DIY: Protein Skimmer

A protein skimmer is an aquarium accessory used to clean the organic material out of the aquarium's water. It functions by running air bubbles through the aquarium's water that catch the organic material and collect it as foam in a removable cup. Protein skimmers are very easy to build on your own.

  1. Protein Skimmers

    • A protein skimmer is a long tube with water entering at the top and leaving at the bottom, with an airstone--a type of rock riddled with holes that breaks the air-flow into bubbles--in between. A detachable collection cup sits atop the skimmer to pick up the foam. Two pumps feed in the water and the air.

    Before You Begin

    • Build your skimmer out of ID tube, PVC pipe, acrylic plates or tubing and a PVC elbow. Use an aquarium airstone to generate the bubbles, a pump to bring the water into the skimmer and another pump to pump in the air to make the bubbles.

      You will need the following materials:

      30-by-2 3/4-inch ID tube
      3-by-2 3/4-inch ID tube
      3-by-1 1/4-inch ID tube
      3-by-1 1/2-inch ID tube
      1-by-1 1/2-inch ID tube.
      4-by-4-inch plates of acrylic, 3
      6-by-6-inch plate of acrylic
      11/2-by-1/2 inch PVC pipe, 2

      You will also need hoses to feed in the water and air, an airstone, a drill and saw, sandpaper, acrylic glue and PVC cement.

    The Process

    • When you cut the pieces of acrylic, sand down all the edges.

      Build the collector cup first, and then the body, then connect the two parts together. The body will be built our of the largest piece of ID tube and the 6-by-6 inch piece of acrylic plate. The collector cup will be built of the two smaller pieces of acrylic plate and the 3-by-2 3/4 inch ID tube, with a tube connecting the two parts constructed from the 1-by-1 1/2 inch tube inserted inside the 3-by-1 1/4 inch tube. Make sure to let all the pieces dry before they are put together.

      Use acrylic glue on the acrylic pieces and ID tube, and PVC cement on the PVC pipe.

      Remember to place the hole for the water to enter near the top of the skimmer's body, and the hole for the air to enter near the bottom.

    Installing the Skimmer

    • The skimmer will need to be installed near the aquarium it is cleaning. Make sure the hoses you have will be long enough to stretch from the aquarium to the skimmer. Make sure the water pump will be strong enough to get the water to the skimmer through the hose.