# Surface skimmer really works!



## 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.


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## natalie559

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


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## 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=


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## natalie559

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


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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


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## 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?


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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:


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## demonsoni

"go deep"


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## 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????


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## 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.


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## jayiw

partsrep said:


> 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?


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## gtsum

partsrep said:


> 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!


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## 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" ?


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## 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.


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## partsrep

jayiw said:


> 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.



vfc said:


> 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


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## partsrep

Leviathan25 said:


> 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" ?


As you can see in this extremely complex diagram the canister filter will still be drawing full water flow from the regular canister intake. It will also draw water from the botom of the skimmer (which in my personal application is enough flow for my canister) and from the top of the skimmer. What happens is the skimmer fills up with water to about 1"-2" from the top of the skimmer tube. You can see that in my first pictures and in the pictures posted by vfc further into the thread. When properly adjusted it will not draw in any air and will not make any noise. These things work great.


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## prowler09

nice diagram, i might just head to the lfs and see if they dont have one of thse fairly cheap


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## stslimited84

Which one did you purchase for use with the XP3? I'm going to buy the skimmer this weekend from "that fish place".

Is the generic one compatible with the xp3? I dont see why it costs 5 dollars for the fluval or the aqua clear.

Thanks 8)


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## partsrep

stslimited84 said:


> Which one did you purchase for use with the XP3? I'm going to buy the skimmer this weekend from "that fish place".
> 
> Is the generic one compatible with the xp3? I dont see why it costs 5 dollars for the fluval or the aqua clear.
> 
> Thanks 8)


Buy the generic Tom Aquatics for your XP3. The extra $5 is for the brand name so the folks at Hagen can get a bigger house up on the hill. While your at TFP (that's where I bought mine) pick up one of these Eheim T-fittings. It's small enough for the tubing you'll need to connect the skimmer and Tee's out to a larger size tubing that should be perfect for your XP3.


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## stslimited84

Hey partsrep,

TFP has 2 eheim t's. Which product is it? the .5" or the .625"?

Or, whats the part number? Thanks again for your help!


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## partsrep

The Eheim Part # is 4005990. It's for 12-16mm on the small side and 16-22mm on the 2 large sides. In english that's 1/2" and 5/8" tubing.

TFP Item Number: GO:211390 
Manufacturer Part #: 4005990 
Availability: In Stock 3/15/08


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## stslimited84

partsrep,

that part # your giving me is a different item than the picture you show above. Now I'm confused. I thought this is what I needed to get:

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/211265/product.web The .625" one

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/211354/product.web The .5" one


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## partsrep

I can see why you're confused. You're looking at the pictures. Here's what you need, the picture shows Eheim's skimmer but it's actually for the reducer T.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/211390/product.web


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## stslimited84

oh ok, thats what the confusion is, not sure why they would do that. Thanks again! I'll be ordering it this weekend.


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## stslimited84

I dont actually need the T fitting correct? The skimmer itself will fit on the intake of my xp3?

Does the skimmer come with any additional tubing that would allow me to connect it to the T fitting or would I need to get some?

I'd rather just get the skimmer and not mess with the tubing at all.


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## partsrep

You could plumb it in directly but it will cut down the flow considerably. The XP3 has a much higher flow rate than I think can pass through the skimmer. I would suggest using the T-fitting as this will also eliminate any noise. Mine was kind of noisy when I had it on the AC110 directly and when I removed it that's when I realized it was holding back my filters potential. I have it hooked directly to my Eheim 2322 which only flows about 170GPH and it's fine. I have another connected directly to a Penguin 170 which flows 170GPH and it too is fine. You could try it direct on the XP3 but I think you will be better off with a T-fitting.


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## stslimited84

Ok. what type of tubing am I going to need to get, b/c I may as well get it from TFP as well?


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## partsrep

I have the Eheim 12-16 going into mine and it works perfectly. The OD is just right for inserting into the supplied flex tube that comes with the skimmer and it will fit properly on that Eheim fitting I mentioned earlier. As long as your tubing from to the intake of your XP3 is 5/8" you will be fine.

