Can you over Skim a tank?
Hello,
I am setting up a 60 gallon cube after not having been really deep in the hobby the last few years. I am running a 30 gallon sump underneath and I am looking to get a new protein skimmer. I am planning on upgrading to a much larger tank and would like to "Buy Once Cry Once" and get a skimmer that will continue on to the next tank... I currently own a Bullet 2 Precision Marine Skimmer but dont want to use it because of the Huge footprint and I would need to buy a new pump... I was wondering if a AquaMaxx EcoMaxx EM200 would "Over Skim" and cause any issues? The reviews seem really good on it and I like the small footprint and overall build quality. Thanks, Mike G |
If "over skimming" is an issue I am looking at the Reef Octopus 4 instead... but I would really like the AquaMaxx if its ok...
Thanks Again Mike G |
Or should I just use the Bullet 2 and grab a Mag 18 for it? Any advice will be helpful thanks.
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Good luck finding the Aquamax. I can't find one in stock anywhere.
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If you remove a cup full of green water everyday then yes. If you are removing dark skimmate then it does not matter how large the cup is. Tracking?
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the cup of green water is over skimming?
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Well it is WET skim... maybe try to thicken it up some by dialing it back a 1/4 turn. Depending on what type you have that is.
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Hey Shortfuse, I have a Reef Octopus 4 (NWB110) used for sale. Was too small for my tank. $120 plus shipping.
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You can't over skim but you can get a skimmer that is too large to function properly with your bioload, which would be under skimming. :)
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Just curious, since some are saying you can over skim, what is the detrimental effect on a tank if it is over skimmed?
Don't we want to remove all dissolved organics from the tank? I have always thought, wrongly I guess, that when there is nothing to skim, the skimmer just stops producing? |
But just like people... Living off of 100% oxygen causes problems.
A slightly dirty tank can handle fluctuation better compared to a clean room. |
Let's talk beyond water removal---if you are growing lps or softie corals, too good a skimmer is going to take nutrients from them: remember that they are living filters, and if underfed, they will not do as well. Likewise fish like mandarins rely on copepods, which in turn rely on algaes. Your snails and crabs and other inverts make their living from waste. So yes, if you are doing sps corals, that require crystal-clear water, strong skimming is a good idea. If not, survey your inhabitants and figure what you will lose if you do that. Same goes for hyper-removal of phosphate through a gfo. A lot is bad for corals; too little is bad, too.
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Merry Skerry |
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Not trying to be sarcastic, just logical |
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Less extreme example, my Deltec HoB that is a beast on my 90g and rated from 120 to 185 produces no skimmate at all on a 20g. More accurately, it made a ton of skimmmate but the bubbles would just not make it into the cup before breaking. Too big can very well mean under skimming or not skimming at all. |
That's why we say if you want to do well with sps corals, concentrate on those. If you want to do well with lps, do them. Softies have their own constraints and often conduct chemical warfare, necessitating carbon run nearly constantly.
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I assume that snails and crabs that feed on detrius could do OK in an SPS tank if there is some food waste?
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I want to do mostly SPS but I want zoos and mushrooms as well since I enjoy the way they look... also some stuff life pulsating xenia and star polyps... Would any of that cause issues with "over skimming" if so what skimmer would be best for me? Any recommendations of Octopus vs Aquamaxx skimmers? I also have a Coralife Super Skimmer for a 65 gallon tank... but that thing seems to suck.
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So I wouldn't wary about over-skimming there are so many other more important things to wary about :). Yes it is possible but you can always shut the noisy thing down for good! |
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