HOW TO: Build a protein skimmer for aquariums TUTORIAL
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- Опубліковано 6 гру 2014
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Build a surface skimmer: • HOW TO: DIY Aquarium S...
In today's video, I'm going to show you how to build a protein skimmer for a saltwater aquarium.
A protein skimmer removes waste products or basically any decaying organic matter in a fish tank before it has the opportunity to break down and lower water quality.
It does this by passing water through a skimmer, dissolved organic compounds in the water attach to the bubbles the skimmer produces. As the air bubbles rise, so do the organics now attached to the bubbles. The organics are then collected in a cup at the top of the skimmer and removed from the system. - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
The thing I like most about you and your videos is you break things down and make them as simply as possible. So many folks make things way too complicated which scares people away from the hobby. Keep up the great work.
2Channon I like to make a video the way i like to watch a video. With that said, anyone that over complicates a topic so that it is not easy to understand, simply does not understand it well enough them self. If you understand something, you can explain it in the simplest terms. ;)
This is a fantastic idea. I'll give it a shot on my quarantine tank!
HURRAAAAY!!! a DIY protein skimmer! :D
thanks so much!!
Love these videos! They are very helpful!
Super informative! Thanks for the great info.
Watching this in 2019. Such a simple machine that costs so much
😬🤪
I just watched this in 2021 & it still holds water.. sorry i had to. It was simple & effect, actual king of diy.
Thank you for enriching this hobby with your amazing videos!
Your welcome!
Hello fron Trinidad and Tobago... ive tried 5 of your projects so far and I must say this is the second most helpful diy project I've come across... the hob overflow was number 1... thanks man I been struggling with protein skimmer problems and this will help my tabk greatly
Thanks Keshav!
really simple ....great video... thanks...
Obrigado pelo vídeo, ótima explicação parabéns! (Brasil).
Not being in the salt water part of the hobby i never really understood a protein skimmer but this has put its reason of use and how it works clear in my head now ... very interesting build and made so simple (impressive)
That was the main focus of the project... to explain how and why one actually works. Glad you enjoyed it.
I am just really getting into the hobby with my pet turtle, and well I was panicking because I thought i needed one. I am very glad that the first thing he covered in the video is that they are most effective in saltwater tanks. So I am all good. :)
amazing explanation, i used to have this skimmer but dont really understand how it works. 👍🏻
Thank you, great D.I.Y tutorial, I will be making one of these.
just finished the DIY protein skimmer for my tank thanks joey for the vid.
Owen hack How are they working for you
Great videos! I am hoping to start a salt water aquarium soon with as little cost as possible.
Very useful information for my molly fries tank tqqqqq soo much.I made it 10 days before and it collects well👍👍👍
Hey! Watching this in 2019... One of the things that stopped me on going with a larger saltwater tank is the machinery needed to keep it running properly.
But after been introduced to your channel it is simply awesome, I am starting the 100gl tank this week after checking most of your videos for filtration and this one.
Quick question, after 5 years, the recommendation on using wooden air stone stills the same for this Protein Skimmer project? Are they better than ceramic air stones?
Regards from Costa Rica.
How to care for a saltwater tank can you do video of that 😊 I'm a big fan
Sweet! Nice explanation! :)
Ok sounds great thanks for the video
thank you .. you helped me a lot
Hey joey love your stuff. Do you think it would be possible to use the steriliser you made in this instead of the air stone and use it in a freshwater aquarium. I was thinking of the fine bubbles created by the steriliser. Thanks Steve.
Excellent video & Great information!
thanks mang
Thanks for the explaination why protein skimmers don't work for FW. Cool build
I actually enjoyed that part the most. It was twice as long at first with lots of extra cool footage, but the video seemed too long so i chopped it up a bit.
did you use this skimmer?
Oh course it works with FW, what do you think Aquariums use in their large FW tanks.
It just looks more dramatic with saltwater.
Hi Joey another great video back in the day when I first started in saltwater there were no commercially available protein skimmers so we had to come up with our own wish you was around then and utube as it would have helped greatly
Thanks for the vids
Martin
Martins Reef I wish i had internet or even a computer when i got into the hobby... i have NO IDEA how i survived on just books and magazine subscriptions!
Awesome.. You are backyard scientist
Nice, just saved myself $100, I will differently try this out. Very simple 👍🏻
I like yourvwork very much
I built one like this when I first started keeping saltwater and I must say it was the main reason my fish survived the "noob" phase. Now I have a bubble magus skimmer which is just remarkable the only problem with diy ones is that the wooden air stone needs replacing every 1-2 months as they clog up. Great video Joey
REIF ISEPPIC DIY projects can certainly help along the way. I dont use all DIY, that is a big misconception about me. But without it, i would have had to leave the hobby long ago.
