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Re: Surface scum
> Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 11:56:18 -0700
> From: "Frank I. Reiter" <FIR at istar_ca>
>
> Thank you to the two people who suggested surface skimming. As I
> understand it, the idea is simply to have the intake of a filter very
> near to the surface of the water.
Not quite. You need to have it arranged so that the surface scum
actually goes into the intake. Try to find a picture of a wet/dry
overflow box with comb-like slots. The bottom of the slots are below
the surface so that the scum actually gets pulled into the prefilter.
__ __ __
| | | |
~~~~~| |~~| |~~~
|_| |_|
The Eheim "Surface extractor" does the same thing albeit a bit
differently. There is a pivoted arm with an open end that sits at just
the right height on the surface so that just surface water can flow
in, carrying the scum with it:
___
/
~~~~~~/ ___~~~~~~~
/ /
/ /
> This surface scum problem sounds like one that might be cured by a
> protein skimmer, but my understanding is that a protein skimmer would
> drive out the CO2 I have so carefully added to my water. Am I correct
> about that?
There is not enough surface tension in freshwater to allow a protein
skimmer to form the fine bubbles needed to remove proteins.
George Booth (booth at frii_com)
Need Info? http://www.frii.com/~booth/AquaticConcepts.htm
* CO2 info updated 8/23/97