TheClark Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 I am thinking V2 will be made by someone more mechanically inclined, perhaps in CAD, perhaps 3d printed. Who could do such a thing I wonder? Someone local, someone I know... heheheh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 Anyone build the 1 dollar version? The diy is doing good here is a current shot I ended up using 3 squeegees. The work horse is the one inside the neck. It keeps the skimmer efficient. The other two are on the outside of the neck and the collection cup. They keep the view into the cup clear more or less but are not perfect. You can clearly see the line though! (Squeegee too small ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I made one. It does raise some questions though. Why is the clean neck better? If I don't clean the neck I can accumulate a 1/4 inch thick sludge in a week or so. It seems to keep pulling stuff even with a filthy neck. Yea, maybe it ends up accumulating in the neck, but it's still out of the water. Why is it better to scrap it into the chamber? Only so I don't have to clean it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Copied from RO on neck cleaners: motorized (ANC) Automated Neck Cleaner helps keeps your octopus protein skimmer running at peak performance by periodically wiping the inside of the neck where all the bio-organics usually would accumulate. This great skimmer accessory not only keeps you skimmer running at peak efficiency but save the timely chore of keeping your skimmers neck clean. As you know, build up in the neck causes foam to stick to the sides and restricting the collection of skimmate within the skimmers cup. Keeping the neck wall clean results in consistent skimmer performance and little to no down time. This device uses twin squeegees to automatically remove the buildup from a skimmer neck. The (ANC) Lid consists of a high torque low RPM motor, wiper mount, lid with mounting clamps and the squeegees. To operate this easy to you device, you simply plug the unit into a timer (not included) or aquarium controller and set it to run for a few minutes 4 to 6 times per day. By running it this way you will never experience crud build up along the walls of you skimmers neck. This will eliminate the daily chore of cleaning for two or more weeks while maintaining the level of skimmate production that you would normally get with only a freshly-washed collection cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombertech Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I need to build one for the twin pump recirculating 800xr! That thing has a 1/8 of sludge after a few days and it takes a good 30 mins to service :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 I made one. It does raise some questions though. Why is the clean neck better? If I don't clean the neck I can accumulate a 1/4 inch thick sludge in a week or so. It seems to keep pulling stuff even with a filthy neck. Yea' date=' maybe it ends up accumulating in the neck, but it's still out of the water. Why is it better to scrap it into the chamber? Only so I don't have to clean it?[img']http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/22/17133fdd080bd6ff6e9e6f6968cf43af.jpg[/img] Nice! Seeing all your DIY skills in this forum, figured you would have one in no time Ya, I had the same reservations about the neck cleaner. SPS gurus such as reefnjunkie feel they make a big difference. That was enough of a reason for me to give it a shot... When the neck gets scraped 3x daily not much builds up in between cleanings. That little bit appears to immediately skim back out as it is returned to the reaction chamber. So I don't believe it is putting any skimmate back into the tank for more than a few minutes. Just my uneducated take on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombertech Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 I foresee a midnight build-a-thon in my near future! Until then, my 9y/o owes me $45 in chores for sneaking second lunches at school so he is my every 3 days skimmer cleaner (naughty) How is the sludge build-up on the wiper blade? With wiper timing/intervals it seems like you are aiming for a balance between sludge build-up and foam disruption from making contact with the blade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted October 22, 2014 Author Share Posted October 22, 2014 I foresee a midnight build-a-thon in my near future! Until then, my 9y/o owes me $45 in chores for sneaking second lunches at school so he is my every 3 days skimmer cleaner (naughty) How is the sludge build-up on the wiper blade? With wiper timing/intervals it seems like you are aiming for a balance between sludge build-up and foam disruption from making contact with the blade. Nice, I love child-reef-labor and proudly take advantage every day There is an incredible amount of sludge on the middle blade at the top just above the neck. Hopefully that is not affecting skimming. Well not according to reef builders anyways, check this out.. Do protein skimmer neck cleaners really work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombertech Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Good article! I love reefbuilders, read it when I drink my caffeine in the morning. Less depressing than CNN... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Well here it is, the pre-alpha v0.1 neck cleaner! The wet neck isn't quite square, but it should do the job. Motor is 12v. Mounted on standoffs made of 3/8"s pex. Reused wetneck to mount squeegees. Cut squeegees with miter saw to make them fit inside the neck. Back to the cleanup 4 months later, I am a believer. I have not cleaned the skimmer neck once in 4 months! There are three surfaces in play here. 1- The inside of the neck - highest priority, affects skimmer performance 2- The outside of the neck - nice to have clean so you can see 3- The inside of the cup - nice to have clean so you can see in Surface 1 is spotless, and the skimmer is skimming like crazy still. Most skimmer neck cleaners only clean surface 1. Tried to take a pic, but it is too dark right now, will try later today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Pics after 4 months of no cleaning, I sure don't miss it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Curious if anyone has updates? Mine is retired while the big skimmer is retired, but it will live again! I really liked 4 months of no skimmer maintenance, but I have heard some gurus like reefnjunkie retired their neck cleaner as it made the skimmer too darn efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I'm still rocking my Avast Swabbie, going over a year now. I've said it before but again, I really only clean it when the inside of the collector gets so spattered with goop that I can't see the foam head. Every time I've done it the inside of the neck has been pretty much spotless. As for over efficient, I think I'm doing fine. I don't skim very wet so it keeps thing where they should be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.