Brought sections of this post over from Koi4u as it had the history of a protein skimmer that i builded a while ago.

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I am actually thinking of going for the one with a 200mm stand pipe part as this has better future potential if i one day put a bigger pump on the line then i dont have to split the line or worry about anything like that.



I can always change the reducers in the front to go to what ever size i need if there is a need. Maybe one does not even need to reduce the pipe, simply restricting the flow with the ball valve should do the trick - what you guys think.

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I build this small proto type.

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My DIY skimmer went live last night (27 Oct 2011), when i walked outside this morning i was greeted by the following site. I guess its working And this is from my pond that does not suffer that badly from foam on the surface. There is still suppose to go 160mm end cap on top with a whole in the side where the foam will push out.

I estimate that i have a flow of around 4000l /h of water going through it.

I modified my protein skimmer a bit.



I added a lid and lip. The idea was here to prevent things from falling in. I had a flower bud drop into in last year and it block the return which caused the skimmer to overflow. I also added a lip to make the foam exit quicker. With my existing design there was always 10cm of foam that could never be removed and during the warm days the foam returned to liquid and returned to the pond. So the idea with this modification was to get the foam out and leave as little behind as possible. At the moment with the way i have modified it i have about 1.5cm area where the foam can build up before it starts to exit. I can lift the water level inside to skim it off quicker but then its more wet foam.





Also added a valve from where i can drain the water if i need to removed it from the systemfor maintenanc, otherwise it becomes a bit heavy to lift.

Very nice Wayne

Thanks Wayne!
I will make one too...Did U add air on the bottom?

No Neli, no air required. The water dropping from above generates enough air.

Thanks,
what else I can use instead of bioballs?Will brick be OK?

Bio balls in the protein skimmer isnot really there for bio, it is actually there to break the waterup and aerated the water as it splashes and cascades over the media. I would advise you to use plastic media like hair curlers or something equivalent.

Nice!!

Hey all

Is it just me or are the pics from this post gone???

I am looking at building my own one too.