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View Full Version : How do i know if my protein skimmer is sufficient for my tank


nychris351
07/01/2009, 10:21 AM
I have a cpr bak pak skimmer.. Its only rated for 75 gallons but im using it on my 150... I took out the blue media and replaced it with live rock rubble.. I only have 5 fish in my tank and their all small.. 2 small tangs 2 firefish n an angel.. I have about 220 lbs of live rock and it takes about 6 days before i need to dump the foam...does that mean i dont need a bigger one??

Crazed
07/01/2009, 10:55 AM
Honestly I'd err on the side of an oversized skimmer than one rated for a tank so much smaller, especially with bigger fish like that which produce more waste. Just because the skimmer isn't producing a lot of foam doesn't mean it's working correctly. My 2c, anyway. :) Good luck.

Henry Bowman
07/01/2009, 10:56 AM
Skimmer size is based on how much water runs through it (among other things). In other words, if it is designed to turn over a 75 - 10X thats 750 gph. So, it is undersized for your tank.

Now, since your tank has a light bioload, it is probably doing ..OK but not great.

For right now, what you have is better (by far) than no skimmer at all. In the future, if you add any other livestock especially corals soft or hard, you are not going to be skimming agressivly enough to keep all the water clean enough to successfully keep them alive, adding more fish could be an issue also. Sooner or later, the tank's waste will out produce the skimmers ability to be effective.

Trust me, with that much open space, the tendency is to fill it up..

In the end, yes, you need a bigger skimmer and for the $$, the Octopus line of skimmers are the best for the money. I am familiar with the CPR skimmers and none of their models are going to be efficient enough for your tank.


4 things to never be "cheap" on.
Lights, Skimmer, Decent Live Rock, Good Flow

Hope that helps....

teknik1716
07/01/2009, 10:43 PM
ph - 8.4
phosphate - 0 ppm or less than 2.5ppm
nitrite - 0 ppm
nitrate - 0 ppm
kh - 10
calcium - 500ppm
salinity - 1.023
temp - 74.6-78ish

so this is what i have so far after testing my water. these are fairly consistant on a weekly basis. dont know why my calcium always hoovers so high and for some reason my phosphate test showed less than 2.5 2x today.

let me know if my parameters are funky
thanks

aquainas
07/01/2009, 10:54 PM
Those numbers do look good for now, however I'd take Henry's advice and plan on a bigger skimmer soon. I second the Octopus line of skimmers....definitely good bang for the buck so buy the biggest you can afford, at a minimum the Extreme 200.

cloak
07/02/2009, 01:49 PM
Skimmerless is another option. I'd try and work around the skimmer you have now before you spend the money on another. Just because you spend tons on a skimmer doesn't necessarily mean those problems will disappear.

;)

aquainas
07/02/2009, 04:12 PM
I do not believe that skimmer-less is an option on a reef tank, unless you can do water changes every other day. Nutrient export has to happen somehow.

cloak
07/02/2009, 04:16 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15295108#post15295108 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquainas
I do not believe that skimmer-less is an option on a reef tank, unless you can do water changes every other day. Nutrient export has to happen somehow.

I'm pretty sure YOU can do it. I'm using a Seaclone, everybody loves those...

;)

Alaskan Reefer
07/02/2009, 05:46 PM
You'll know it's sufficient if your nitrates and phosphates remain low. The skimmer you have is probably adequate for that system and bioload -- with only 5 fish and 220 pounds of rock to support them, there should be plenty of biological filtration and denitrification if there's decent flow through those rocks. I have 4 fish and about 100 pounds of rock with heavy flow in a BB 125g, and my skimmer cup takes 2 weeks to fill -- nutrients, though, are undetectable.

You don't need a massive skimmer or any skimmer for all tanks, but for most people's desired stocking levels, it's a good idea and the best place to spend the most money building a tank.