DIY Skimmer, will it work?

[TheFishGuy]

I used an aquablock cut out for the pipe to go through the block . There is no pump as it's an external but i know my 4,000 submersible would fit. i then buried under rock

I like this idea! aquablocks aren't to expensive, and it would be pretty easy to just cover with a rock.

 

[GBBUDD]

dont buy the small or half blocks you'll need the space for water volume

 

[YShahar]

I am not a fan of that method if the plastic trash can is just in the water water on both sides sure no worries water inside the can sure the can can support that but the can burred i feel it's only a matter of time until the soils collapse it

Hmm...yes, I think you're right. I've got a seriously sturdy piece of plastic sewage pipe that I bought to move river rock down from the neighbor's yard. A bit of that might work, though I'm thinking it would be too narrow for anything but a smallish pump.

What I really need is a friendly junkyard where I could go scavenging! ;-)

 

[GBBUDD]

iN YOUR TRAVELS LOK FOR OLD EQUIPMENT , dump trucks excavators a land clearing or builder. the grimyer the better there you can often find a 4 foot pieces of culvert pipe you don't need a 24" . your not going to be that deep either you could make the containment out of an aquablock or two if you doubled up the walls and zip tied them together you can remove the center baffles and install your pump and surround it with rock that should be a heck of a lot stronger than a rubber made brute trash can.

 

[YShahar]

iN YOUR TRAVELS LOK FOR OLD EQUIPMENT , dump trucks excavators a land clearing or builder. the grimyer the better there you can often find a 4 foot pieces of culvert pipe you don't need a 24" . your not going to be that deep either you could make the containment out of an aquablock or two if you doubled up the walls and zip tied them together you can remove the center baffles and install your pump and surround it with rock that should be a heck of a lot stronger than a rubber made brute trash can.

Trouble is, I can't get Aquablocks here (well, theoretically I could, but they'd end up being over $100 each). So I'll either use milk crates, or some other food storage box. From what I understand, the whole idea of the pump vault is to aid in cleanout, no?

 

[GBBUDD]

Thats one part , but mainly just a space for a volume of water to have the pump[ pull from if the area gets clogged the pump could start pulling in air it the vault is too smal

 

[YShahar]

Thats one part , but mainly just a space for a volume of water to have the pump[ pull from if the area gets clogged the pump could start pulling in air it the vault is too smal

So theoretically, one could simply dig a long shallow trench along the bottom of the intake bay, lay the Aquablox (or food crates or whatever) over it, and use that trench as a sort of poor man's "centipede". Stick the pump in a milk crate at one end abutting the trench, and all done. Or am I missing something?

I like the look of the vault that @TheFishGuy found on Ebay, but again, a bit pricey!

 

[GBBUDD]

i saw a pic @combatwombat POSTED thats a aquascape 500 dollar at least design

 

[GBBUDD]

So theoretically, one could simply dig a long shallow trench along the bottom of the intake bay, lay the Aquablox (or food crates or whatever) over it, and use that trench as a sort of poor man's "centipede". Stick the pump in a milk crate at one end abutting the trench, and all done. Or am I missing something?

I like the look of the vault that @TheFishGuy found on Ebay, but again, a bit pricey!

the only problem there is no way to remove the pump or clean it out . neither are a must but @lisa will tell you she'd recommend it. my catch pool outside the negative edge collects a lot of gunk leaves etc . but i onlY have A PIPE NOT A PUMP

 

[YShahar]

the only problem there is no way to remove the pump or clean it out . neither are a must but @lisa will tell you she'd recommend it. my catch pool outside the negative edge collects a lot of gunk leaves etc . but i onlY have A PIPE NOT A PUMP

Well, if you keep the milk crate that's serving as a pump vault covered with a flat rock, it should be easy enough to lift out the pump for cleaning. To clean the sediment out of the trench, just drop in a sump pump and dump the stuff into the garden.

 

[combatwombat]

So theoretically, one could simply dig a long shallow trench along the bottom of the intake bay, lay the Aquablox (or food crates or whatever) over it, and use that trench as a sort of poor man's "centipede". Stick the pump in a milk crate at one end abutting the trench, and all done. Or am I missing something?

I like the look of the vault that @TheFishGuy found on Ebay, but again, a bit pricey!

That's pretty close to what Kev from OzPonds on Youtube did for his intake bay and it seems to be working really well. He used pieces of leach field drainage pipe for a septic system. That's what Aquascape designed their centipede from. It's basically the same thing with a few modifications.

 

[Miami Al]

I bought a Pool Skimmer for an above ground pool for like $35 or $40. I then bought a 7 Gallon Bucket (a little bigger than the 5 Gallon you get in the store) with a watertight light. Just plumb the bottom of the skimmer into the side of the bucket, connect with a uniseal or bulkhead, and now the water runs in gravity fed from the skimmer. You then put the pump in the bucket similar to the pond ones. I like it.

 

[TheFishGuy]

I bought a Pool Skimmer for an above ground pool for like $35 or $40. I then bought a 7 Gallon Bucket (a little bigger than the 5 Gallon you get in the store) with a watertight light. Just plumb the bottom of the skimmer into the side of the bucket, connect with a uniseal or bulkhead, and now the water runs in gravity fed from the skimmer. You then put the pump in the bucket similar to the pond ones. I like it.

Cool! Do you have any pictures?

 

[Miami Al]

Cool! Do you have any pictures?

Sadly, I didn't do a good job with documenting. I also did a bottom drain, and did 3" instead of 2" (which was a HUGE mistake, so much harder to work with).

Here is the style skimmer:

Amazon.com

the Chinese knockoffs rename themselves every month.

Here is the bucket: - the 5 gallon ones at Lowes/Home Depot will work fine too.

Amazon.com

Here is the lid:

Amazon.com

Here is the Uniseal: https://www.amazon.com/UNISEAL-Flexible-Tank-Adapter-bulkhead/dp/B00A8HWLYS/ref=sr_1_4

A cheap hole saw set from Harbor freight and I made this all work.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Sadly, I didn't do a good job with documenting. I also did a bottom drain, and did 3" instead of 2" (which was a HUGE mistake, so much harder to work with).

Here is the style skimmer:

Amazon.com

the Chinese knockoffs rename themselves every month.

Here is the bucket: - the 5 gallon ones at Lowes/Home Depot will work fine too.

Amazon.com

Here is the lid:

Amazon.com

Here is the Uniseal: https://www.amazon.com/UNISEAL-Flexible-Tank-Adapter-bulkhead/dp/B00A8HWLYS/ref=sr_1_4

A cheap hole saw set from Harbor freight and I made this all work.

Makes sense, thanks for the idea!