Very nice!
Nice vid man 👍 but what are your suggestions if you don't have a 2nd tank???
I have one question. I have looked at alot of diy protein skimmers and most have a hole for water to enter and water to leave .. so is the water entering amd leaving both from the bottom on this design..
So how well will this work? I have a corner 55 gallon tank will this work for that? Oh and BTW I found your channel today and I can't stop watching!!
Anyway to make a nano skimmer that hangs of back totally and dossnt have to be in tank taking up space or in a sump. I am thinking of buying a used tank with a canopy Do you think a hang on back can be hidden under the canopy somehow in back I also have a small 10 gallon I want to make this for any container you can think of that I could use to make it narrower!?
Awesome diy!
Ryan Looper Thanks!
I just build one and it's awesome how many gallons do you think it would be rated for? Is there a way to tell?
Top vid mate...
Hi,
has Joey ever tackled making a Wooden Diffuser for a Skimmer?
Is there anyway you could build a in sump skimmer that utilizes a pump. Thanks
Hey Joey! Would you say a skimmer that you built here would do about 20 gallons? I have a 75 gallon with a 20 gallon reef, but wasn't sure how many of these I should make or how big? Thanks for any information. Have a good one!
Hey Joey, what if someone were to use a 2 liter bottle instead of the smaller water bottles...would the effects be different? Would this set up you just showed work adequately on a 125g tank w/ sump?
Just got an idea, can you use a Co2 diffuser instead of a wooden airstone? Don't know if the bubbles are smaller or bigger...
Great video btw, king of explaining
do we have to use wooden air stone necessarily or regular air stone can be good ?
The one thing I wish you would do as a project... An over the back acrylic overflow.
It is something I am considering for my 20 long and there really aren't any "good" DIYs for it on UA-cam.
Hope to see this soon.
Keep up the good work!
krybaby77 Maybe some day. The thing i always consider though is how many people could actually do it. A custom acrylic overflow is not an easy project, so not something i would typically do. BUT i have built a couple in the past and they are super cool, so maybe i will do it again. Get your oven ready. ;)
Oh.... You mean bending the acrylic. I was thinking just as with anything else just cutting and glueing. I can see how that could be a problem.... Air catching in the corners.
I was considering just doing two bulkheads with an acrylic box on the back as my overflow, I just don't want a big weir inside the tank because it's such a small tank.
Any thoughts? I don't really like the over the back pvc overflows for the same reason. It's such a small tank that anything inside the tank becomes an eye sore.
I figured a nice DIY acrylic overflow with a shallow CLEAR acrylic weir was my best choice.
Joey im throwing it way back.. but how do i make a hang on back skimmer?? Tryinn to make one for my 10Gal rim tank
Where to buy this piece that makes micro bubbles? Do you have any website that sells and ships to Brazil?
You use a lot of your DIY stuff, do you use any DIY protein skimmers on any of your active tanks?
Where do you get 2" schedule 20 PVC pipe? Literally nobody within a 50 mile radius of me carries that. Is there anything I can use to substitute? Also, is it 2" ID or OD???
that was fast and easy and can help any body save a lot of money, this skimmers can get really expensive and some people don't get into the hobby cause they just can't afford it. but with your help they can at least start their systems.
The hobby certainly shouldn't be limited to those with a lot of money. On that same note, the hobby shouldn't be limited by availability.
True that !
Do we have to use wooden airstone or the standard airstone will also work?
What if you used one of those electric water purifiers with that make those tiny bubbles? Would that make similarly tiny bubbles you find in salt water needed to make a protein skimmer efficient in freshwater?
i want make aquarium 20litter and put 2clown fish and aneumon can i use only live rock to filteration and change water every week .thanks
Great video Joey! I would like to see more DIY videos on saltwater, I know a lot of freshwater guys that have or are thinking of getting into saltwater tanks
Hey there, i actually have a lot more saltwater videos than it seams people know about. I have at least 10 dedicated to just saltwater. Which is more than i have for projects dedicated to just fresh. Most of the projects i do can be used on both.
***** Really I will skim through your videos and watch the saltwater ones again.
I am going to use your protein skimmer idea, I have been looking for a good DIY video that I like on protein skimmers and i think yours will work best for me!
Thanks!
what size pump are you using and what size pipe are you using
Would the 4 inch pvs do a lot better?
Is it ok to use the black abs pipe instead of white pvc?
What type of air pump is used? And how many l/min are needed.
