How to Modify a Prizm Protein Skimmer

Protein skimmers are invaluable pieces of marine fish-keeping equipment. Although you can use various filtering techniques, a skimmer remains the only filter that will remove waste material from the system as it functions. Other filters retain the organic waste until they are cleaned, which is a like sweeping dust under a carpet to simply remove it from sight. One of the many skimmer models available is the Prizm. With several slight modifications, the skimmer can be adjusted to perform far better than it was designed.

Things You'll Need

  • Prizm skimmer
  • 3 inches of silicone air tubing, 0.72-inches diameter
  • 1.5-inch to 1.25-inch reducer
  • Small nylon bag of activated carbon
  • Handful of dense filter floss
  • Air pump
  • 2 feet of 0.72-inch plastic air tubing
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Instructions

    • 1

      Loosen the nylon screws that secure the skimmer's body to the aquarium. Raise the skimmer as high as possible. Ensure that you can secure the skimmer in its elevated position. If the aquarium is standing on base, wide enough to place a box next to the tank, you can dispense with the nylon screws and position the skimmer on a small box to raise it higher than you would normally be able to do.

    • 2

      Remove the 0.72-inch plastic air tubing. Replace with the slightly larger diameter silicone tubing.

    • 3

      Remove the skimmer cup. Place a 1.5-inch to 1.25-inch reducer onto the skimmer's body. Replace the cup by positioning it on the reducer tube.

    • 4

      Adjust the water inlet valve to allow as little water as possible into the skimmer's pump.

    • 5

      Place a small nylon bag of activated carbon into the last chamber to trap and reduce the amount of fine bubbles that escape into the aquarium.

    • 6

      Fill the first chamber of the skimmer's body with water to reduce the noise level.

    • 7

      Fill the overflow chamber with dense filter wool to reduce the number of bubbles that escape into the aquarium.

    • 8

      Adjust the water level valve until the foam is barely touching the o-ring on the neck with leads into the collection cup, which will prevent the foam from rising too quickly.

    • 9

      Remove the collection cup and wet the o-ring so as to create a correct seal and prevent air from being sucked in at this point.

    • 10

      Position an air pump on a wall ledge above the aquarium. Attach one end of the 0.72-inch air tubing to the pump nipple. Attach the other end to the skimmer's air intake to maximize the amount of bubbles being produced.