DIY Beckett Skimmer, w/pics

**scubadude** · 05-16-2002, 06:59 PM

I decided to make my own beckett skimmers using a beckett 1408 fountain head nozzle and bought my own extruded acrylic tubing and sheets. I just started playing around with this tonite so this will be a progressive thread (or else I would forget everything) I bought a tool called a Roto Zip at HD and they also sell a circle cutting attachment which will cut circles fairly well from 4"-12" The roto zip was 59bux and the circle cutter was 12bux

More to come.

**dattack** · 05-17-2002, 03:02 AM

That rotozip makes very clean circles. Is that the main tool in which most DIYers make acrylic skimmers?

**scubadude** · 05-17-2002, 06:28 AM

No....a more professional approach would have been a router

**Northern** · 05-17-2002, 11:05 AM

What plans are you following for your skimmer.

**Joaco** · 05-17-2002, 11:30 AM

I would also be interested in the plans, especially the part where the Beckett injector goes. From all the reading I have done on DIY Beckett skimmers on the Internet, the more tricky part seems to be the compartment where the injector goes.
Looking forward to the pics as you work on it!

Joaco

**scubadude** · 05-17-2002, 12:56 PM

Originally posted by Northern
What plans are you following for your skimmer.

Im kinda looking at a few of them and will make my own hybrid....Something like a cross between Myreef's MR2 and one of Coralhounds skimmers. Here are both of their websites to see where the majority of my ideas are coming from.

http://www.myreefcreations.com/

http://www.qis.net/~ckkuehn/Skimmer.htm

Originally posted by Joaco
I would also be interested in the plans, especially the part where the Beckett injector goes.

Joaco,
Here is a website that shows in detail a fairly simple way to house the injector, I think I will try this way first and see how it works.

http://members.cox.net/smokie/

BTW If I didnt have so much time on my hands then I would probably just have paid Myreef for a skimmer....the $$ saved is not worth my time and Im sure that Andy would have done a MUCH better job than me! It is VERY tedious chasing down little bitty nickel-dime parts for this skimmer! but I love DIY projects, so what can I say

**scubadude** · 05-17-2002, 05:57 PM

Using a mitre power saw and a carbide teeth blade to cut the tubing, and using weldon #3 to tack weld everything into place then do a final seal with weldon #16 I put the tower together the skimmer today. Definately wear glasses when cutting and try not to breath any of this weldon, or it will get you higher than a kite

**Joaco** · 05-17-2002, 06:16 PM

wow Rocky, you work fast. What pump will you use on it?
Please keep the pics coming, especially of the Beckett part when you have it done ;)

Joaco

**scubadude** · 05-17-2002, 07:09 PM

hehe....like I said...I have alot of time on my hands. Im not real sure which pump I will use...I have some spare AM3K's and a couple of mag 12's....and I think im gonna get a few mag24's too....im gonna do some experimenting and see which one runs the most effeciently. BTW I bought some acrylic tubing and sheets online (found the cheapest) then I went to the closest big town to me and found a Plastics shop and they had scraps in the back and I got the stuff for half of what I paid through online...not to mention the shipping that stuff cost me! some of the acrylic that I got dirt cheap has scratches on it but I could care less!

For example here are some prices

6" acrylic tubing from www.usplastic.com is $8.22 ft. +shipping
6" acrylic tubing from my local (an hour away) shop $6.00 NO shipping

If you have a shop nearby that deals with acrylic it will be better to go there and you will also be able to pick the service mans brain and tell him what you are doing....he might show you everything you need.

So far on the tower of the pic above I have used
2 pieces of 6" tube (one 5", and one 6")
1 piece of 4.5" tube (16" long)
3 pieces of 12"x12" tinted 1/4" sheets

**Reinhold** · 05-17-2002, 07:55 PM

scubadude:

Man, are you on some sort of medication? How do you find the energy to do all this stuff?

**Elmo18** · 05-18-2002, 01:06 AM

He exports Guarana Soda from Brazil by the truckloads

Ok, ok, refer to a different thread

;;

Scuba needs to make his own store: The Tell me What you Want store, Quote the next 15 min, Finished Product the next day.

Scuba....any chance that first skimmer you build can go to me :P

- Elmo

**Elmo18** · 05-18-2002, 01:08 AM

wait, import

-Elmo

**Joaco** · 05-19-2002, 08:27 PM

Originally posted by scubadude

Joaco,
Here is a website that shows in detail a fairly simple way to house the injector, I think I will try this way first and see how it works.

http://members.cox.net/smokie/

Thanks! THAT's the webpage I have been looking for!

Joaco

**scubadude** · 05-20-2002, 08:38 AM

Built my box and my injector houseing (using the above website)...and you can see the actual 1408 Beckett injector to the left of the housing...and some other parts on the right that are needed...gate valve 1.5" bulkhead 1.5" and bulkhead 1"

This is how I started glueing the box together...good clamps are a must in building the box as well as a GOOD cut...I switched from using a regular mitre saw, and broke down and spent 100bux on a table saw from HD...much better and smoother cuts with a table saw, and a good carbide blade.

Here you can see the types of glue I used, and the needle applicator weldon #3 is very thin, for glueing very smooth and minimal gaps. weldon #16 is for glueing larger gaps and is thicker.

**Elmo18** · 05-20-2002, 11:37 AM

Scuba,

Looking nice!

Are Beckett skimmers better than other venturi types? I'm still not sure what skimmer to get for the 75. I'll need one before I get my live rock online.

Thanks,
Elmo

**Northman_with_reef** · 05-20-2002, 12:34 PM

Beckett Skimmers have far finer bubbles than venturi types and are generally more efficient.

IMO Needlewheel skimmers are the best, they have the finset bubbles of all skimmers.The best needle wheel skimmer is the Deltec, the nice thing about this skimmer is that you can adjust the air/water inntake seperately.

**scubadude** · 05-20-2002, 08:49 PM

Never used a needle wheel skimmer b4 but I do agree w/ northman about the becketts being a much more effecient skimmer. Heres some more pics

**scubadude** · 05-25-2002, 01:36 PM

Well I finally got to test it the other day....the only flaw I have is I forgot to put a gasket in between my flanges....and of course it leaked like a seive!

I tested it with a mag 12 (too weak) and a mag 18 (this one might work, hard to say when testing w/ freshwater) I also have a Mag24 but Im gonna wait until I have the gasket on there (im having a hard time finding an 8" diameter gasket for this (remember I live in a small town) I have to go out of town on business soon so it will be a while till I can pick back up on this project, but I will post more once I pick back up on it.

**DukeDog** · 05-25-2002, 08:03 PM

Well hows the skimmer doing? It looks good.

Jeff

**Joaco** · 05-26-2002, 09:26 AM

Originally posted by Elmo18

Are Beckett skimmers better than other venturi types?

Check this out, they are product reviews by Richard Harker of Beckett injector skimmers:

HSA (High Speed Aeration) skimmer:

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a...ct/default.asp

Aerofoamer skimmer:

http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/a...ct/default.asp

Joaco

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Awesome skimmer!!!

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