# Occasional Skimming?



## Aqua sobriquet (5 Mar 2020)

Since the number of cherries has risen in my tank due to them breeding it seems the amount of oily film on the surface of the tank has increased. I’m now thinking of getting something like the Eheim Skim 350. I don’t ideally want it in there permanently though. Have any of you used a skimmer on an occasional basis, say just using it once a week for an hour or so? I can’t help wondering if there’s a gap in the market for a hand held skimmer that can be used as required. Something like the gravel cleaners that are available but designed for skimming the surface instead.


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## Sammy Islam (5 Mar 2020)

I used to use an all pond solution skim 1 with a timer that would come on every hour for 5mins to clear the surface. Works really well and is much easier to service/maintain and costs a 1/3 of the price compared to the eheim.


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## Millns84 (5 Mar 2020)

I've got two of the Ocean Free skimmers on my Rio 450.

I tend to run them constantly but do get a bit fed up with all the bits of plants, leaves etc clogging the tiny sponges which need to be cleaned every 2-3 days. 

Considering a skimmer inlet for my canisters, which seems like the sensible option.


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## lazybones51 (5 Mar 2020)

Millns84 said:


> I've got two of the Ocean Free skimmers on my Rio 450.
> 
> I tend to run them constantly but do get a bit fed up with all the bits of plants, leaves etc clogging the tiny sponges which need to be cleaned every 2-3 days.
> 
> Considering a skimmer inlet for my canisters, which seems like the sensible option.


But then all of the bits of plants, leaves etc end up in your canister filter, which is more effort to maintain. I put a little piece of coarse filter sponge in the skimmer inlet to trap any plant debris.


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## Millns84 (5 Mar 2020)

lazybones51 said:


> But then all of the bits of plants, leaves etc end up in your canister filter, which is more effort to maintain. I put a little piece of coarse filter sponge in the skimmer inlet to trap any plant debris.



They'll end up in my canisters prefilter, which gets cleaned monthly. I doubt it'd be enough to clog the prefilter like the skimmers.


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## Jayefc1 (5 Mar 2020)

I have a 350 that I just pop in the 800 tank for 15 mins a day to clear the surface then take back out it's no hassle at all


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## Wookii (6 Mar 2020)

Sammy Islam said:


> I used to use an all pond solution skim 1 with a timer that would come on every hour for 5mins to clear the surface. Works really well and is much easier to service/maintain and costs a 1/3 of the price compared to the eheim.



A second vote here for the APS Skimmer so so much better than the Eheim 350 - I go into some detail in my journal here (post 11) if it is of any interest.


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## Aqua sobriquet (6 Mar 2020)

Jayefc1 said:


> I have a 350 that I just pop in the 800 tank for 15 mins a day to clear the surface then take back out it's no hassle at all



This is what I was thinking of doing. Eheim 350 ordered, arrives today.


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## LoraMoser (16 Mar 2020)

unless your also filtering (biologically ) then that doesn't matter a skimmer is primarily to skim away floating debris before it rots/sinks and pollutes the pond so it needs to be in the best position to accept floating debris and this will depend on pump / pond skimmer /water inlets and currents in pond as to where debris tends to gravitate to .


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