i can't participate

[qxcontinuum]

Sorry I cannot participate to this madness Protein Skimmer related.
It is just a piece of PVC plastic. It cannot and should not be 3-400$
This is just awful. I am looking at them and If i'll have the materials and required tools I can make them better. In fact all are so bad that they need modes and all sort of adjustments.
That is just awful! I cannot believe people are paying such high prices for a 15$ material price (this it should be the real price of them)
I am coming from a great European country where such of ridiculous pumped prices are not allowed. In fact there everyone should have and apply only a fix percentage on every item existent in the store, not randomly like here.

Sorry but I am disturbed of what I’ve seen tonight! Plastic PVC with 700-800$ Mother of God, this was the most annoying experience in my life! The mother of all scams is happening with these Protein Skimmers n L
I’ve chosen not to have a protein skimmer or to build one my own. I only need the measurements and a real professional draw of an engineer like me, not some amateur that cannot do a 3d one as I’ve seen on the internet!
If someone has something like that will be great. I prefer to build an external one or hang on back efficient

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

you gotta factor in a lot of stuff that your missing!
like labor, um what else lets see overhead? say rent, bills etc to keep the business running? and whats the point of running a business if your not gonna make any money doing it? yeah some skimmers are over priced. so find a better priced one..
and i think swc skimmers are coming from canada that are in the hundreds of dollars also..

 

[SeaBee]

remora C, under 200 us, and if you build one I'd like to see it. All you really need to do is create a foam from a water "injector" and collect the dry foam as best you can. But watertight....that's where the pro's come in with all the expensive machines and labor.

 

[SeaBee]

you gotta factor in a lot of stuff that your missing!
like labor, um what else lets see overhead? say rent, bills etc to keep the business running? and whats the point of running a business if your not gonna make any money doing it? yeah some skimmers are over priced. so find a better priced one..
and i think swc skimmers are coming from canada that are in the hundreds of dollars also..

I got into an argument with a customer over the price of a boiler and labor. He told me he was a contractor and could get the boiler for less and how dare I mark it up. we're talking $400 here. So I told him to get it, and remove the old one and set the new one and I would hook it up, then he started on the labor price. I said, you're a contractor, do you work for free or no profit here in you giant house, pool, etc? He didnt like that, then I said, maybe I should change the name of my company to "Not For Profit heating and cooling", that set him off. well, he's called 3 times about me coming and installing the boiler since then a few months ago. I guess he got some prices from "real" contractors.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Believe me, if building a skimmer were as easy as you say, everyone would be building their own. Like knuckle said, you are not factoring in labor, over head(such as rent insurance, utilities, and machinery).

I have tried building a skimmer out of 4" pvc. It works OK. I spent a total of around 25 US dollars on parts. It works better than a sea clone that I used to have and that cost me over 100 US dollars. Mine does not pull out as much :pooh: as a higher end skimmer.

I agree that many are over priced (sea clone for one) and I am not sure if the 800 dollar skimmers that you talk about are worth the extra money. Maybe they are rated for huge tanks and have larger more expensive pumps on them. But there are plenty of good skimmers out there that are in the 200 US dollar price range. Pump included which on its own is usually 50.

But, if you can figure out how to make a good skimmer for $15, let us know.

Brian

 

[qxcontinuum]

Ok, here is something else from my observations; i've been using a red slime remover medicine last week to get rid of Cyano which are now gone; as they advised on their package the tank should be oxygenated, which i did adding an air stone and air pump. I was at work 10 hours and then coming back home i have had the surprize to see my tank about clear as the water in a glass. In fact was abnormal clean and i have done some photos. But entire surface of the water was full of foam and brown alage on top. I'[ve colected the algae and as much foam as i could. I basicaly created a skimmer in my tank.
Now i was thinking just placing a piece of a tube with a removable T end coming out of water and an air stone underneath which will create a nice skimmer i guess.

 

[scu95821]

I bought a damaged protein on eBay that I think I can fix for $20.(I hope)

There’s a lot of stuff in this hobby that costs more than it should. I looked a 20 gal tank for 20 bucks but add $10 of acrylic and its a $100 sump.

 

[SeaBee]

I think you could take a small 1 gallon container, insert a water jet through a fitting in a swirling motion and create a thousand bubbles, have the foam rise up into a bottle neck and overflow into a cup, thats the basic concept, then have the water return through baffles to remove bubbles back to a sump. Just study what is out there, I bet you can build one.

 

[SeaBee]

I bought a damaged protein on eBay that I think I can fix for $20.(I hope)

There’s a lot of stuff in this hobby that costs more than it should. I looked a 20 gal tank for 20 bucks but add $10 of acrylic and its a $100 sump.

Lfs buy me sells sumps for over $300, with nothng, overflow box starts at 65, it's sick. YOu still need the pump for you know 100 and the skimmer. I had a heart attack. I had one built to the exact size I wanted for 50 bucks. These guys think this is a luxury or something, pfft, its a habit.

 

[dcantucson]

I agree that Skimmers are over priced. Until the cheap Chinese models come to the U.S. then we are all are trapped. Once they do we'll see a dramatic drop in price.

 

[scu95821]

Lfs buy me sells sumps for over $300, with nothng, overflow box starts at 65, it's sick. YOu still need the pump for you know 100 and the skimmer. I had a heart attack. I had one built to the exact size I wanted for 50 bucks. These guys think this is a luxury or something, pfft, its a habit.

Dont get started on overflow boxes.

 

[dcantucson]

How about those powerheads!

 

[scu95821]

At least they do something. Overflow boxes use gravity!

 

[dcantucson]

Yeah that's true, but still everything in this hobby is so expensive. It's like having your balls tied up in a noose!

 

[SeaBee]

dave, I think I figured out where you keep your tank...in a bomb shelter! Very smart.

 

[scu95821]

Yeah that's true, but still everything in this hobby is so expensive. It's like having your balls tied up in a noose!

I can't imagine anyhting is like having your balls in a noose.

 

[SeaBee]

I had a vascectomy done...pretty close!!!

 

[dcantucson]

Thanks for the support, SeaBee! :lol:

 

[dcantucson]

Looks like we did a fine job of mucking up this thread. Sorry, qxcon.

 

[qxcontinuum]

that's ok, fun is always good . I am a winner! I almost have negociate today a lesser price for a Berlin skimmer. From 349$ they were willing to let it go for 339$.
I've tell them to shove it where it belongs! (not in a fish tank) ....