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yes , in fact quite a common problem , fish get trap inside too
Hi guys, I just want to share my experience with everyone here and maybe get some suggestion on what I can do now to solve this problem.
I have a planted tank, well planted, and created surface scums so much that I have to manually remove them everyday. So one fine day, I decided to get myself a surface skimmer. I was contemplating between OF one or the Ehiem one. Looking at that sleek design of the Ehiem skimmer bigger opening and its adjustable function, I go for the latter.
The skimmer function impressively well the moment I installed it in my fish tank. within minutes, all surface scums are gone. BUT...
Today, the second day that I have the skimmer on. I came home and stare at my fish tank (the routine that I have everyday), to my surprise I hardly see any of my 15 over shrimps in my tank. I was so panic, I searched everywhere, in the tank, outside of the tank, in between plants, surely not my fishes. I don't have many fish, and my fishes are too small, so I never think they are eaten by my fish.
The my astonishment, I looked into the opening of the surface skimmer and found most of them in it. I released them and now they are happy once again.
Thinking back on the decision that I was making between OF and Ehiem, OF skimmer actually come with a smaller, grill like opening. Now I understand the purpose of it!
hmm... I am still very new to this hobby. Maybe I should have done more research before getting the skimmer. Anyway, what done is done. Now I'm finding solution to solve the problem. I thought I am happy to solve my scums problem. Here comes another again!
Yeah, one of the advantages of the Ocean Free surface skimmer over the Eheim one are the grill guards on its skimmer head... but although it can help to prevent fully grown shrimps from crawling inside, the smaller sized shrimplets can still find their way in, so still need to check periodically to retrieve them out.
Btw, shrimps will deliberately crawl into the surface skimmer because of all the yummy stuff collected there, so its quite a challenge to keep them out in the first place.
Solution found! Improvised skimmer head with SS mesh. Picture speak a thousand words.
surfaceskimmer.jpg
Actually it is fully covered, all four of them. I rolled the SS mesh into a cylinder and pulled up some SS threads to lighten the skimmer head. Else it will be too heavy and the whole thing just sink. So far it is doing really well.
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I got the same problem too.
Thanks for sharing for solution.
Was using sponge and stuff it inside.
It depends on the hole size of the steel mesh you are using... newborn shrimplets are super tiny, usually have to strain your eyes to see them, so unless you are using very fine steel mesh (like as fine as shrimp nets), there is a good chance those tiny day-old shrimplets may still get sucked into the skimmer.Originally Posted by markus92
I have tried different sizes of mesh, from those fine filter bags to the SS wire mesh that we use to tie our plants onto. As the hole become smaller, the suction strength will reduce too, as in water is harder to go through. In the end with finer mesh, my skimmer is only sucking air into it.
Thats why I derived that SS mesh works the best, IF, you don't have shrimplets.
But recently my shrimps have berries. So I have to wrap my skimmer with a finer filter bag. I because it is finer, all the dirt accumulate faster around the mesh. So I have to clean it up every night when I reach home from work.
Sorry forgot to ask. How bad does it clog up every night? Can it last a week before being needed to clear?
I guess it won't be very bad for normal tank. As I just did some trimming to my plants yesterday, and some serious algae outbreak, that's why it was clogged up real bad. Let me try it for a week before getting back to your questions.
Here is mine, mosquito net made into a cone and fitted around the skimmer. True, the flow rate suffers a little but at least after doing this, never had any shrimp/fish inside. Before this, largest ever was a adult otocinculs dead inside.
After one week of testing, I think the finer one clogged up really bad. I have to wash it every night because of the leaves that is stuck there. If you see the photo that I posted here, my leaves are quite big.
Yours look pretty cool! and By the way, where did you get that attachment on the outlet?Here is mine, mosquito net made into a cone and fitted around the skimmer. True, the flow rate suffers a little but at least after doing this, never had any shrimp/fish inside. Before this, largest ever was a adult otocinculs dead inside.
From Y618, they placed a whole rack of pipes/suckers just outside the shop, opposite the casher. Quite a few types, this is the best, can swivel to direct flow.
Wow, this is very cool, I didn't see the last time I went Y618, maybe I will go again sometime this week.
Henlek thanks for sharing! Will drop by to get one aswell
I have a similar solution to Henlek... using the mosquito net. But I wrap the net (cylinder shape) inside the removable strainer. I then used fishing line to hold the diameter of the net to the strainer.
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