This is the tubing that I used http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/211276/i/7/product.web

And to go over the top of the tank you coud use 2 of these http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18651/si1382986/cl0/eheimelbowconnectortube400494 and join them together to make a U or......

this is what I use to go over the top of the tank from an old intake set http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18651/si1382787/cl0/eheimsuctionpipe22132215 cut to fit. Save some money and stop at the hardware store, Lowes or Home Depot and get two barbed elbows that fit the tubing and make a U with the elbows and tubing.


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## atp777

Man, I just found this by searching because I noticed the film for the first time tonight when I got home. My water temp was a little warm but I don't know how much that could have affected it. Anyway, I'll have to pick one of these up. Looks like a great buy.


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## stslimited84

I added the skimmer to my XP3 over the weekend. At first I thought it wasnt working very well, but it just needed some time. Now the surface is film free, and it looks fantastic! 8)

Trying to use the reducer T and the eheim hose proved to be annoying so I hooked it up directly to the XP3 as one of the other posters did as well. I also did not notice any reduction in flow.

I do have a question tho:

I have the skimmer set so its sucking from the surface enough that it wont suck in air. My question is, is there enough flow coming in through the bottom of the skimmer with it set like this?


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## partsrep

You should see about 1/8" to 3/16" of skimmer teeth below the surface. You can acheive that by turning the adjusting rod which by turning it clockwise will decrease skimmer action and counter-clockwise to increase the skimmer action.

The entire unit will always draw the same total amount of water volume. It just depends on whether it's being drawn through the bottom intake or the skimmer on top.

It seems that a direct hook up to an XP3 doesn't affect the flow rate based on what other forum members have stated in this thread. You should be able to tell by checking the flow at your spraybars. If it looks the same as it was before I would say it's OK. If you see a noticible decrease in flow after connecting it then I would change the intake arrangement. My AC110 is capable of a claimed 500GPH. The Rena XP3 is rated at 350GPH. That in itself might be enough difference to make everything OK. There's not too many filters that flow over 350GPH and those that do can easily be adapted with a bit of ingenuity.


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## stslimited84

I just wanted to make sure that I didnt decrease the flow to the top of the skimmer too low. I'll have to play around with it to find the best setting.

In any case, thanks for recommending this product, its great!


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## naegling23

hmm, interesting option. However, I have a rena smart heater which fits over my filter inlet. It looks like it would not work quite as well trying to put this on as well. Do they make a protein skimming ring that just fits around the inlet instead of having a second tube coming down?


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## Adrnalnrsh

I am going to get one of these for my Fluval 305, if I want to use it as a second intake on my 305 will I need a tee too or is there a way to adapt the skimmer and use the existing intake as well.


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## partsrep

Adrnalnrsh said:


> I am going to get one of these for my Fluval 305, if I want to use it as a second intake on my 305 will I need a tee too or is there a way to adapt the skimmer and use the existing intake as well.


See page 2 of this thread


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## partsrep

naegling23 said:


> hmm, interesting option. However, I have a rena smart heater which fits over my filter inlet. It looks like it would not work quite as well trying to put this on as well. Do they make a protein skimming ring that just fits around the inlet instead of having a second tube coming down?


I don't see this as being able to work with a Rena Smart Heater


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## 18fisher

just a thought if we are worried about flow could you use the "t" and two skimmers. maybe in different spots in the tank. :thumb: 18 fisher


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## vfc

If you have large fish you may want to cut a 2"x1/3"x1/3" strip of foam and stuff it under the skimmer drain (the open area that holds the air to keep it floating). It will keep the fish from knocking the air out of the ring and causing the skimmer to sink.


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## partsrep

18fisher said:


> just a thought if we are worried about flow could you use the "t" and two skimmers. maybe in different spots in the tank. :thumb: 18 fisher


Absolutely. I have one on a 75G which is 48"x18" surface area and it cleans the whole tank just fine. I see no problem connecting two and spacing them out if that's what you want to do. It would probably be better than using just the stock intake and one skimmer. Keep in mind that the lowest it will go in the tank is about 8" so you will want to have a low level intake.


