SwimSkim 25 surface extractor

Near useless instructions, took me a while to figure out the assembly.In operation the aerator function caused the unit to go all over the place, often making it unstable, and sometimes tipping over so I blocked the air intake hole at the top of the unit to disable it. Once I found a stable 'holding' pattern for the unit it cleared 99% of my duckweed within a few hours so it gets 5 stars.Basically its one of those gadgets you need to experiment with to get the best results. I only intend to use once a week to clear my duckweed so for that it does the job nicely, drop it in for a few hours, then clean and store sway. For bigger ponds with a lot of debris needing continuous operation I'd go for a different solution as the filter will need regular cleaning.

Works really well, picks up the scum from the water surface. Delivered very quickly.

Good tool in theory! However, in use I find it stopped and just floating on the surface. Found the pump impeller jammed by Hawthorn berries. On another occasion found blanket week drawn in. When working properly it really moves the surface water and drags in the floating debris (Leaves etc). Had to buy a feeding ring to contain the fish food, or the skimmer would Hoover it up before the fish had a chance to clear it!

This is not a review about spec - I'm sure you can get there else where.Background - 15'000 litre pond - 5mx3m ..so ideal for the Skimmer 25.Initial impression - what you'd expect, lots of plastic, iffy instructions and a long lead!Having removed everything, actually it was pretty easy to assemble - 5 or 6 parts although the outlet piece for the airiator takes 30 seconds to understand where it goes!Connecting to electrics - the end of the lead is cut clean, I would have preferred the three bare wires (LNE), cut clean and soldered as this makes it easier to add to your electric box. So you have to de-sheaf the Live Earth Neutral yourself and fit to suit.Once assembled and electrics sorted, drop the Skimmer into the pond and sit back.Clearly if your pond is full of detritus the skimmer will fill up quickly. However, for pond keepers, one would expect a pretty clear pond with minimal surface "floaters".Personally I've fed the cable into the pond via a stone in the bottom as a tether. The aeriator does cause the skimmer to move but on a short lead, its minimal.I've a few floating plants which I've put in a (black) pond pot and they float about but do obviously get sucked into the skimmer so I've tethered them to the bottom - no biggy, but beware anything on the surface will eventually get sucked in - including food. Personally I add food to one end of the pond and if it reaches the skimmer, clearly the fish aren't that hungry. Slightly wasteful so I fed the fish very small amounts but more regularly; clearly the other option is turn the skimmer off!Hopefully the video is clear as the "pulling power" is very good.One "complaint" is the skimmer rides up out of the water, which Ive experienced.One issue is if the aireator is pointing directly under one of the flotation pods, the pod will rise slightly causing the whole of the skimmer to rise; simple solution, adjust the outlet of the aireator by90 degrees and problem solved.The other issue is the skimmer just rises. I've pushed t down a few times within a few hours of getting it but not experienced any "riding" since. I can see this being a frustrating element so if this happens again, I'll update this post.Lastly, it's quiet but not silent - again, no issues for me but thought is mention it.This is the third skimmer I've bought (Oase connected to a pump), Velda and now this "powered" Oase Skimmer. For me, the best to date - currently very pleased with buy.Five stars as cable sheafing and slight noise are no issues ...Happy to help with any questions.******Update June 2017The impeller (rotor), gave up the ghost. Simply the water wasn’t being skimmed but the motor was running. I called Oase - brilliant customer service - and identified the impeller (rotor), was kaput.How do you test this ?Take the slimmer apart and the white propellers shouldn’t be able to move on the axle round and around. It means there’s an interior fault with that element.I called my local Oase Stockist and ordered a new part - 18013 - fifteen quid*****

I can't give it five stars purely because of how often it rides up out of the water. When it does this it makes a godawful sound which can't be doing the internals much good... They absolutely should have built in a simple auto shutoff to stop the pump once the unit rides up out of the water. However, it still does a good job for the intended purpose.UPDATE: I've now had two of these things die on me - motor just gives out - seems to be cheap rubbish.

