DIY Protein Skimmer

[BlueAbyss]

Wow, thanks StirCrazy!

Actually, I was thinking exactly that, since I also need to have a main circulation pump for this system anyhow. The water will be pumped from the display to an 'upper sump', which will serve as a place to put all those utilities that I don't want taking up space in the display, a second display / frag tank, and the surge tank. The display will be surged.

I had originally intended on Ting the main circulation line (which feeds the 'upper sump'), but I've read that the surge screws with protein skimmers. I will T the plumbing and add a valve anyhow, but I am also going to run a line from the bottom of the frag tank. This will give me 2 options for feeding the skimmer. The return pipe from the skimmer could go into the overflow of the main display, or it could go into the frag tank, though I worry what would happen if the power went out with the skimmer returning to the display... the skimmer will hold almost as much as the display tank. Hrm... I'm just going to have to run it off the T'ed circulation line until I figure something out. Hope the surging in the display doesn't throw it off too much.

Here is the pump I ordered. I'm sort of planning for the skimmer body to be ~16" tall before the collection area (I'm not quite sure what I'm doing with this yet... I've considered a slanted 'overflow area' that can be self washing, and run down a 1/2" tube to a collection bucket... as you can see, I'm looking to automate features in the future, an AWC is in the works as is automatic phyto feeding). You've solved one of the dimensional problems though... at your suggestion I'll be making the short side 6" all the way around.

I need to find a way to make the skimmer not drain when the power goes out, since the lowest part is the display and it will already be filled to capacity.

Found this pic of the business end of the pump... the page on mops.ca doesn't show it. This pump is submersible, so it can go right in the skimmer! No plumbing for the recirculation!