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ok as i found out after buying my tank, i want to go bigger and better.now heres my problem as well as having fish i also have two cats. every day when i check my tank i always notice one or 2 hairs, as well as the ocassional floating debris. like i said earlier i want to go bigger im looking a eigther a 55gall or and 80gal. as of right now i have a 29gal with a whisper 30 hob filter. I know with the bigger tank=bigger/better filter needed. so with the bigger tank im gonna use a canister filter. what i want to do is take my hob and convert it in to a surface skimmer to remove any debris that floats at the top. and body that knows how to do this or has any ideas on how to do this, the help would be aprreciated

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Somebody has already marketed your idea. It can be found here at foster and smith. I know we sell them at my lfs, so maybe yours does as well. I've never used it though, as I just do surface skimming at water changes using the python that doesn't lose suction. That and a good glass lid is all I need, but I know how pesky cats can be.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I have a cat that sleeps on the top of the fish tank practically every day. Never a problem a solid glass top not only stops a few cat problems but also keeps the water cleam from any house hold problems.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

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Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

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Tortie Girl on fish tank light

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haha pretty cat by the way. i have 3/4 hood. it was full hood,but my gf didnt see it and kicked during one of my water changes. but i was able to save the flip open lid, which in combination with the light covers about 3/4 of the tank. but now for the skimmer i was looking for a diy setup using my hob filter when i change to a canister

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An hob pulls water from below the surface and then lets it fall back in. The output is higher than the tank so unless you cut into your tank I don't think you can get it to suck water without some huge modifications and cutting the whole filter apart. The intake has to be lower than the water level or if it picks up air it stops sucking water so you can't just raise the intake either without some huge modifications. Your better off either building a surface skimmer from scratch(plexiglass usually) or buying one instead of modifying something that works in pretty much the opposite way. Overall though I don't see the need. A few cat hairs doesn't harm anything. I've got an open top tank with barely any filtration and it has no problems. Just remove any stuff during a water change.

ya sham i know about the intake sucking and needing to be under water becuase its a reverse siphon. but what i was thinking i a u shape or elbow so the intake is facing up and the water overflows into it, kind like and over flow box, but with out the wet/dry filter... i have a spare intake tube so i was thinking of cuting and using some silicon to glue it together in the fashion needed. plus this will a secondary filter. it is going to be just for surface water. and the a canister for the rest of the tank

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matty... that is a good idea. and if you look at it, it would not be that difficult to make one yourself, just get the right pvc pipe and hoses and pieces to get it to fit right. I may just try to make one of these myself.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Well the problem with any type of "sucking" at the surface is the chance of evaporation putting the water level too low, to where your hob is just pulling in air, and ultimetly burning out your motor. Now if you cut the tube to make grooves/slits like the premade skimmer, you could get surface water and lower water without air. Then pack the hob with something like a prefilter mat or cloth square, so you can just clean and replace it every now and then.
So in summary fit a tube on the end of the hob intake curved upward at the end of the tube (near the water line) cut grooves out around the tube. The water will fall into the tube then get sucked in by the impellar, through your media, traping all the debris.

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I'm the classic newb. I went out and bought the smallest tank and a fish at the same time. Now I'm kicking myself wondering how could I have been so stupid. But I'm hooked.

thanks rican boy... after doing a little thinking and some drawing some mock ups. i think what what im going to do is have the intake tube dip down under the water about 6in. the make a u-shape peice to curve it back up and put a bowl shape end peice to simulate a bath tub drain. i am only going to run this for about an hour or so every day, becuase i will still have a canister running. as for evaporation i think a few slits would be a good idea, the only think i have against it is that i dont want it drawing that much water from there. i want it to take from the surface.

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no, you could still make it so no matter the water level it works. if you did diy, just make the intake where the "fins" are longer. the one shown is about an inch, u make it yourself, u could make it about 3 inches or so.

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

hmmm maybe.. ill see when i actually try it out. now with the vaction that im goin on it maybe a few weeks before i get to build it

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