Perfect

I'm giving this product three stars. It's not spectacular, and it's not awful. I've had it about a week and have vacillated between loving and hating it.Here are my thoughts:-Be realistic. This is not a true replacement or retrofit for a pond that doesn't have a proper (swimming pool type) skimmer built into it. It is not going to handle autumn leaves. See the attached pic with oak leaves. The Oase skimmer quickly fills up, and the basket needs to be emptied. This is no real surprise given the size of the small basket.-Keep in mind that if you have debris in the water, the basket will need to be emptied regularly. If you don't, the skimmer rises out of the water and the pump will run dry and make an awful noise. Therefore, you really can't leave this running 24/7 or when away or sleeping. You have to regularly inspect it. Honestly, I'd rather just skim with a net if there is a large amount of debris.-It has to be anchored to the bottom of the pond. See the pic, and there is a rock and rope attached. It's really ugly. I'm going to sit the rock in a black water plant basket, and I ordered some black polypropylene rope, but there really isn't anyway you can make this look aesthetically pleasing in a clear pond. It's an eyesore.-Speaking of anchoring. The reach of the skimmer cannot be anywhere near a wall. The device tends to turn and draw against the wall. Consequently, it rises out of the water, and the pump runs dry when this happens.-Do not watch the skimmer, or it will drive you mad. You will see leaves pass within inches and not go in. However, leave it to work, and it will be full when you come back later!Why am I keeping this?- I can see it being useful for intermittent cleaning of things like blossoms or pollen or for polishing protein from water surface.-It can be moved around the pond or between ponds.-It provides additional aeration which is good if you have koi.-It won't take up that much room to store in the shed whilst not in use.In summary, if you are looking for something magical to eliminate the need to clean your pond or make up for poor original pond design, this product will greatly disappoint you. If you want some extra kit to occasionally help with modest amounts of debris, then this Oase skimmer may be useful to you. Have realistic expectations given your circumstances.

Works great instantly clears my water and loving the bubbles saves having the air machine on. :)

The item delivered was faulty so requested a returns label!Why should I pay the €24 to return it!A disgrace!

Wer seinen Teich über eine Pumpe am Boden filtert, kennt das Problem: Blütenpollen, Staub und Blätter sammeln sich auf der Oberfläche und sinken irgendwann ab, bevor die Bodenpumpe sie erfassen kann. Der Oase SwimSkim 25 ist hier die perfekte Ergänzung, um diesen Kreislauf zu durchbrechen.Installation & Handhabung:Das Gerät ist echtes „Plug & Play“. Man setzt es einfach ins Wasser, steckt das Kabel ein und der Skimmer beginnt sofort mit der Arbeit. Da er eine eigene integrierte Pumpe besitzt, muss man nichts mühsam am bestehenden Filtersystem umbauen. Er passt sich durch seine Schwimmfunktion zudem automatisch an schwankende Wasserstände an.Reinigungsleistung & Zusatznutzen:Die Saugkraft ist für Teiche bis 25 m^2 absolut beeindruckend. Innerhalb kürzester Zeit war die Oberfläche frei von Schwebstoffen.Ein unterschätztes Feature ist die integrierte Belüftungsfunktion: Durch den Injektor wird das Wasser zusätzlich mit Sauerstoff angereichert, was gerade im Sommer bei hohen Temperaturen den Fischen enorm zugutekommt.Wartung:Der Auffangkorb lässt sich sehr leicht entnehmen. Man sieht sofort, wann er voll ist, und kann ihn mit einem Handgriff entleeren, ohne dass der gesammelte Schmutz wieder zurück in den Teich fällt.Vorteile auf einen Blick:• Autark: Eigene Pumpe, kein Anschluss an den Hauptfilter nötig.• Effektiv: Hält die Oberfläche spiegelklar.• Sauerstoff-Plus: Belüftet den Teich zusätzlich.• Oase-Qualität: Robuste Bauweise und langes Kabel.Fazit:Für gepumpte Teiche ohne Bodenablauf oder Wandskimmer ist der SwimSkim 25 die sinnvollste Investition in die Wasserqualität. Er nimmt dem Hauptfilter viel Arbeit ab und sorgt für eine tolle Optik. Klare Kaufempfehlung!

Gör jobbet. Lätt att rengöra.

Lo tengo en mi piscina. En una de las esquinas opuestas al retorno de la depuradora. Al principio era algo escéptico, pero al probarlo me ha convencido. Lo recoge todo, ojas, pelos, ramas, avispas, mosquitos, etc.... La virtud es que va a nivel del agua sea cual sea. Compraría todas las veces que hiciera falta.

Appareil très intéressant pour nettoyer la surface d’un petit étang et en plus fait de l’oxygène . Et pas trop gourmand en consommation .