Thanks
do we need wooden airstone or we can use the normal airstone thats not wooden?
Hi man
i really want to thank you for the hard work you are doing for this hobby, I'm from California where you have a lot of follower i believe, i need to ask you a favor, you know California is popular in earthquakes it would be perfect if you can think of a DIY earthquake proof aquarium or something that can really help.
thanks and keep the good work
zaid
zaid malas Good idea. Perhaps some day. :)
How much air should the air pump produce in l/h compared to your total amount of water? I have a 60 gallon system total and was wondering how much air the air pump should produce. Thanks in advance!
another great video, would be able to do a video on how to make water changes easier, friend of mine told me to use a pond or aquarium pump, but im not to sure on how to go about do so, would be a great help
I have videos on auto water changes, top offs, water siphons etc... I covered just about every way you can change water.
***** thanks for the quick reply
i built this skimmer exactly the same as in vid. im waiting on my wood airstones in the mail. using a large ceramic airstone with an oversized air pump. 3 days later and all i have is a thin film on the collection cup and is running really wet or not at all. is it my airstone? i tested the water in the collection cup and off the charts nitrite and low nitrates but its not sludge
As with any skimmer, there is a 1-4 weeks break in period.
Pls make video about HOB protein skimmer
Hey, for how many gallons can I use this skimmer?
Thanks joey this helps a lot what size would you recommend for a 60 litre aquarium with a 20 litre sump?
20 gallons total? One of these would do it. If not, build a couple. Once you buy the PVC for one, you will have plenty left to build a couple more.
Thanks joey my project will be mostly diy so this Channel is a great help
Great project. Now I know how a protein skimmer works.
Thanks Brian. Finding out how things work is pretty much my main passion. It goes well with the aquarium hobby.
So if anybody out here somewhat recent to this and my earlier post is interested I am quite amazed at what this skimmer has taken out of my pond in the last four hours
can this be used in maraine tank?
Thanks for explaining why it not really for fresh. I use to keep salt and thought about using skimmer for my fresh, but just heard it was wast of time. No could tell me why at the time.
People that can not explain how something works, or can not explain it simply enough for anyone to understand, do not understand it themselves.
***** very wise words.
***** interesting comment.. goes for alot of things
Does this need a air pump?
please reply
Hey Joey was wondering if you can make a diy sump refugium?
Some day im sure i'll get back to sumps. I must have almost 10 videos on them now though.
Good
hi joey
can you make a video on
how to keep discus fish
please it will really help
the mechanism seems pretty simple. how come commercial skimmers cost so much? definitely enjoyed the video. i am trying to decided whether i want to get into saltwater tanks and doing some research.
I suspect the reason commercial skimmers cost so much is because they can. I'm thinking of trying this build myself and seeing how well it works.
you make a great point. if you take the same components Joey just used, you will end up with the equivalent of a $200 skimmer.
the science is simple. proteins bind to the oxygen molecules, and get pushed thru the cap and into the collection cup. however you do this, is a success.
the super pricey protien skimmers just use super high quality acrylic, alongside proprietary bubbling.
So Joey's version works just as good, for way way way less.
Hey man. I've noticed this question several times with no response from the diy king himself.
Where does the water go? If I do this build I'm trying to figure out how to get water in and out as it would seem this build is just pushing water up and out the skim cup.
The water comes in through holes in the bottom of the skimmer. The water (actually the skimate) goes out whenever you dump it out of the collection cup on top. If it overflows, you’ve effectively just kept these waste proteins in your system.
Can I use this in my 100 gallon tank?
how many gallons would you say this skimmer is for?
Would this really be a full replacement of and expensive protein skimmer? Also does it have to be in the sump?
Marin Bandalo yo can put it directly in the tank
It can go in your display tank, but you’ll need to make sure your animals aren’t able to get into your skimmer.
Good stuff Joey! Having zero experience with a saltwater tank, what are the reasons someone would still buy a off the shelf surface skimmer after seeing this video. I imagine the thought process would go something like, " Joey's DIY surface skimmer is just about free and works great but I need to buy one because _______________ ". Basically i'm asking why anyone would buy one after seeing how cheaply and easily they can build one. Thanks Joey! I'll file this video in my brain for if I ever start a reef tank! Looking forward to your reply
The reasons to buy VS build are endless. It could go either way.
I built mine, was a bit more expensive than Joey's, but still less expensive than a comparable commercial one. Plus I have still have several feet of acrylic tubing left to build a couple reactors if I need to. Time & Knowledge vs. Money are probably a big factor.
