[partsrep]

Recently I added one of these surface skimmers to my 75G just to see if it clear off the surface of any dissolved particles. I am amazed at how well it works. Initially I had it connected to my AC110 but that filter flows too fast and it kept making a sucking sound and kept the AC110 from running at full capacity. I switched it to my Eheim 2322 and it's dead silent and the surface is crystal clear all the time. The lighting is more effective because of a cleaner surface and the benefit of better gas exchange on the surface is a huge plus.

It worked so well I put one on my 36G tank as well.

 

[natalie559]

Neat! Got a link to what brand you used? Any pictures to show how it hooks up to the filter?

 

[partsrep]

It's available from Tom Aquarium Products. It's also sold under the Fluval and Aquaclear names from Hagen but it's the same thing with a different selection of adapters.

I got mine from my LFS and another from That Fish Place.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/pro...&sp.skey=&sp.mfn=&sp.mpn=&e0=&e1=&e2=&e3=&e4=

 

[natalie559]

Thanks for the link. The link also shows pictures of how to hook it up!

 

[vfc]

I have the same surface skimmer hooked up to XP3's in all three of my African Cichlid tanks. What a difference it makes. Water surface is super clear and I believe it improves the oxygen exchange at the surface. With the higher oxygen content my BB seems to be thriving. I have minimal filter turnover in all my tanks (< 5x) yet the water is crystal clear.

Tip: cut a 2"x1/3"x1/3" strip of foam and stuff it up under the ring that hold air to keep in floating. That way, large fish can't knock the air out of it and cause it to sink under water.

Here's a picture I took last night that shows how clear the surface is. You can see the reflections of the heater, fish, and plants.

 

[748johnd]

I have the same surface skimmer hooked up to a HOT Mag 250 on my 90g and it keeps the surface totally free of any film. I love it.

 

[partsrep]

Here's a few shots of how mine is conected to my Eheim 2322. It simply connects to the intake tube. The skimmer draws water from the bottom of the tube as well so it still cleans the water lower in the tank. The skimmer is actually adjustable for how much you want to skim. Mine is set at about 1/8" below the surface.

For Aqua Clear users the model for AquaClear from Hagen has all the adapters for any size AquaClear and many other HOB filters.
For Fluval users the model for Fluval has has all the adapters for any size Fluval and many other canister filters.
The model from Tom Aquatic is the exact same part with universal adapters. If you have an AC110 only the AquaClear kit has the correct size adapter.

With a little ingenuity they can easily be adapted to any filter and I might suggest a flow rate of 250GPH or less as it is only capable of drawing so much water through. Like I said in my first post it kept my AC110 from working to capacity.

Front view

Top view showing connection to filter intake

View of surface water showing how crystal clear it is

 

[prowler09]

if i put one of those on my xp3, would it hurt the performance of it? and you are saying it uses the skimmer on top and functions like a normal intake sucking water in from the bottom of it? would this work well with a hob filter?

 

[partsrep]

Sure you can put one on the XP3 without affecting the performance. I would recommend using a T-fitting to go in line of youre intake tubing. That way you will still have full flow through the main intake and will just be piggybacking the skimmer flow into it.

It will work great on just about any HOB except maybe the AC110 becuase the filter draws so much water, actually more than the skimmer can flow. Also the Emperor filters would be tough because they have a square intake tube. Emperor owners wanting to add the skimmer should be able to drill a hole in the intake tube and push a piece of canister filter tubing into it and attache that to the skimmer. That's probably a good idea for AC110 users as well as it would still allow full filter flow.

I just got one of these yesterday and will be adding it in line as soon as I have time.

 

[Leviathan25]

I would recommend using a T-fitting to go in line of youre intake tubing. That way you will still have full flow through the main intake and will just be piggybacking the skimmer flow into it.

.
should the "T" be at the bottom near the intake or near the top? Would prefer the bulk of the water be drawn from the original intake at the bottom so I would want the "T" placed in such a fashion as would not greatly affect the bottom filtration, and I really don't want to add any new filtration.

 

[partsrep]

It won't make any difference where it's located in the line and the main intake will still be dominant. The adjustment on the skimmer allows you to adjust it down to just a trickle off the surface if you desire.

I'll post pics of mine after I install it.

 

[vfc]

I hooked the AC Skimmer directly to the input tube of my XP3:

That freed up some 3" tube extensions that allowed me to extend my XP4 input tube deep into my 30" deep tank:

 

[demonsoni]

"go deep"

 

[gtsum]

I don't want to sound like a tool, (I have never used one of these surace skimmers), but what happens when you feed the fish? Wouldn't the skimmer suck up a lot of the food????

 

[partsrep]

That's a very good question. Only a piece here and there runs up and gets stuck. The skimmers don't actually suck the water in like a vacuum. The water gently flows over the top through the teeth keeping the surface surprisingly clean.

 

[jayiw]

That's a very good question. Only a piece here and there runs up and gets stuck. The skimmers don't actually suck the water in like a vacuum. The water gently flows over the top through the teeth keeping the surface surprisingly clean.

I have never used one either... so wouldn't that make like a loud slurping sound?

 

[gtsum]

That's a very good question. Only a piece here and there runs up and gets stuck. The skimmers don't actually suck the water in like a vacuum. The water gently flows over the top through the teeth keeping the surface surprisingly clean.

I see...I may have to look at getting one..thanks!

 

[Leviathan25]

ok, one more Q, if you "T" into a canister, and the skimmer only has a light flow, wouldn't it cause the canister to pull air, it's drawing from the bottom, but also from the "T" ?

 

[vfc]

There is an adjustment knob that sticks up through the skimmer ring. When properly adjusted, the skimmer only draws about 5% of the total amount of water. I occasionally hear a very low volume sucking sound when the skimmer is drawing too much water.

 

[partsrep]

I have never used one either... so wouldn't that make like a loud slurping sound?

Only if you have it adjusted to draw in too much water. Otherwise it's silent.

There is an adjustment knob that sticks up through the skimmer ring. When properly adjusted, the skimmer only draws about 5% of the total amount of water. I occasionally hear a very low volume sucking sound when the skimmer is drawing too much water.

I agree