hahaha...its not crazy...and surely not expensive and everyone can afford them. they are all home made ...remember ...so u need to spend time at the hardware shop. i cannot afford those expensive stuff straight from the FS rack.......a medium 5inch wide skimmer cost abt rm350 to 600, depending on the brand and without powerheads...now this is crazy. but with a little imagination using pvc pipes ,a 6inch wide skimmer could be made for less rm40. the more u make , cost will spread and it will be much cheaper.one thing i would suggest an aqurist to pick up is...to learn the skill of glass cutting. second hand glass is cheap and plentiful in malaysia (rm15 per sq meter for 8mm)..and u could cut and design what ever u had in mind ...saving the expensive ready made aquarium, and seriously...a good aquarist doesnt mean he is only good in keeping fish ...he must be good in imaginations and saving cost. buying ready made stuffs is truly beyond my means with all the tanks i have ...i will go broke