Now THIS is How All Skimmers Should be Built!

[viperfish]

I see a ton of potential in this design! Very innovative.

http://reefbuilders.com/2010/05/31/xaqua-x-sk-skimmers-are-assembled-completely-without-glue/#more-19519

[lockrookie]

i can see what you mean would be easy to clean but what do you do when the seals die one would hope they sell replacements.

[viperfish]

Good point, it would certainly look like crap with salt creep showing up around the seams. That's where I hope they would use high quality materials that were very resistant to wear, and like you said, replacement parts. This is something that cheap plastic parts like the ones coming out China just wouldn't cut it. Still a very interesting concept.

[gobytron]

My old Schuran Jetskim comes apart just like that.
Very convenient actually.

This skimmer just looks like a modernized design of a Schuran to me.
right down to the aquabee.

[viperfish]

My old Schuran Jetskim comes apart just like that.
Very convenient actually.

This skimmer just looks like a modernized design of a Schuran to me.
right down to the aquabee.

I see Ocean Aquatics is still selling them, very nice skimmer. People tend to jump on the new "designer" skimmers and are quick to abandon the older models but there are still lots of older skimmers that can kick the crap out of the new stuff.

[mike31154]

I see Ocean Aquatics is still selling them, very nice skimmer. People tend to jump on the new "designer" skimmers and are quick to abandon the older models but there are still lots of older skimmers that can kick the crap out of the new stuff.

Ha, ha, the bandwagon, exactamundo! I'm blown away by the price on some of these things. I realize acrylic tubiing is costly, but come on... acrylic, some plumbing, pump, design costs, all of a sudden you're looking at close to $1,000 for the latest, greatest premium design. I guess it boils down to the fact that in order to make a profit on such low volume sale items, the price has to be up there.

I still use a DIY counter current wooden air diffuser driven job. Tweaked it with a few mods of my own and it does just fine, very low power consumption, ultra quiet. I could care less if it doesn't kick the crap out of anything, it pulls sufficient crap out of my system to keep the inhabitants healthy. I've started making my own 'monster' wooden air diffusers out of basswood (and Gorilla glue), since the LFS around here are having trouble stocking the wimpy little 2 & 3 inch things available. When I first got it, I used to clean it thoroughly every few months, but after a couple of times I thought, Why? Now I only clean out the top regularly, which requires no removal, draining or disassembly. The coralline build up in the main tube I scrape with a mag float that I glued a metal scraper on to every few months.

Here's an older photo, I've since got my hands on a much larger air pump to drive the monster air diffuser. Foam is fairly white since I had just cleaned it.

http://public.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pys57td8rBy1xkTjaQXS5iHok10aniiEg4FjDT5gia3vqiWf KVQucE6p38CQd90OtGnUsMHOoG3YrKpdRmOe1zw/P1010815d.jpg

This photo shows the darker skimmate it produces when I haven't cleaned the cup in a while, not too shabby even with the smaller air pump and store bought air diffusers. I run it fairly dry.

http://hlj1yw.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pstWwm7E9pbCG3bUqJFiNIcz7tl3NlRqY-FeqYSEfbBUpapxKu3Yh2xbnmBhiYU2at-PSB6L2UwUAKLWtLTrUtzcJs9nyRfaE/P1010867b.JPG

[viperfish]

Hats off to you my friend, it's people like you that make this hobby so interesting! I just love seeing people "making it work" instead of just buying into a sales pitch to solve a problem.

[mike31154]

Hats off to you my friend, it's people like you that make this hobby so interesting! I just love seeing people "making it work" instead of just buying into a sales pitch to solve a problem.

Thanks, when you're on a relatively fixed income with too many hobbies, you get creative. There's often not much wrong with some of the older technology. I haven't seen that many modern skimmers in action, needle wheels, venturis, cones, beckett, etc. but I think it's safe to say that a good wooden air diffuser creates some of the finest bubbles you'll see and the smaller the better. Only drawback is replacing them on a regualr basis and that's really not a big deal.

[gobytron]

if it works, it works....lol

I can't believe no one has chimed into thei thread with the quintessential "you get what you pay for"....lol


It's tough on this board to talk about relatively inexpensive equipment...lol