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## cholile

great thread. of course an overflow with a sump solves all your problems


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## Adrnalnrsh

partsrep said:


> Adrnalnrsh said:
> 
> 
> 
> I am going to get one of these for my Fluval 305, if I want to use it as a second intake on my 305 will I need a tee too or is there a way to adapt the skimmer and use the existing intake as well.
> 
> 
> 
> See page 2 of this thread
Click to expand...

OK, so now I need to find the tee that will work for my Fluval.


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## partsrep

Use this Eheim part....it will work with your Fluval. You can buy it That Fish Place, a Cichlid-Forum sponsor at http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/211390/product.web










The Eheim Part # is 4005990. It's for 12-16mm on the small side and 16-22mm on the 2 large sides. In english that's 1/2" and 5/8" tubing.

TFP Item Number: GO:211390 
Manufacturer Part #: 4005990

The picture in the photo on the That Fish Place website is wrong, but it's the correct part number.


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## justshoe

has anyone found a way to adapt it to a penguin 200 with the square intake and have it as the only intake? I understand the idea of drilling and putting a new piece in but i would rather just have on intake instead of two


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## stslimited84

I have noticed that the flow is decreased after having the the skimmer hooked up to the XP3 for a bit. Its down a little bit from full force. Not too much, but its def noticeable.

I can tell b/c I have another XP3 running on the same tank so I can judge the flow based on the XP3 running without the skimmer attached to it. Is this a bad thing, or something that doesnt matter much?


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## partsrep

justshoe said:


> has anyone found a way to adapt it to a penguin 200 with the square intake and have it as the only intake? I understand the idea of drilling and putting a new piece in but i would rather just have on intake instead of two


That shouldn't be too difficult. 
The square intake becomes round where it fits into the impeller area. I would take it apart and see if you can adapt a piece of hose to it and run that to the skimmer. a U-pipe (eheim has them) would make the over the top transition better than tubing. 
Or you might want to check the parts bins at your LFS and see if you can adapt something. I have a Penguin 170 and the intake is round all the way and I plumbed the skimmer right into the end of the tube. And by looking at the parts schematics of both filters they look like they might be close enough to work.


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## partsrep

stslimited84 said:


> I have noticed that the flow is decreased after having the the skimmer hooked up to the XP3 for a bit. Its down a little bit from full force. Not too much, but its def noticeable.
> 
> I can tell b/c I have another XP3 running on the same tank so I can judge the flow based on the XP3 running without the skimmer attached to it. Is this a bad thing, or something that doesnt matter much?


As I mentioned earlier in the thread you may have to T-tap it into your canister if your flow rate is high. There is a limited opening on the bottom of the skimmer and that will limit the total flow. I would use the T-tap and your regular XP3 intake.

It won't matter much. Most canisters have adjustable flow rates anyway so consider it adjusted down a bit. The T-tap will bring back full flow capability.


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## stslimited84

Ok. I just wanted to make sure that the filter wouldnt be damaged from the lesser flow.

Thanks partsrep!


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## partsrep

No it won't damage it. As long as it's wet it's OK. 
Aquarium filters and pumps work on a simple electromagnet principle. There's really nothing that can "burn out" as current passes through the coils and that in turn causes the magnet with the impeller to turn. Running them dry may wear out the magnet and the plastic/epoxy case that the electromagnet is contained in but that's it. So depending on the number of windings in the coil and the size of the magnet on the impeller, that will determine how much power a filter will have.


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## Adrnalnrsh

Should the water level in the skimmer be all the way to the level of the rest of the tank or lower?

I feel that I am not getting much suction from the skimmer as I can see some small food particles just sitting within the top of the skimmer and are not getting pulled down.


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## pancakeloach

I found that the clear "skimmer" part on mine is too buoyant to stay low enough in the water to skim properly, even with no air at all trapped underneath. So I took a squarish piece of plastic that I'd cut off from the plastic part of the tank lid and slotted it through the plastic teeth, where it hits up against the lid and keeps the teeth far enough down in the water so that it actually skims. The water level in the skimmer is about 2 inches below the tank water level, and it bounces up and down a bit, as the clear part of the skimmer bobs in the current. From the front of the tank, I can see a bit of water flowing down to the lower water level. Since I added the plastic bit, it's been working pretty well, although I have to make sure the tank level doesn't drop so far that the plastic isn't tall enough to push the skimmer down under the surface of the water!

