protien skimmer help

by **mattman9543** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:38 am

OK my friend had a protien skimmer under his fishtank for years guess he didn't even know what it was I picked it up and asked if I could have it. The problem is I can't figure it out. I brought it to 3 stores now and they are pretty baffeled. I was wondering if anyone here can help me make this thing work. It is called a reef janitor oceanic skimmer.

pic 1
I kinda figure that the power head goes in the bottom like most I'm not sure if it is two returns or somthing else.
pic 2
the insides don't know if that gives anyone a clue or not
pic 3
There is a hole all the way through the one return I'm not sure if you can see in the last photo. That's where I'm lost because if it is a return why is there wholes in it. The only idea i've had was to seal up that whole somehow and block off the return completly attach a power head with airline at the bottom and hope it works.

Any suggestions Please help

by **fihsboy** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:23 pm

(HIT REPLY TO SEE PICTURES EVERYONE)

You got me........That thing is insanely complicated.

by **Snowboss4492** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 1:14 pm

looks like theres some pieces missing - -the only thing i could find on oceanic skimmers was nano biocube units, and their all airstone driven - -so maybe theres a place to put an airstone in there somewhere but all the tubes are confusing me

Boss

by **fihsboy** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 2:09 pm

I would go on a limb and say the two top pipes are return pipes, where the bottom one is a injection pipe. I would hook up a pump and see what happens. :) Throw a needle wheel pump on the bottom pipe and see if it does anything.

by **saltwaterpimp** » Sun Jun 28, 2009 4:54 pm

It looks like a bad effort to make a recuriculating skimmer.Whats the Brand of skimmer...Reeflo.. ? or is it homemade ?you could contact the company and email pics..

by **puffedupseagull** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:45 am

i suggest that the bottom is the inlet for the water pump, and the top pipes r for return pipes, two probably give you the option of two different outlet areas

by **mattman9543** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:41 pm

Thanks all I will give it a try I'm gonna cap it off and see what happens I see water movement, but it's hard to tell it it will foam in my fresh water bath tub.

by **jnelson1983** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:12 pm

Bad news: Protein Skimmers will NOT work in a freshwater tank. The water isn't dense/heavy enough.

I tried....days later, nothing. Hope you have a saltwater tank to use it on, otherwise you have a paperweight.

Anyways, that one looks like an in-sump type skimmer if anything....i don't see any way for that thing to hang onto a tank.

The insides look fairly standard for a skimmer...that's where the water is aerated to death and foams at the top into what SHOULD be the collection cup. If there's no cap on the top of that thing, you're gonna need a way to direct the foam towards the bottom of that cup, or it'll be fairly useless.

Given that oxygen rises, it would only make sense for the inlet part of the pump to be on the bottom (allowing for the bubble tornado inside the skimmer). As far as which one is supposed to pump back into the tank, stick it in a bath tup and let it run...you'll know soon enough.

protien skimmer help

8 posts