all the bells and whistles. An clear is one of them.

I definitely agree, but if the wine bottle works for me I'll have both. But I don't plan to have a collection cup because I never saw the sense in that idea, I want it to drain straight from the neck through an elbow and tube into a waste container.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Any pics of the finished product?

 

[Darsh]

Any pics of the finished product?

Yea sure, there's a few on my build thread

Build Thread - My DIY/Ghetto/cheap build

A DIY build wouldn't be complete without some homemade rocks :) I read a few recipes online and went with mix of sand, white cement and expanded clay. Unfortunately I added too much water, panicked and then added more cement to dry it out and ended up with heavy and not very porous rocks. I...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Yea sure, there's a few on my build thread

Build Thread - My DIY/Ghetto/cheap build

A DIY build wouldn't be complete without some homemade rocks :) I read a few recipes online and went with mix of sand, white cement and expanded clay. Unfortunately I added too much water, panicked and then added more cement to dry it out and ended up with heavy and not very porous rocks. I...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks, any action shots?

 

[Ratherbeflyen]

I unintentionally made a skimmer from a piece of pvc pipe for a quarantine tank filter that worked really good. I've never used glass, but I doubt the tube material changes the proteins ability to stick to bubbles.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I unintentionally made a skimmer from a piece of pvc pipe for a quarantine tank filter that worked really good. I've never used glass, but I doubt the tube material changes the proteins ability to stick to bubbles.

looking good.

I don't use a skimmer anymore but this one I modified a few years back is unrecognisable from when bought (1995) with only the main body being original. Worked really well after the mod.

 

[Darsh]

Thanks, any action shots?

No a few days ago I must have split or broken the plastic holder I made for it so its been skimming super wet. Im away for a few days so instead of turning it off I put the outlet pipe into one of my sand bottles you can see in my sump.