The basic design of the skimmer remains the same, although I have converted it to something more HSA-like by replacing the simple tube injector with a Beckett foam head, removing the bioballs, cutting out the portion of the injector tube that is inside the box, and cutting out the baffle (I get fewer bubbles out the skimmer with no baffle than with the one I had).

Perhaps the most important change I made was to replace everything above the foam tube flange. I now have a larger collection cup (8.25" inside diameter), and inside the collection cup I have an inverted funnel acting as a foam riser. The taper of the funnel provides an even transition from wet foam to dry foam, and the narrow neck of the funnel results in high air velocity, which ejects the dry foam quite forcefully. The previous problem of foam getting stuck exiting the foam riser is completely gone now. The large collection cup sits directly on the flange gasket.

If I weren't so busy at my new job, I might be designing and building a new skimmer. Back in 1998, I wrote down my thoughts about skimmer design, and some of the specifics of a new skimmer that I was planning to build. That document describes all of the original problems with this skimmer, except for the misplaced baffle problem (my solution was to cut it out entirely).

Add or View Comments