someone school me about skimmers

djrenimi · 06/03/2011, 09:02 PM

Hi all can I get some feedback on protein skimmers and the necessity of having one.

46 gall bowfront soft corals, but upgrading to a 406 watt set up with intentions to go big, including the tougher to keep.

zeeter · 06/03/2011, 09:52 PM

Skimmers remove particles from the water that would otherwise break down into nitrites and then nitrates. If by going big means corals then you almost certainly need one. Otherwise you'll be doing water changes every other day. Well that's exaggerating, but you'll have to do water changes more often. The skimmer pays for itself eventually.

djrenimi · 06/03/2011, 10:10 PM

Thx zeeter

jinks · 06/03/2011, 10:26 PM

Filters that use filter pads will grab solids out of the water. Anything that is liquid wast, or small solid wast will pass right through it. A protein skimmer put a larger amount of air bubbles into a water column. The surfaces tension of these bubbles makes this dissolved waste stick to the surface (a.k.a foam fractionation) and rise to the top on the bubble. The scum covered bubbles collect at the top till they spill over into a cup. This is not the only way to get dissolved wast out of a aquarium but its easy, affective, and aside from the initial purchase, cheap (no replacing pads and media every few days/weeks). It's an aquarium filter that runs on air and water. Seems good. If you put a filter pad over your toilet and then used it would you want to drink it?

bnumair · 06/03/2011, 10:44 PM

to me skimmer is the heart of ur system. it pulls alot of stuff out of the system that otherwise will settle in and break down to nitrates. another advantage is it mixes alot of air and oxygen in ur system.

djrenimi · 06/03/2011, 11:10 PM

Thx everyone good info!

MarcoPolo · 06/04/2011, 06:13 AM

If you plan to buy skimmer (which you should for a marine tank) then buy a good quality skimmer. It may cost more but in the long run it will pay off. It's like buying an expensive car...big cost upfront but it will last you for years and years delivering quality results.

Remember, having a a good skimmer is good, but to use it efficiently it needs cleaning often. I clean my one almost every day (only takes 2 minutes) and it's incredible how much dirt it extracts from the water column

dlp211 · 06/04/2011, 07:41 AM

I have a related question. When first starting a tank I know you don't run the skimmer during the cycle, but should I run it once I put a CUC in or wait until I start putting in fish to run the skimmer?

MarcoPolo · 06/04/2011, 07:49 AM

It is not only fish which generate organic waste in a tank, other factors contribute to the generation of waste, including algae dyeing off, etc. Thus skimmer should be on all times. It will also help for aeration which will have positive impact on tank.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 06/04/2011, 09:31 AM

When first starting a tank I know you don't run the skimmer during the cycle

I would. I can't see any valid reasons to not have it running right away.

This has more on skimming:

What is Skimming?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/rhf/index.php

dlp211 · 06/04/2011, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

When first starting a tank I know you don't run the skimmer during the cycle

I would. I can't see any valid reasons to not have it running right away.

This has more on skimming:

What is Skimming?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/rhf/index.php

OK, good to know. I could have sworn that I read that there is no reason to run the skimmer during the initial cycle, but with that information, I def will be running it.

Thanks for that Randy
DLP

Randy Holmes-Farley · 06/04/2011, 11:28 AM

If you are cycling an sponge filter with ammonia, then it may not matter. But if there is any live rock or fish food or dead shrimp/etc. involved, there will be organic matter and bacteria to skim out.

06/03/2011, 09:02 PM	#1
djrenimi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 8	someone school me about skimmers Hi all can I get some feedback on protein skimmers and the necessity of having one. 46 gall bowfront soft corals, but upgrading to a 406 watt set up with intentions to go big, including the tougher to keep.

06/03/2011, 10:44 PM	#5
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	to me skimmer is the heart of ur system. it pulls alot of stuff out of the system that otherwise will settle in and break down to nitrates. another advantage is it mixes alot of air and oxygen in ur system. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

06/04/2011, 09:31 AM	#10
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	When first starting a tank I know you don't run the skimmer during the cycle I would. I can't see any valid reasons to not have it running right away. This has more on skimming: What is Skimming? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/rhf/index.php __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

06/04/2011, 11:28 AM	#12
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	If you are cycling an sponge filter with ammonia, then it may not matter. But if there is any live rock or fish food or dead shrimp/etc. involved, there will be organic matter and bacteria to skim out. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

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06/03/2011, 09:52 PM	#2
zeeter Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 386	Skimmers remove particles from the water that would otherwise break down into nitrites and then nitrates. If by going big means corals then you almost certainly need one. Otherwise you'll be doing water changes every other day. Well that's exaggerating, but you'll have to do water changes more often. The skimmer pays for itself eventually.

06/03/2011, 10:10 PM	#3
djrenimi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 8	Thx zeeter

06/03/2011, 10:26 PM	#4
jinks Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 581	Filters that use filter pads will grab solids out of the water. Anything that is liquid wast, or small solid wast will pass right through it. A protein skimmer put a larger amount of air bubbles into a water column. The surfaces tension of these bubbles makes this dissolved waste stick to the surface (a.k.a foam fractionation) and rise to the top on the bubble. The scum covered bubbles collect at the top till they spill over into a cup. This is not the only way to get dissolved wast out of a aquarium but its easy, affective, and aside from the initial purchase, cheap (no replacing pads and media every few days/weeks). It's an aquarium filter that runs on air and water. Seems good. If you put a filter pad over your toilet and then used it would you want to drink it?

06/03/2011, 11:10 PM	#6
djrenimi Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 8	Thx everyone good info!

06/04/2011, 06:13 AM	#7
MarcoPolo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Brussels, EU Posts: 475	If you plan to buy skimmer (which you should for a marine tank) then buy a good quality skimmer. It may cost more but in the long run it will pay off. It's like buying an expensive car...big cost upfront but it will last you for years and years delivering quality results. Remember, having a a good skimmer is good, but to use it efficiently it needs cleaning often. I clean my one almost every day (only takes 2 minutes) and it's incredible how much dirt it extracts from the water column

06/04/2011, 07:41 AM	#8
dlp211 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 591	I have a related question. When first starting a tank I know you don't run the skimmer during the cycle, but should I run it once I put a CUC in or wait until I start putting in fish to run the skimmer?

06/04/2011, 07:49 AM	#9
MarcoPolo Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Brussels, EU Posts: 475	It is not only fish which generate organic waste in a tank, other factors contribute to the generation of waste, including algae dyeing off, etc. Thus skimmer should be on all times. It will also help for aeration which will have positive impact on tank.