... Now I want to figure out how to make one for my 10g tank, the skim on the water surface there bugs me but a commercial surface skimmer is way too big! :lol:


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## partsrep

pancakeloach said:


> I found that the clear "skimmer" part on mine is too buoyant to stay low enough in the water to skim properly, even with no air at all trapped underneath.


You really only need about 3/16" maximum of the teeth under the surface of the water. This can be attained by properly adjusting the flow rate with the adjusting rod. That moves a block plate up or down in the lower intake effectively strengthening or weakening to flow from the lower intake or the skimmer. The amount of flow will always be the same. It's what percent goes through the top and what goes through the bottom that changes with adjustment. These are not meant to work like a skimmer on an overflow tank. They are made for basic surface cleaning.



pancakeloach said:


> So I took a squarish piece of plastic that I'd cut off from the plastic part of the tank lid and slotted it through the plastic teeth, where it hits up against the lid and keeps the teeth far enough down in the water so that it actually skims.


And by doing so eliminating the floating function and forcing the skimmer too deep. Then you are drawing water from below the surface. You didn't need to buy a skimmer for that. When properly set up and adjusted they do skim just fine but apparently you want an overflow effect.



pancakeloach said:


> The water level in the skimmer is about 2 inches below the tank water level, and it bounces up and down a bit, as the clear part of the skimmer bobs in the current. From the front of the tank, I can see a bit of water flowing down to the lower water level.


The water level in the skimmer is supposed to be below the surface. You are just skimming the surface. Bobbing up and down is because you don't have it adjusted correctly. Fine tuning is all it needs. You are supposed to see water flowing down the clear part.

So the effect you are looking for could have been obtained without spending any money at all. You could have taken your filter's intake strainer, turned it upside down and run it that way near the surface. Your way of forcing the skimmer under the water is just a high water level intake and you are filtering water that's being drawn in actually from below the surface. The idea of the skimmer is to skim the top 1/16" to maybe 3/16" of water at best. That's why it's called a surface skimmer and not an "Almost at the surface skimmer"


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## pancakeloach

partsrep said:


> You really only need about 3/16" maximum of the teeth under the surface of the water. This can be attained by properly adjusting the flow rate with the adjusting rod. That moves a block plate up or down in the lower intake effectively strengthening or weakening to flow from the lower intake or the skimmer. The amount of flow will always be the same. It's what percent goes through the top and what goes through the bottom that changes with adjustment. These are not meant to work like a skimmer on an overflow tank. They are made for basic surface cleaning.


partsrep, thank you for your explanation of how it's supposed to work - there was no information like that on the box.  I'll have to try adjusting the flow rate, but what I was observing with mine when I first installed it was that it was floating on the surface so high that *no* water *at all* was being drawn through the top of the skimmer, no matter how I swiveled the adjusting rod - if a few trickles got in, they just dried right up. The inside of the teeth was ending up perfectly dry. That's why I used the bit of plastic to poke it down just far enough that the water tension wasn't enough to stop the flow entirely.



partsrep said:


> pancakeloach said:
> 
> 
> 
> The water level in the skimmer is about 2 inches below the tank water level, and it bounces up and down a bit, as the clear part of the skimmer bobs in the current. From the front of the tank, I can see a bit of water flowing down to the lower water level.
> 
> 
> 
> The water level in the skimmer is supposed to be below the surface. You are just skimming the surface. Bobbing up and down is because you don't have it adjusted correctly. Fine tuning is all it needs. You are supposed to see water flowing down the clear part.
Click to expand...

