Skimmer: what do they actually do..

[maciebee]

what do skimmer actually do? and what would be a good one for a 38 gal tk.
I have live rock and sand One Carpet nem two clown true percula and one
chromis.

[LittlePuff]

Removes waste (organic materials) from the water.

[Indymann99]

Google "Foam fractionator" and read away.

[89Foxbody]

Hope you're ok with the carpet taking up half of your tank haha.

It'd be easier for you to just google it to get a real good definition..but to simplify it, it pushes air through the water and the friction with the bubbles pulls organic material out of the water, and the cleaned water returns to the tank.

[steelhead77]

Have you ever seen the foam line on the beach? You could say this is the oceans protein skimmer. This is exactly what a skimmer does. It removes organic waste from water.

[rysher]

38G , you cna go w/o a skimmer, go to algaescrubber dot net.

[sslak]

38G , you cna go w/o a skimmer, go to algaescrubber dot net.

But why?

I just watched the video and I see a few immediate problems...(for me at least)

A.) Takes up a lot of space

B.) looks like a PITA to clean

C.) if you can't get algae to grow, it doesn't do anything

D.) it still doesn't remove the solid waste from the water, only absorbs the nutrients

A skimmer is incredibly easy...you just empty the cup every two days and clean the body once every few months.

[reefnready]

But why?

I just watched the video and I see a few immediate problems...(for me at least)

A.) Takes up a lot of space

B.) looks like a PITA to clean

C.) if you can't get algae to grow, it doesn't do anything

D.) it still doesn't remove the solid waste from the water, only absorbs the nutrients

A skimmer is incredibly easy...you just empty the cup every two days and
clean the body once every few months.

+1. get a skimmer and be done with it

[Chris27]

A skimmer removes dissolved organic compounds from the water column. The waste attaches to the bubbles and the bubbles get deposited in the waste cup. While you can use carbon and filter floss/socks/sponge to some extent, the skimmer will remove the smaller bits of waste that will pass through the carbon and floss. The only other comparison to a skimmer is large frequent water changes, and those get expensive and tedious to do. Short answer, if you are worried about money, get a skimmer because water and salt mix will add up quickly if you want to keep the nem happy for a while.

[rysher]

But why?

I just watched the video and I see a few immediate problems...(for me at least)

A.) Takes up a lot of space

B.) looks like a PITA to clean

C.) if you can't get algae to grow, it doesn't do anything

D.) it still doesn't remove the solid waste from the water, only absorbs the nutrients

A skimmer is incredibly easy...you just empty the cup every two days and clean the body once every few months.

it's explained in the site, go and read it.
here's the short version, plenty more if you read.



Q: Are water changes still needed if I use a scrubber?
A: If the purpose of the water change is to reduce nitrate or phosphate, or to help reduce nuisance algae in the display, then no. If the purpose of the water change is for anything else, like removing medications, then yes.

Q: I've heard that going "skimmerless" is only for experienced aquarists.
A: That was correct before August 2008. But it is now known how to easily build and use a scrubber to do all your filtering for you (just like algae does ALL the filtering and feeding in the ocean). It is cheap, easy, and best of all there is NO possible way for something to "go wrong" with a scrubber which would cause it to kill your whole tank (skimmers, however, can overflow the cup and kill everything because of the ammonia build up). So scrubbers actually are now the entry level (beginner friendly, and cheap) way to start out.

Q: Why have scrubbers caused so much anger by so many people?
A: These people are angry because:

1. They are employed by, or they are a relative/friend/spouse of someone who is employed by, a manufacturer/distributor/retailer/installer of skimmer/filtration/waterchange/additive products. There are over 3,000 stores in the U.S. alone that sell these products, with several people working at each one. That's a lot of people to post anti-scrubber comments online. And they are paid to do it.

2. They have a lot of money invested in their skimmer and other filtration equipment. So they feel ripped off to find that a cheaper piece of equipment can do a better job of removing nutrients. It makes them look unprepared.

