Skilter mod

[hamdogg08]

Is there any way to make a skilter skimmer not, for lack of a better term...suck?

[David Grigor]

Many years ago, I had a couple of them for quarantine type tanks. Replacing the venturi with an airpump driven airstone is an improvement and reduces the awful noise from the venturi.

For the most part though, it will still suck and needs to be replaced with something better.

[hamdogg08]

Would I just put the air stone into the the round tower in the center of the filter?

[David Grigor]

Yep and plug up the venturi line so it no longer draws any air.

[hamdogg08]

I just finished it up about 30 seconds ago.
1)I plugged the venturi line and drilled a hole in the lid directly above the neck of the skimmer tower. Then I put an air stone on the end of some hard airline and trimmed it so the stone was just off the bottom of the filter. I'm going to get a new (I think it's called limewood) stone tomorrow.

2) I took the filter pads out and replaced them with a piece of foam that I never use from a canister filter. This will hopefully help out with the bubbles that the filter lets into the tank.

3) Tomorrow I'll look for a film canister or similar shaped piece to put at the bottom of the tower to help control bubbles from getting out of the bottom and into the main holding area of the filter.

It's already waaaay more quiet than before and there are a few less bubbles being let back into the tank. We'll see how the film canister works out tomorro.