Water is pumped in from the aquarium via a water pump placed either in the sump filter or the aquarium and directed into the skimmers’ intake. Air is pumped into the skimmer via an air pump and an air tube. The hose is run down inside the skimmer from the top, at the bottom of the tube there is a lime wood air stone. When water rushes in from the top of the reaction chamber, it collides with the air bubbles rising up from the bottom. The DOC’s attach themselves to the air bubbles and are carried up to the top of the skimmer. The bubbles with the DOC’s attached then spill over the top and into the collection cup. Enjoy!

This is a plastic outlet box I picked up at Lowes for 3 bucks.

I drilled a hole to fit the bottom of the bulb through.

Here’s the light bulb inserted through the hole.

A small piece of a reflector from the scrap heap of fishtanks past

Inserted into the housing

Completed!

I wired an old piece of extension cord minding which side of the wire was positive and which was negative. The bulb is a standard compact fluorescent bulb I got from Lowes. its  a 6500K and only cost 6 bucks.

The first stage is the spray bar and top plate. The top plate can be Plexi-glass with holes drilled in it, or a piece of egg crate cut to size. on top of the plate sits some type of filter pad. to catch large debris. The water then flows through the bio-balls. Bio-balls, once cycled become filled with beneficial bacteria vital for a healthy aquarium. when the water passes through the bio-balls two things happen, it picks up that beneficial bacteria, and also because the bio-ball section is not submerged the water flows through like a water fall and becomes oxygenated. The water then flows over a couple of baffles to eliminate bubbles, then into the return pump section where it is pumped back up to the tank. strong return pump

Wet dry filters are easy to make yourself. You can design them to suite your needs. you can add more baffles for more micro bubble control. you can place your protein skimmer and heaters in a larger return pump section. any way you design, as long as you stay true to the original concept a wet dry filter will give you years of clean healthy aquarium water.

The spray bar

Filter with mag 7 submersible pump

5 gallon bio-balls

and it really works!!!!!

Water bottle

Cut the bottom off the water bottle

I drilled a hole and squeezed airline through

The Collection Cup

small water bottle w/bottom cut off

Water bottle skimmer Collection Cup PVC Neck. about 5 inches

PVC Neck Glue to bottle

All set up. It Really Works!!!

… and here’s a Video of the skimmer working.

If anyone has any expertise in this field, or just some input I can use all the help I can get.

Update: I may pick up one or two of these LED bulbs from marine depot