The reason is that because need wheel impellers produce ALOT more bubbles, are much more efficient and are going to work much better on a larger tank. These hand made ones do work but will not produce quite the same results as a decent needle wheel skimmer. I have had air stone skimmers though. Just not as good unfortunately.
Is it normal for the skimmer to produce white froth instead of yellow brown?
can I use another plastic bottle body instead of the pvc pipe?
When the bubbles rise up the body and push water upwards, where does that water go? Is it just tall enough that gravity pulls the water back down into the body? Wouldn't that mean you're skimming the same water over and over?
How do you introduce new water into the body to be skimmed?
I have my own answers to some of these questions, just wanting to know your thoughts behind these massive issues with your build.
Not sure why he didn't include that in his little build, because you're right, there needs to be water flow for it to be effective.
You could easily drill a couple of holes in the tube and cap off the bottom. Drill a 1/4 inch hole an inch or two below the water line for exhaust and one an inch or two from the bottom of the tube for intake. The water flow will occur naturally because physics. Just buy a cap for the bottom so it becomes a closed system, other than the two holes you drilled.
As with any skimmer, water flow will be determined by the amount of air being pumped in. The more air, the more water displacement that occurs at the top hole, and the more water that is sucked in.
But these $150 skimmers are serious overkill for the average hobbyist. It's sort of like buying those expensive water filters for a dog bowl when regular water will keep your dog alive just fine.
Reference: Scroll down to "air driven skimmers". successfulreefkeeping.com/learn/reef-tank-101/protein-skimmers/
I agree but I think, since there is no pump pumping water in the system, the air bubbles need to pull some tank water in. So some holes or maybe even leave tho bottom open just add holes around the top, at the main tanks water line or slighter higher. MAYBE this will work. New, dirty water enters from bottom and makes foam, that is pushed up as more is created below it, till it falls in cup. Water just under the foam comes out the holes. Also, maybe add a bottom with a hole and a pump.
Thanks for the video but can you do a new updated video on Protein skimmer for a slightly larger aquarium, may be of acrylic.
he did in this vid... he said to up to 4" and opt for a 2lt bottle
wow i just got one from juwel and is noisy as hell and am getting a new motor if that goes not help im building this one. had i seen this video before i had done this first
What is the benefit of this wood
what's the rate of this skimmer? any way to calculate?
neonic it’s whatever your pump is
You should build one with power head :)
Hey Joey can you please help me I bout a pvc from home depo but it's to big for the 500ml bottle so I went back to home depo and they don't have any size that I can use for the 500ml bottles
how do you size this to an aquarium
For how many galons is that sir? Tnx
can i know the name of your Drill in this video thanks.
i think the drill bit is called a uni bit
What if i couldn't find wooden airstone? I got a powerhead tho
Is it really works?
Hi there. Could something like this be used on a garden pond?
unless your garden pond is saltwater, I don't think so, you're better off with a sponge filter for anything freshwater
/// also ponds have a different type of skimmer which works more like a pool then a saltwater skimmer
in your pond, if the mechanical filtration aren't providing enough, you've done something wrong. there should be ample mechanical and biological filtration in place.
please look up pond filtration.
If I was to scale up this design using two 2 liter bottles should I use 2 air stones instead of 1?
Isaac Edwards just use a stronger airpump and a bigger airstone
is the length of the pvc pipe suppose to be the length of the water level?, If i try to put this on my sump but I only have about 2"-3" of water height inside my sump, would this work if the pvc pipe is longer than the water level?
what sump is only 3" tall?
what sump is only 3" tall?
How would u cirulate the water to skimm all the water in the tank. If u drill a hole in the top it would release tons of micro bubbles
Put it in a sump... All water passes by it. Place it as you would any skimmer. Its no different in how water gets to it.
PS: if its in the aquarium, then your tank should already have ample circulation.
Are protein skimmers necessary for fresh water tanks?
Adam Owens No, i explained why they dont even work in fresh in this video.
people don't even watch the vid.
They just see the title then comment like morons.
not to call your subs morons, but clearly.......
Thanks bro
Building a skimmer would be easy, but how would you size a skimmer for a larger tank? Increase the "bubble" flow? I'm in the process of setting up a 230 w/ a 125 sump/fuge and building a skimmer would be a lot cheaper, but now sure how to size it properly.
I would recommend using something with a needle wheel pump to produce the bubbles needed for a tank that size. Depending on your bio load. Building a nice one is possible if you have good skills with your hands. However to get quality materials to handle such volume efficiently it might be just as easy to buy a decent skimmer if your budget allows for it. The 2 liter bottle one would be a bit too big for an airstone actually work well.
Оригинальное решение.