i am in the planing stage for a diy skimmer, and i now would like the opinions of members from tr. i originally was going to build a simple venturi skimmer. after doing searches on building one i now think i would like to build either a Beckett style skimmer, (i heard they are loud) or now I'm liking a recirculating type skimmer. if you were building one which would you choose? why? and what are the pro's and con's do you see in the three styles? what are some common mistakes to try and avoid?:o in order to cut down on cost i plan on using large diameter PVC pipe about 6" diameter or so for the bottom half of the skimmer. i am wanting the "mixing" chamber to be clear acrylic. i am thinking of using the body tube of my current (el-cheap-o) skimmer for the air/water mixing tower. it is about 4" in diameter. total hight I'm looking for is about 28"-30" tall. any suggestions and thoughts on this matter will sure get me pointed in the right direction.:unsure:

If you try the Beckett style...make sure the Beckett is on top blowing bubbles down into the chamber. I tried the Beckett mad on mine. These do NOT perform well with ANY back pressure!

In my experience, skimmers are the hardest thing to effectively DIY. Oh, the mechanics are a breeze. And you can use readily available materials (PVC) for almost everything. But there are ever so slight adjustments that make all the difference in the world. I just swapped out a big DIY for an H&S and the difference in stunning. The DIY was twice the volume and used a bigger pump, but the amount of dry foam pulled and the appearance of the tank had to be seen to be believed. Granted, the DIY cost me $300 and the H&S was almost a thousand. So not trying to steer you from a DIY project, just wanted to share my experience and I certainly wish you the best.

Dry or wet doesn't matter in my opinion, if it is forced through the bottle neck its foam fractioned & deserves to be flushed. Dry seems to be the flavour of the month in the USA, & i honestly cant understand why... Your bubbles are bursting upon each other & hence what was stripped. The overall outcome of this method is contributing to more evap & a thicker layer polarity bonded to the bubble surface. Does this pull more out of the system compared to wet, i would beg to differ, does it pull a higher concentration per volume, i would have to agree. however the true question is does this make the better of the 2 types, wet or dry, i believe specific equipment, then logic answer that question different for everyone. Personally once again, if its foam fraction you seek, then foam fraction it is!


Getting onto Beckett's, from what ive seen, they are the ultimate DIY solution, cause they are just like force feeders of bubbles & cheap.
The twin combo with down draft is prob your best bet with a beckett style system. The down draft method makes the higher volume of air ratio to water suspend longer giving you greater contact time. Greater contact time = great stripping potential.

Ok so getting on to venturi, this is personally my favorite. Although once again, design can make or break a system. Limewood is a great "finemist" buubler to use in a system, however most store bought units these days just let the prop do the chopping & drawing. A recirculating design would be the best option if you chose the DIY route, however you have to factor your air to water ratio's to maximise performance.

Rus, your ether a smart cookie, or been around for a bit, cause i differ in opinion on the mechanics of protein skimming are easily understood. basic principle yes, but the true mechanicals of both structural design & molecule interactions within the vortex chamber with ionic & electrical contributing components, i think not!
To be honest clown fish, id source a pattern that's tried & proven on the net, & run with that for awhile.