Um, I'm kind of confused... the water level in the skimmer _is_ below the surface. That's what I said. And there is water flowing down the clear part as well. I think the "bobbing" motion is mostly due to the fact that the clear skimmer part itself "wobbles" back and forth in the surface current. So... is it "bad" for the water level in the skimmer to fluctuate a little bit, if the water level in there is significantly lower than the tank water level, and I can see the water flowing?



partsrep said:


> So the effect you are looking for could have been obtained without spending any money at all. You could have taken your filter's intake strainer, turned it upside down and run it that way near the surface. Your way of forcing the skimmer under the water is just a high water level intake and you are filtering water that's being drawn in actually from below the surface. The idea of the skimmer is to skim the top 1/16" to maybe 3/16" of water at best. That's why it's called a surface skimmer and not an "Almost at the surface skimmer"


I'd like to see the filter intake tubing that's flexible enough to do that!  Now, if I had forced it down far enough that the water surface inside the skimmer was at the same level as the tank water level, I would see how that's not surface skimming, it's just high water level intake like you said. However, if my grasp of the mechanics is correct, if the water at the surface of the tank is being pulled in and _down_, then whatever was on the surface can't "escape" back into the tank, and has to eventually be pulled through the filter.

I took a look at the skimmer to see how it's working - and whatever issue I had with it not skimming for me on its own at first seems to have resolved itself, as it seems to float low enough now that it does have a constant trickle of water coming in even without the plastic. I didn't even have to swivel the adjustment rod. :? As I don't have picture-perfect recall, I can't say how close to 3/16" I had it at first, but I know it was working (at least somewhat) with the plastic because I could see things (food particles, etc) on the water surface being pulled into the skimmer's lower water level.

Anyway, like I said, thanks for explaining the adjustment rod thingy to me, I hate it when the backs of packages have nothing but little pictures with rather enigmatic arrows and no actual explanation of how it's supposed to work! :x


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## justshoe

Well got mine all hooked up today. Seems to be working good. Just used some 3/4" OD to 1/2" ID hose from home depot to take it from the main body of the skimmer right into my penguin 200 intake. It seems to have limited flow over the stock intake slightly. Just notice the bio wheel doesnt seem to spin as fast.


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## partsrep

justshoe said:


> Well got mine all hooked up today. Seems to be working good. Just used some 3/4" OD to 1/2" ID hose from home depot to take it from the main body of the skimmer right into my penguin 200 intake. It seems to have limited flow over the stock intake slightly. Just notice the bio wheel doesnt seem to spin as fast.


There should be more than enougn volume going through the skimmer for your Penguin 200. BioWheels will slow down as bacteria builds up on them. I have a Penguin 170 and the wheel just stumbles along.


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## trackhazard

I am also using one of these on my 75g tank.

I am running two marineland C220 canisters set up on opposite sides. My tank has some decent plant mass so I am considering adding a Koralia for some extra flow through a huge mass of java fern.

The surface of the water was a little slick because of my extra fish feedings. My planted tank w/ firemouths is set up to run super lean on fertilizers so I count on a slight excess of fish food to help out with supplying phosphates & nitrates to the tank. As a result, I would get a nice protein slick on the surface. I set up one of my C220's with the skimmer attachment in the corner and my surface was clear in a matter of hours. Its been crystal clear ever since.

I haven't really noticed a huge reduction in flow from that canister as I can see both outputs and they are fairly close to each other.

Overall I am very happy with the way the skimmer is working.

-Charlie


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## 748johnd

pancakeloach, There is a relatively new filter out that has the surface skimmer as part of it. It is called Imagine Gold Biosystem Power Filter and the Biosystem 15 should be ideal for your 10g. Drs. Foster & Smith and That Fish Place both sell them. It costs about $18.


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## lexi73

Today I've noticed A film on my water. I'm going to install this but i want to make sure that i get what i need the first time...I'm a noob to a skimmer so please bare with me.

I'm running a Eheim 2217 BTW. Can i hook this up directly to the intake of the 2217 or do I need a t-fitting to use both the skimmer and the main intake that came with the 2217? Just a little confused on the best way to set this up.

Do I need both of these?
Skimmer: http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/215642/product.web
T Fitting: https://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/2 ... roduct.web

And just some tubes to fit it all together from Home Depot correct?

Id there any benefit in getting the actual Eheim one?
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/14944/product.web


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## lexi73

went to my LFS today and got the skimmer....then took a trip to menards to get a T tube and some hose. boy was it a PITA getting the canister running again but its all working now...well see how the water improves. Thanks for all the information all!


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## jboogerfinger

These are definitely worth the money.


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