Ultimate DIY Protein Skimmer INFO

[Randy]

I am proposing that anyone who wants to make a kick ass Euro-Reef, ASM/Euro-Reef Clone, Deltec, etc… SKIMMER should help to make a list of the pumps and impellers needed. This will not be fun to do but it will help ourselves and the many others who don’t want to pay $250.00 - $500.00 for a plastic skimmer.

Euro-Reef uses Dolphin Pumps with their Needle Impellers

ASM uses Dolphin Pumps with the identical Needle Impellers

Deltec uses a similar Pin Wheel impeller but with what pump?
http://www.deltecaquariumsolutions.com/skimmers_2.php

Aqua Medic – Pump? Needle Wheel?
http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro...s_AquaMed.html

I know there are more skimmers out there and I have been doing much research to find out what brand/size of pump goes with which needle impeller, pin wheel, etc… and where to buy the impellers.

Most of the time I find that most will NOT sell me a pump or an impeller without a “serial #” off of the $250.00 skimmer. Some will sell me an impeller only or pump only for like $99.00 without the “serial #”. These are cheap parts … Greedy Bastards! Obviously they want us to shell out and buy the skimmers. Who says we HAVE to?

Dolphin pumps are great pumps (for instance) and are not that expensive all we need is a stinkin needle impeller for it and anyone can have a great skimmer. I have more specific info to add to this vague list - like links, sizes of pumps, and the appropriate size needle impeller. I’m just trying to get it rolling right now.

[ick sucks]

i would just use a normal pump with no needle wheel and use wood airstones. i just built a 6 foot tall skimmer and it kicks ass. total cost was about 170(CAD) dollars with the pump. only problem is u gotta replace the airstones every 2-4 weeks. but it still beats paying 1000 bucks for a good skimmer!

[Randy]

That is true and I have seriously contemplated that very thing. Instead I ended up (over time) buying different skimmers that showed no performance. I tried different pumps, venturis, anvancements, etc... Basically waisting money. After seariously reading about the ER skimmers I realized how simple of a solution it would be to MAKE one that performs exactly like it, but they are so greedy. They will make you pay $60.00 for a stupid impeller and over $100.00 just for the pump allone. They use dolphin pumps; Dolphin is SEDRA. They are the same and cost a fraction of that price.

I am collecting a great deal of info RE: needle impellers and will come up with a solution.

[scubadude]

I am collecting a great deal of info RE: needle impellers and will come up with a solution.

Randy can you please post your findings here as soon as you find them out. Im very interested in what you come up with. Are you aware that there are a bunch of spinoffs of ER's now?

[Randy]

Randy can you please post your findings here as soon as you find them out. Im very interested in what you come up with. Are you aware that there are a bunch of spinoffs of ER's now?

What spinoffs? I know of ASM (All Seas Marine) which look very similar and use the identical pump/impeller assembly.

I think I'm about done with the bulk of the info accept for one brand and an impeller to try. I found a pump that looks almost identical to Dolphin/SEDRA and ended up buying the Euro Reef/ASM impeller. The pump arrived Friday but the impeller hasn't arrived. I wouldn't doubt if it does not arrive at all and the guy simply forgot to ask for the skimmer serial #. It did seem too easy to buy the impeller and too cheap from what pricing I've found. Anyway... hopefull the impeller works with this pump.

After all the looking online, Aqua Medic and Rio is the most readily available pumps to offer a drop in a needle wheel. I have found a few links that show some real promising DIY needle wheels.

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...29791548&idx=1

[scubadude]

What spinoffs? I know of ASM (All Seas Marine) which look very similar and use the identical pump/impeller assembly.

Let me correct my verbage, there are more skimmers now using the same Needle wheel concept

Yeah ASM is the one everyone knows about

Here is another
http://www.exoticfish.com/details.cf...true&id=42370&

Geo's version
http://www.geosreef.com/index_front_skimmers628.htm

I believe South Bay is another one.

The Sedra pump/needlewheel is the design that everyone claims on though but I think some of these other designs are somewhat comparable IMO.

I have found a few links that show some real promising DIY needle wheels.

Yeah I have been following some of those too...interesting stuff especially on the roloc 3m wheels. I believe some ppl are having to grind them down though to make them fit right?