Can your skimmer be too big

[Jeremy Blaze]

With all the advancements in skimmer tchnology, better and better skimmers are now avalible in hobby sizes.

Current trends show people getting bigger and better skimmers than ever before.

People seem to be more concerned with the amount of skimate they get, and bigger seems to be better.

My question, in your opinion, can you have too much skimmer?

Is it even possible to 'over skim' as people used to often say?

[nesto719]

i am also wanting to find out the truth.

[Jeremy Blaze]

looks like a tie so far.

[reefer31]

I would rather overskim than underskim! :P That way you can feed more and therefore happier fish/corals.

[svb57]

i was running a ASM G3 on a 750g system for 2 years in a SPS dominated tank and everything was great.....

Skimming size is just part of a "system" that has to be in balance.

Just my 2 cents

Jim Mc

[Reefer08]

In my opinion, no you can't overskim. Unless you did something ridiculous like a bubble king supermarin on a nano (just an example).

Of all my favorite sps tanks ive seen online the one thing they all have in common is a huge bioload with an oversized skimmer.

[sjm817]

I see two questions

1 Can your skimmer be too big?

2 Can you overskim?

IMO, 1 yes, 2 no

[luvreefs23]

On the bubble king forum one guy asked what bk mini to get for his 140 gallon total system volume. said he had sps and a decent bioload. proline responded no bigger than the bk mini 180 cause if u get to large of a skimmer u may have nothing to skim and its performance can become irradic.

[Hampton]

Too big of Skimmer can mean too much heat too. Otherwise, as long as the skimmer is still operating correctly, skim until you can't skim no more. More skimming is better. It's like asking if your house can be too clean.

[mojo~]

I think a balance is most important. You can have to large of a skimmer. If it is to large it will not run consistently. So yes I would say do some research and get a skimmer that will run well andnot skim so much there is nothing left at all.

[Nanook]

Have you read the most recent article on skimmers and their removal of DOC's in Advanced Aquarist?

[pwoller]

Too big if it doesn't fit in the stand, otherwise skim away!

[Reefer08]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14313344#post14313344 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luvreefs23
On the bubble king forum one guy asked what bk mini to get for his 140 gallon total system volume. said he had sps and a decent bioload. proline responded no bigger than the bk mini 180 cause if u get to large of a skimmer u may have nothing to skim and its performance can become irradic.

Someone please correct me if im wrong but I believe the reason why a BK won't work on too small of a system is its skimming method? It doesn't have a long bubble reaction time?

[Heinz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14313881#post14313881 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
Have you read the most recent article on skimmers and their removal of DOC's in Advanced Aquarist?
as i understand it, all skimmer do the same ?

from AA

Thus it is fair to conclude that, at least for the skimmers tested under the specified conditions, the individual manufacturers' claims of superior performance are without merit.

[The Escaped Ape]

A qualified yes. Only in systems where you need an unusually high level of TDS or micro-fauna. Not applicable for the vast majority of tanks (even for shrooms etc), but might be if you wanted to take on the challenge of rearing gonipora.

[shleprock30]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14314501#post14314501 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Heinz
as i understand it, all skimmer do the same ?

from AA

Sounds like it, at least from this information.

The skimmers typically removed greater than 80% of the BSA. In contrast, perhaps one of the more interesting observations to emerge from these studies is the fact that all four skimmers tested removed only 20 - 30% of the total organics present in authentic reef tank water.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2

[moondoggy4]

You can have too big of a skimmer. It will not produce enough skimmate. My Euro Reef CS 8/2 could barely skim 1/4 cup of skimmate on my 150 total so I put my CS 5/3 back on and it is pulling 2 cups a day or equal to 2/3 of the 8/2 cup.