3. They had aquariums in the 1980's, 1990's, or early 2000’s, when scrubbers were built and operated incorrectly. Scrubbers back then were noisy and caused yellowing and clouding. Scrubbers today don't. But these people have not used a modern (after August 2008) scrubber, so they think all scrubbers still operate the same.

4. They don't understand how scrubbers work, and they are not going to learn. They think that skimmers remove Ammonia, Nitrite, Inorganic Nitrate, Inorganic Phosphate (i.e., all the bad stuff). But skimmers don't do this. Not even a little. Scrubbers do.

5. Since they already have a setup that works properly, they have no reason to expend the time and energy to change. This is understandable.

[rysher]

BTW, a decent skimmer like the octopus 110 cost $170, and since i'm on a tight budget, i went and spend $10 to go ATS.

[hvacman250]

Nvm

[olemiss reb]

Have you ever seen the foam line on the beach? You could say this is the oceans protein skimmer. This is exactly what a skimmer does. It removes organic waste from water.

Case and point--- http://www.boredborg.com/offbeat/ocean-foam-out-of-control/

[Chris27]

It's not really that one is better then the other, it's that a whole combination of filtering techniques is necessary for a successful tank. The ocean is a vast ecosystem and each little aspect is necessary for it to be so stable. Our tanks are a small scale ocean, so when you use a protein skimmer coupled with a fuge, ATS and powerheads (wave movement), you will have nothing but good luck because you are simulating some of the filtering techniques used by mother nature.

[sslak]

Why can't you use an ATS in addition to a skimmer?

Is this just a cost saving argument...clearly both methods work, so the logical reasoning would be that using both would be better than just one alone. For a new reefer, it seems to me that a skimmer would be easier to use and setup correctly than an ATS.

If the OP can afford a skimmer, it seems like that would be the logical first step, if more nutrient removal is needed...as you said an ATS is cheap.

For me it came down to simplicty of use, and need.

The skimmer is extremely easy to clean, and I don't have to worry about dripping an algae covered screen across my carpeting to the sink every couple weeks.

Also, with my skimmer in combination with a fuge growing macro I have 0 nitrates and undetectable phosphates...never used a meter, just API tests...so I have no reason to run an ATS.

I don't think an ATS is a bad idea, I'm just not sure it's the best option for someone new to reefing.

[Uncle Salty 05]

Skimmers are more efficient and easier to use than an ATS.
I will gladly send any ATS gurus my skimmate so you can pour it on your ATS and see what happens.
If you have skimmer and a refugium with lots of macro algae you get all of the benefits an ATS offers without all of the hassle.

[rysher]

lol, i am far from a guru, in fact i have owned zero tank in my life be SW or FW and i dont have friends with aquariums.

however i'll chronicle my tank build in the next couple of days, using ATS and NSW.

Buy in is just so expensive that i have to save money somewhere else.


if i'll get the money, will i get a skimmer?
i'll have to see the results of my ATS b4 i'll decide.

if i get the money will i get an RO unit?
i'll also see the effects of NSW before i'll decide.

[Chris27]

I wouldn't suggest an ATS to anyone new to the hobby, they are really a PITA to setup and maintain when you compare it to a skimmer. First you have to do the plumbing and fab work, then you need a decent size space to house the thing, then you need the proper lighting, then you need a way to ensure the space doesn't get covered in salt spray, then you need etc....etc..etc....All the elements and skills you need to set up a good working ATS come with reefing experience.....which a new hobbyist just doesn't have up front. Sure they are cheap and work well when fine tuned, but getting to that point can be a bit rough.

On the other side, put the skimmer in the sump, open the valve, plug it in, adjust valve, clean skimmer cup every few days.....very simple.

A new hobbyist will be inundated by plumbing, chemistry, livestock compatibility and disease right from the start, tie in a leaky messy ATS and you're sure to have a rough start much like those of us who were sold bio-balls in tiny expensive *** acrylic sumps.