air powered skimmer

[Invigor]

just looking from some tips to fine tune this thing. It's producing a nice green skimmate but I still think it could be a "dryer" foam. Any ideas? I've 'got it hooked up to a gang valve so I can control the airstone and the water it's pulling through.

It's a counter current skimmer. I put a limewood airstone in it instead of the "stock" one...what a difference.

From reading I hear the trick is to replace the airstone every month.

TIA.

I'm not looking for responses such as "you dumbass, buy a better one." so please withstand your inner voices telling you to say that.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Invigor

I'm not looking for responses such as "you dumbass, buy a better one." so please withstand your inner voices telling you to say that.

Don't ever let anyone convince you that air driven counter current skimmers aren't good. If properly sized to the tank and running a clean limewood stone, it could be tought to get a better skimmer.
Lowering the water level while increasing the air could give you dryer foam. If it's only been running a day or two, let it settle in first.

[Ken]

Hi, the coralife limewood airstone are what I used in my countercurrent air driven skimmer. Replace them often, keep the collection cup clean often,good air supply and they will work just great. You can get wet or dryer foam ie darker or lighter skimmate by adjusting the water level in. Regards Ken

[StirCrazy]

the problem people have with counter driven skimmers is pure size. they need to be a lot larger than a Beckett type skimmer to handle the same volume, but they are the most efficient skimmer going. for an example if you wanted to skim 100 gal I think there was some thing that suggested a 5 foot tall counter current set up to be the most efficient.

Steve

[Invigor]

hmm, this one is about 18" tall and 3" round...had a full cup this morning though! it was DARRRRRRRRK green to my amazment. The water line in the skimmer is about 1/3 from the bottom, the rest is fulll of bubbles!