Mystery World of Protein Skimmer

[galabon]

I have had a few different Protein Skimmers over the years in search of the perfect one, I have come to the conclusion that there are none.
I think that all Skimmers are subject to the following conditions, plus others that I don't know or understand.
#1-Temp. #2-water level in sump #3-Feeding #4-Lights (on/off) #5-Hands in the tank #6-Type of skimmer #7-Pump size #7-Salinity #8-Fine tuning the skimmer after break in, etc.etc.etc.
Please feel free to add to this list, and also to disagee.
If you think you have found the perfect skimmer for a tank under 100gals. & priced within reason, let me know.

 

[Frankie]

Hello galabon, welcome to RS!
If you would be so kind, could you provide us with a list of the skimmers you have used so we can give a proper response? Also providing what your view is of "price within reason?"
Thanks, Frank.

 

[galabon]

I have used a D&D Marine Typhoon skimmer, which was too difficult to clean.
Also a coral life 125, too difficult to adjust, too much skimmate or none.
Some others that I don't even remember, but they never did the job.
Now using a recently purchased Reef Octopus XP 1000sss, cone skimmer,$295.
I would say that a reasonable price for a small tank PS should be under $300.

 

[Frankie]

What size tank are you running? Also what is the total water volume and corals being kept?
It is hard to advise on this without knowing more about your system.
IMO, any skimmer under $450 is cheap and not worth my time. This is my opinion though. I do see successes with cheap skimmers but normally the person running it has a good foundation in husbandry.
Keeping a reef is not a poor mans hobby. You get what you pay for in these things.
Please let us know more about your system so we can better advise you.
Thanks! Frankie~

 

[redneckgearhead]

What do you want the "perfect skimmer" to do?....produce alot of skimmate? reduce nitrates?

 

[galabon]

I have a 72 gal bow front, with 11 various corals and 6 small fish
Mainly I would like it to reduce nitrates.
When I first started in this Hobby 30 years ago, Keeping a salt water aquarium was 50% witchcraft & 50% black magic. There were no PS on the market, I built one from plans I found in a German magazine. At that time I was a member of "Windows to the Sea Marine Aquarium Society" in N.J. There were some very smart people in that club, who went on to start business related to the salt water aquarium hobby.

 

[galabon]

I have a 72 gal bow front, with 11 various corals and 6 small fish
Mainly I would like it to reduce nitrates.
When I first started in this Hobby 30 years ago, Keeping a salt water aquarium was 50% witchcraft & 50% black magic. There were no PS on the market, I built one from plans I found in a German magazine. At that time I was a member of "Windows to the Sea Marine Aquarium Society" in N.J. There were some very smart people in that club, who went on to start business related to the salt water aquarium hobby.

 

[map95003]

In the ~10 yrs I've had salt water tanks, I've also tried a few different skimmers. I don't remember the exact models but I've had an AquaC, euroReef150 I think and in recent years a ReefOct and for little over 2 yrs now I've been running an ASM G2 (modded) on my 75g mixed reef (~115g total volume). For my configuration, I like the ASM the best as far as maintenance, cost, ease of adjustment and skimmate production.

IMO, you can't just rely on a skimmer to keep your nitrates low, it helps with waste export but you need to do regular WC, practice good husbandry in general, don't over-feed, etc. I run a fuge with a DSB and I got cheato and halimeda growing in it...that in conbination with my skimmer and ~10% WC every 2-3 weeks keep my nitrate and phospate undetectable.

If I start seeing signs of any unwanted algae, I just run some GFO in a bag for a few days and that usually take care of it.

 

[DBrinson]

I think that all Skimmers are subject to the following conditions, plus others that I don't know or understand.
#1-Temp. #2-water level in sump #3-Feeding #4-Lights (on/off) #5-Hands in the tank #6-Type of skimmer #7-Pump size #7-Salinity #8-Fine tuning the skimmer after break in, etc.etc.etc.

Few more to add for you:

#9 Ozone. It makes a great skimmer into a godlike skimmer, but must be used with a reliable ORP controller. The ozone approach used to be for experts only, but has become much less dangerous. ORP probes have just gotten much, much better/more reliable since I first started running ozone.

#10 Hardness of water. If your tank is properly saturated with a good balance of Calcium and Magnesium, your skimmer will run far more efficiently. This is far more important than the salinity in my experience.

Those two factors can make more difference than any of your other parameters, aside from #6: the type of skimmer itself. Ideally, address #9 and #10 together, because ozone does strip calcium from your water. Get a good calcium reactor and turn it loose, then pump ozone into your skimmer whenever the ORP drops in your tank.


I do believe in a "perfect" skimmer, however. :yehoo:

Euro-Reef (now Reef Dynamics) in-sump skimmers. The impeller outperforms all others on the market for finely chopping up the air into foam. (which in turn increases its performance when used with ozone)

I have been involved with aquariums since I was in grade school, but the first time I tried a Euro-Reef skimmer (after many, many inferior skimmers) was the day the entire hobby changed for me.


P.S. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Eric]

I trashed my "OVER PRICED" Euro Reef RC250 and went back to beckett skimmers MY Reef Creations got it all over Reef Dynamics. This is just my opinion however used both not trying to start a contest.

 

[Reddog170]

I will stay with my freebie Coralife Super Skimmer. Works like a champ and even when I tried out an ASM G2 it did not match what I have now. shaun

 

[DBrinson]

I trashed my "OVER PRICED" Euro Reef RC250 and went back to beckett skimmers MY Reef Creations got it all over Reef Dynamics. This is just my opinion however used both not trying to start a contest.

Eric, feel free to start an "ammonia seeding" contest with me anytime!

90% of what I've learned in this hobby was from other people who genuinely enjoyed telling me how wrong I was.

I never even have to admit when I'm wrong, I just quietly change my tactics/equipment when the other guy wasn't paying attention :fingerx:

 

[steved13]

I use an I-tech 100. It's about $450 with the tunze pump. Made by a very small company. As long as the water level stays constant, it's pretty much set and forget...just empty and clean a couple of times a week.

 

[Eric]

Eric, feel free to start an "ammonia seeding" contest with me anytime!

90% of what I've learned in this hobby was from other people who genuinely enjoyed telling me how wrong I was.

I never even have to admit when I'm wrong, I just quietly change my tactics/equipment when the other guy wasn't paying attention :fingerx:

Your not wrong at all, the skimmers work well as far as those types of skimmers go but they are way over priced for the product.

 

[steved13]

Ahh "ammonia seeding contest" It took me a few minutes to figure that one out...LOL

 

[mgraf]

Can anyone say "Algae Scrubber" without a bunch of protein skimmer fans bashimg him. I run both a skimmer and a scrubber. Get a cup of skimmate a week, Scrubber grows lots of algae. Nitrates test out to zero, Phosphates test out at 0, No algae in tank. Knock on wood

 

[redneckgearhead]

Can anyone say "Algae Scrubber" without a bunch of protein skimmer fans bashimg him. I run both a skimmer and a scrubber. Get a cup of skimmate a week, Scrubber grows lots of algae. Nitrates test out to zero, Phosphates test out at 0, No algae in tank. Knock on wood

Not very often. LOL Yea Im an ATS fan myself.