Retro fitting a Nano Skimmer

[Aaron88]

So I have a Aquatop all in one 40gl cube. It came with a custom skimmer, but the issue is that the bubbles never make it up to the top of the up cup, it produces a lot of micro bubbles into the tank and there is on way to adjust the hight on the skimmer as it fits onto a fixed slider. Is there any way to fix these issues. My number one is the micro bubbles. I've tried to find a skimmer that would fit this area but all the skimmers I can find for my tank size won't fit a 3x3in area.

Any help.
Thanks

 

[Retro Reefer]

More information about your system would be helpful.. If it’s a brand new tank there’s most likely not enough waste for the skimmer to start working properly also it takes time for them to break in which usually results in a decline of micro bubbles.

looking at your sump, if you can retrofit a divider (bubble trap) into the finial chamber it will divert bubbles up away from pump inlet,,

as your sump is configured water (and bubbles) are directed directly from second chamber into the intake of pump..

alternatively you might be able to find something the return pump will fit into that will serve as a divider like a cut down water bottle or something similar, this would be simpler than gluing a partition.

the large Fiji water bottles are a square and a tad over three inches, you may be able to cut one of these down and squeeze it into your return pump chamber..

 

[Aaron88]

Well I turned the 3rd chamber in to a refugium. So there’s not much I could put into that chamber to stop the bubbles. It started today collecting but it’s been running for over a month now so it should be more than broke in by now.

 

[Retro Reefer]

A few thoughts.. with proper tank maintenance (water changes) you can probably get away with not running a skimmer especially if you have a refugium however setting up a refugium in the same compartment that your return pump is in will eventually cause issues, pump will get clogged with alage and possibly fail or stop working which could potentially crash your tank.

 

[Aaron88]

A few thoughts.. with proper tank maintenance (water changes) you can probably get away with not running a skimmer especially if you have a refugium however setting up a refugium in the same compartment that your return pump is in will eventually cause issues, pump will get clogged with alage and possibly fail or stop working which could potentially crash your tank.

It’s not in the same chamber. There 4 chambers on the back of my tank. The main overflow changer the skimmer chamber refugium chamber and the return pump chamber.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I misunderstood you.. The bubble traps I illustrated above are in chamber 4 not in chamber 3, looks like you have room to implement a trap in the return pump section (chamber 4) As I previously stated.

 

[Aaron88]

Like putting come mesh at the bottom where the water comes over?

 

[Retro Reefer]

Like putting come mesh at the bottom where the water comes over?

not sure if your seeing my above illustrations? another wall, partition or something similar (placing pump in a container) inside the final section will help prevent bubbles from reach pump intake because most of the bubbles after clearing that final wall will rise to surface and not be sucked back down to pump inlet.

floss can be very effective at removing micro bubbles as well but I would place it on top of chamber 3, it will help strip bubbles from water as it flows through the floss and also act as a prefilter.

 

[T-J]

Hey there!
I have the same Aquatop 40g system and let me tell you, that skimmer is pure junk! Doesn’t skim and dumps tons of microbubbles.

I’m currently replacing it by putting an Eshopps nano skimmer or a Tunze nano skimmer in the third chamber.

I’m going to pull two of the four baskets in there to make room for the skimmer. Then I’ll probably put some media bags in the second chamber.

What did you end up doing?

 

[Aaron88]

Well I’ve ended up cutting down the mesh filters in smaller cubes so I can drop a bag of carbon in there with it. The chamber where the skimmer was I put a UV. It seems that all the other skimmers are to big to fit in that spot. The next chamber I kept 2 of the baskets in there and added a small refugium and added another one of the of those baskets sideways in the return chamber. But now I wanna get ride of the mesh filter and use a sock but I can’t seem to figure out a way to get one to work in that area.

 

[Aaron88]

Hey there!
I have the same Aquatop 40g system and let me tell you, that skimmer is pure junk! Doesn’t skim and dumps tons of microbubbles.

I’m currently replacing it by putting an Eshopps nano skimmer or a Tunze nano skimmer in the third chamber.

I’m going to pull two of the four baskets in there to make room for the skimmer. Then I’ll probably put some media bags in the second chamber.

What did you end up doing?

Well I’ve ended up cutting down the mesh filters in smaller cubes so I can drop a bag of carbon in there with it. The chamber where the skimmer was I put a UV. It seems that all the other skimmers are to big to fit in that spot. The next chamber I kept 2 of the baskets in there and added a small refugium and added another one of the of those baskets sideways in the return chamber. But now I wanna get ride of the mesh filter and use a sock but I can’t seem to figure out a way to get one to work in that area.

 

[T-J]

Well I’ve ended up cutting down the mesh filters in smaller cubes so I can drop a bag of carbon in there with it. The chamber where the skimmer was I put a UV. It seems that all the other skimmers are to big to fit in that spot. The next chamber I kept 2 of the baskets in there and added a small refugium and added another one of the of those baskets sideways in the return chamber. But now I wanna get ride of the mesh filter and use a sock but I can’t seem to figure out a way to get one to work in that area.

I ended up 3D printing a sock hanger for the first chamber. I’ll be installing it today after I pull out that giant black filter. Check out my build thread to see pics of it.

 

[Aaron88]

I ended up 3D printing a sock hanger for the first chamber. I’ll be installing it today after I pull out that giant black filter. Check out my build thread to see pics of it.

I need someone to 3D print me one. Lol those 3D printers are out of my price range. Lol

 

[T-J]

I need someone to 3D print me one. Lol those 3D printers are out of my price range. Lol

If mine works well I’ll let you know. Maybe I can send you one.

 

[Aaron88]

If mine works well I’ll let you know. Maybe I can send you one.

That would be awesome. I really hate these mesh filters.

 

[Aaron88]

That would be awesome. I really hate these mesh filters.

Have you tried the 3D printed holder?

 

[T-J]

Installed it today. So far it’s working, but I need to make a few modifications to it. Need to shrink it just a tad and need to make it sit even lower.

But so far it’s doing what it’s supposed to do.