Aquael SAS 500 surface skimmer for aquariums
Regular price
$23.00
Regular price
Sale price
$23.00
Unit price
/
per
$7.66 × 3 with no fees
Klarna.
This skimmer draws off the oily film and the small debris floating on the water surface. Its float follows the water level, and its flow rate can be adjusted up to 500 L/h, for tanks of 20 to 500 litres.
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The summary
- What it does: it removes the greasy film and the debris floating on the surface.
- Its flow rate: adjustable up to 500 L/h, at 4.4 W.
- Which tanks it suits: freshwater aquariums from 20 to 500 L.
- Its upkeep: rinse the sponge every week and the impeller every month.
Removes the greasy film and surface debris for crystal-clear, better-oxygenated water
A greasy film often forms on the surface of an aquarium, where leftover food, proteins, dust and plant debris build up. It makes your water look dull and slows the exchange between air and water, that is, oxygen going in and carbon dioxide going out. This skimmer removes only that surface layer, thanks to a float that sits right at the waterline.
The float follows the level as it drops through evaporation, so the intake stays at the water surface without you having to adjust the height every week. The water drawn in passes through a foam that traps debris, then returns to the tank through a 12 mm outlet. The flow rate is continuously adjustable up to 500 litres per hour, with a power consumption of 4.4 W, and the unit is suitable for freshwater aquariums of 20 to 500 litres.
🫧 Installation and adjustment
Rinse the foam in cold water, then fix the skimmer to the glass with its suction-cup bracket, so that the float sits 1 to 3 cm above the filtration chamber. On first start-up, set the regulator to minimum so that the chamber does not fill with air, plug in the unit, then increase the flow until you see the surface moving towards the skimmer. The foam pre-filter stops shrimp and small fish from reaching the rotor, which makes it possible to install it in a tank stocked with small species.
Open tray
Without a lid, the surface collects more dust and debris.
Heavily stocked tank
More uneaten food floats on the surface.
After pruning
The skimmer collects the plant fragments that float on the surface.
Evaporating water
The float follows the level without any adjustment.
An external filter to treat the whole volume
The skimmer treats the surface, whereas dissolved waste and suspended particles circulate throughout the whole volume of the tank. The EHEIM classic external filter with taps provides mechanical and biological filtration of all the water, on aquariums from 80 to 600 litres depending on the model. Its taps allow you to disconnect it for maintenance without draining the pipes, and its water outlet creates a surface current that pushes the oily film towards the skimmer.
For indoor freshwater aquariums only
This skimmer is designed for indoor freshwater aquariums. It does not replace the air-driven protein skimmer of a saltwater tank, which separates proteins using a column of fine bubbles. Always unplug it before putting your hand in the tank.
You choose the flow rate according to the size of your tank: in a small aquarium, a low setting on the regulator is enough to bring the film back towards the float, whereas a large tank needs a more open setting. A flow that is too strong for the volume creates a whirlpool around the float and draws air into the chamber, which makes the appliance noisy. In that case, gradually close the regulator until the water enters without bubbles, while keeping a visible movement from the surface towards the skimmer.
📍 Placement in the tank
Place the skimmer where the surface current pushes the film along, generally opposite the outlet of the main filter or in the corner where debris gathers. If your tank is covered, leave a few centimetres between the top of the float and the lid, so that the float can follow the water level without jamming. If your tank holds floating plants, such as duckweed or water lettuce, the skimmer will draw them in along with the film: install it in an area of the tank that you keep free of surface plants.
🧽 Maintenance
Rinse the foam as soon as the flow drops, and at least once a week, at the time of the water change. Unplug the unit, take it out of the tank, remove the float, then gently push the foam out of its sleeve. Once a month, also take the rotor out of its chamber and clean both: once refitted, the rotor should turn without resistance. The 150 cm cable cannot be replaced: leave a drip loop below the socket, so that water running down the cable drips onto the floor instead of reaching the socket. As the skimmer runs continuously, its power of 4.4 W amounts to about 38.5 kWh per year.
🌱 In aquaponics
In an indoor rearing tank, a surface film forms quickly, because the fish are fed generously. By removing it, the skimmer improves oxygen entry and water clarity, which benefits your fish as well as the nitrifying bacteria in the filter, which use oxygen to convert ammonia. If your fish need extra aeration, an aquarium air pump complements the skimmer without replacing it. The guide to fixing cloudy water in aquaponics helps you tell a simple surface film from water that is genuinely overloaded.
Technical specifications
The essentials
- Flow rate
- Up to 500 L/h, adjustable
- Power
- 4.4 W
- Tank volume
- From 20 to 500 L
- Outlet
- 12 mm
Installation
- Fixing
- Suction cup holder
- Float
- 1 to 3 cm above the chamber
- Cable
- 150 cm
- Water
- Gentle, for indoor use
Maintenance
- Foam
- Weekly rinsing
- Warranty
- 2 years
To budget for separately
- Volume filtration
- External aquarium filter
- Glass cleaning
- Cleaning magnet
4 further specifications are available in the detailed view.
In the box
- 1 surface skimmer with float
- 1 suction-cup holder
- 1 pre-filtration foam cartridge
Flow rate, power, volumes, outlet, cable, warranty and maintenance recorded on 08/10/2026 from the instructions and the manufacturer's page.
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Frequently asked questions
8 questions
6 key questions, 8 in the detailed view
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