# Eheim Surface Skimmer



## tubamanandy (6 May 2015)

Anyone using one ?

Is it any good or worth the money and what does it actually do in practise ?


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## pepedopolous (6 May 2015)

You see many of these used in aquariums, even (especially) by pros. Only relatively cheap tool to guarantee a clean, film-free surface.

P


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## Crossocheilus (6 May 2015)

I use one, it is extremely efficient at cleaning the surface however you should be aware that fish and shrimp can get sucked in. I use a plastic mesh inserted in the top to prevent this, but I find this lowers the skimmer top, making it less effective at surface skimming. It also degasses quite a lot of CO2 so I run mine on a timer when the CO2/lights are off.

How it works:
The skimmer top floats on a trapped bubble of air so that the water is only sucked in from the surface, there is a small sponge in the body and then the pump itself to power it. That's it.

On balance it is a very useful tool and I thoroughly recommend it, even if you just chuck it in to clear the surface as and when it is required.


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## parotet (7 May 2015)

Just to add some more information: there are mainly 2 kinds, the ones that have their own pump (Eheim and ADA Vuppa) and the ones that are attached to the inlet pipe of the filter. 

Regarding the pumped ones... well, adding another pump is always interesting to improve flow but the problem is that these ones are too much large and visible in medium-small tank. The main difference between the Eheim and ADA Vuppa is obviously the price (25€ vs 140€) and that the Eheim one works as explained, with a bubble under the skimming part thus it can adapt to the water leve. The ADA one it is regulated by hand and does not automatically adapt to the water level.

Jordi


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## ajm83 (7 May 2015)

pepedopolous said:


> You see many of these used in aquariums, even (especially) by pros. Only relatively cheap tool to guarantee a clean, film-free surface.
> 
> P



I just use an airstone for a couple of hours over night. Totally removes the oil film I had. Not sure of the mechanism but it works for me.


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## ian_m (7 May 2015)

Or you could just make sure your plants and tank are healthy and no film forms. The organic film on the surface is a sign something is wrong.


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## JamieB (7 May 2015)

ian_m said:


> Or you could just make sure your plants and tank are healthy and no film forms. The organic film on the surface is a sign something is wrong.


What sort of things would you be looking at to resolve this then? Genuine interest as I have this issue.


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## parotet (7 May 2015)

Completely agree... there are plenty of options: not needing it, airstone during non-co2 period, surface rippling, night aireation by raising the lily pipe, passive skimmer, pumped skimmer and Vuppa (just nice, but not the most efficient model IMO and 7x-20x more expensive than previous solutions)

Jordi


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## parotet (7 May 2015)

JamieB said:


> What sort of things would you be looking at to resolve this then? Genuine interest as I have this issue.


Well... no plant/cell death is a first step. Here's a good read: http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/neuston

Jordi


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## Iain Sutherland (7 May 2015)

they are great but do eat small fish and shrimp, easily resolved with a little wire mesh wrapped around the top (the sort moss comes on) and zip tied.

Avoiding scum isnt always possible, some foods are high in natural oils, but more often which is my case, two tanks are close to the kitchen.  Fried foods = oily surface.
However in a lot of cases it is a sign of poor plant health, which normally exacerbates the situation as it means the tank has varying gas exchange which can cause other algae, especially BBA from fluctuating co2 levels.

Generally i find running an eheim skim means less other issues follow.  Of course an even better option is more frequent water changing but really, who has the time to water change every few days!


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## pepedopolous (7 May 2015)

ian_m said:


> Or you could just make sure your plants and tank are healthy and no film forms. The organic film on the surface is a sign something is wrong.


If only it were that easy!

I agree only to some extent about this. Yes, surface film could be a symptom of some problem. However, I keep on seeing Eheim skimmers used on the tanks of people such as Viktor from Green Aqua, and many other amazing tanks which don't appear to have any unhealthy plants.

P


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## parotet (7 May 2015)

pepedopolous said:


> However, I keep on seeing Eheim skimmers used on the tanks of people such as Viktor from Green Aqua, and many other amazing tanks which don't appear to have any unhealthy plants.


Well, I guess everything helps, especially when you run 20 display tanks. However I had a few times oil at the surface without visible problems (or consequences)... not sure why. 

Jordi


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## pepedopolous (7 May 2015)

The thing is... saying that it is as easy as making sure your plants are healthy is kinda like saying RTFM. However, there isn't really a manual!

P


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