# Skimmer in combination with floating plants



## Timon Vogelaar (13 Sep 2016)

Hi all,
As the title suggests i have some issues with floating plants in combination with this skimmer;



 
This skimmer is one of the best things i bought. Your surface is crystal clear, light penetration and gas exchange is optimal. But in startup of my Iwagumi i learned it is recommended to have some surface plants to dim the light a little bit and let them take the oversupply of ferts all to help preventing algae. Since i did i already see a decrease in algae growth.

My actual problem is that the skimmer is not working properly when the surface plant float against the skimmer and stay there because of the suction. I am now using duckweed but this week i get limnobium laevigatum wich is bigger? Maybe it wil be better with that plant?

Are you having the same problem?
What can i do to improve?


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## zozo (13 Sep 2016)

Cut a ring from a piece of coarse filter sponge, that way you encrease the diameter and prevent the slids from being bloked directly by the duckweed etc.

The waterflow will not be restricted like this.. Even beter make 2  if one is dirty switch it out and clean the other.. That's about the cheapest solution, not the most aesthetic.. 




An other one might be all depends if it fit's or not, that's a search and measure adventure. I was lucky because my skimmer top is 25 mm in diameter. Now sunsun makes a very cheap $6  filter inlet/outlet set. You see that hood / cap / cover at the inlets end, this is also 25mm and fits snugly over the skimmer top and it has a lot of tiny slids taking a lot more and smaller stuf to block. But i do not have duckweed anymore, becaue it always ended up in my sump to much. Salvinia natans and hygroryza aristata is big enough not to block it. But it might do..

I believe that skimmer model you show has a acrylic piece of pipe to slide in to set it's height, so you maybe could find a acrylic piece of pipe same diameter and see if you can fit on a excisting filter inlet cover for example those universal made from stainles steel mesh.


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