need help in using surface skimmer.

[ahwei]

just bought a eheim surface skimmer for my 2217. seems that when i connect it directly (as the size of the tube of the surface skimmer is smaller than the inlet tubing of my 2217, i connected a tubing just nice of the surface skimmer tube and then connect my 2217 tubing onto the tubing and added a metal hose tigthener) to my inlet the surface intake seems to be very weak...

i see the intrustion of the surface skimmer it says i need to connect a T connector to my 2217 tubing then connect it to my surface skimmer. must i really do that or is there any other way???

just 1 2 ask if any of u guys tried to connect the eheim surface skimmer to a eheim 2217 filter. how do u do it???

thanks alot....

ahwei

[GaspingGurami]

[quote:63636e711b="ahwei"]just bought a eheim surface skimmer for my 2217. seems that when i connect it directly (as the size of the tube of the surface skimmer is smaller than the inlet tubing of my 2217, i connected a tubing just nice of the surface skimmer tube and then connect my 2217 tubing onto the tubing and added a metal hose tigthener) to my inlet the surface intake seems to be very weak...

i see the intrustion of the surface skimmer it says i need to connect a T connector to my 2217 tubing then connect it to my surface skimmer. must i really do that or is there any other way???

just 1 2 ask if any of u guys tried to connect the eheim surface skimmer to a eheim 2217 filter. how do u do it???

thanks alot....

ahwei[/quote:63636e711b]

Hello ahwei,

I understand that water flow for the inlet must have more capacity than outlet (hence the inlet hose is bigger than outlet's). However, the surface skimmer has smaller pipes which might restrict water inflow compared to the original intake "tongkat". That's why the factory recommends that you use your surface skimmer together with the intake "tongkat".

You splice these two via a "T-Joint". And if I remember it rightly, the T joint fits only the big hose, while the hose from the skimmer is the small type. So you also need to get another connector, it looks like a "big to small" spike adaptor to resize your small hose to a big hose then connect up to the T joint.

Not very elegant, but that's what the factory prescribed.

I use a different model filter from you (222, but I think the same basic principles should still apply, so here goes.

Saw a 3 inch piece off one end of your tongkat intake.
Glue it with some epoxy to the end of the telescoping tube of your skimmer.
Connect inlet hose to this and operate as normal.

I have no problems with insufficient water feed to my filter. I must also say that I have not run my output tap fully opened so there is no great need for more inflow.

Your method sounds alright since there is less pressure in the inlet, compared to the outlet. However, if you want to have a more positive connection (you should always practise safety first when dealing with water and electricity), replace your intermediate "step-up tubing" with the small-to-big adapter. You can then do away with the hose clamps as that adaptor makes a firm connection.

Hope this helps.

[Peter Mok]

I am going to set up my tank and also find out that the t-joint is of only one size, ie have to get a step down adaptor to connect it to the skimmer.

I also plan to connect the water outlet of my Ehaim 2026 to an internal CO2 reactor (the green casing one with a few balls inside which is made in Taiwan). However, find that the water outlet of the reactor is pretty small. Will it slow down the filter water flow speed substantially and will it spoil the filter?

[ahwei]

thanks GaspingGurami for the reply....

justa bought a T joint which is big size for the intake host the 1 side is smaller which is for the skimmer intake hose...

so if i divide the intake of the filter is 2 intake(1 is the original take while the other is the skimmer intake) will it cos a reduce in intake flow of the orginal intake chamber??

will the suface skimmer also take in water from below?? or will it just take in water from the surface??

[GaspingGurami]

[quote:25b9e14889="ahwei"]so if i divide the intake of the filter is 2 intake(1 is the original take while the other is the skimmer intake) will it cos a reduce in intake flow of the orginal intake chamber?? [/quote:25b9e14889]
2 is surely more than one. I don't see why the addition of a skimmer should reduce the intake. BTW where did you get that Big/small T-joint?

[quote:25b9e14889="ahwei"]will the suface skimmer also take in water from below?? or will it just take in water from the surface??[/quote:25b9e14889]
Both surface and below also take in water.

Be careful of the balancing weight at the bottom. Ensure that it slides up and down smoothly, (after some use, clean away dirt and mulm that caught there) and the skimmer will automatically balance the water taken in from surface and from bottom.

[ahwei]

i bought the 2big 1small T joint at petmart. is a black 1. i wanted to buy original eheim T joint that the instruct manual stated with the serial no. but cant find. but the imitation 1 fits la..

cos by logic i think if 2 intake into 1 filter it will reduce the intak of the original intake flow mah, cos it is sharing with the skimmer intak flow. u noe like internet bandwidth sharing.

oh.. so the weight in the chamber of the skimer is to balance the water?? hmmm....

kk.. i think i going to setup the skimmer later ... thanks..