protein skimmers

[dpatte]

ive been aware of protein skimmers -- mostly for use on salt water tanks, for years.

But I've never had one.

Are they of any use?

Are they of any use on freshwater tanks?

Are there differences in quality?

What skimmer gives the best bang for the buck?

Does anyone have recommendations?

[dpatte]

moved it myself.

[yellowtang]

hello there dave.
 surprise you're asking that.
 skimmers are regularly used for saltwater systems, As you have
 seen in yout tank..........a film which is always on top of you water.
 well , a skimmer will take most of it away.
 a good skimmer which would be good for salt system not freshsystem tanks
 are a H.O.T skimmer.......which means a hanging skimmer.
 Pro remora with a maxijet pump would be good.
 a power pack is also good.
 a prizm is a good basic skimmer
 berlin classic xl with mag 5 pump.
 Just to name a few.
 a skimmer would probably not be to any use for freshwater tank.
 unless you want to spend money .
 if you're thinking of a skimmer......you might want to visit
 www.acrylicity.com.....right out of gatineau.
     

[gator]

Dave, Skimmers work great for saltwater tanks, but not for freshwater.  The reason is that the salt decreases the surface tension of the water, allowing extremely tiny bubbles to be formed from the airstone.    This exponentially increases the surface area of the air/water mix in the skimmer column, thereby increasing the efficiency of the skimmer.
Some people say that Skimmers are not a "natural" component of a reef system because they have no equivalent in nature.  But if you consider sea scum and foam washing up on a beach, I don't think it's a stretch to say that a similar process is going on in nature.

[dannypd]

Dave, Skimmers work great for saltwater tanks, but not for freshwater.  The reason is that the salt decreases the surface tension of the water, allowing extremely tiny bubbles to be formed from the airstone.    This exponentially increases the surface area of the air/water mix in the skimmer column, thereby increasing the efficiency of the skimmer.
Some people say that Skimmers are not a "natural" component of a reef system because they have no equivalent in nature.  But if you consider sea scum and foam washing up on a beach, I don't think it's a stretch to say that a similar process is going on in nature.

Actually, you 'dont' need a protein skimmer, but you'll be spending more money on water changes (salt is pretty expensive here in canada).

[gator]

Well - if you're willing to do daily water changes (3 or 4 percent), you could probably get away without a skimmer - but why bother?  There are other filtration methods that don't employ skimmers, but I think most in the hobby would agree that the Berlin method incorporating protein skimming and lots of live rock is currently the best way to go, especially if you have a reef system containing aggressive corals which emit large quantities of toxins.

[DARKPHREAK]

I ran my tank skimmerless for about 3 months. We added a Remora Pro and I cant believe the amount of skimmate it produces. I agree with gator on this... without a skimmer all that "stuff" would still be in the water doing who knows what to some very expensive coral and fish.

[dannypd]

I ran my tank skimmerless for about 3 months. We added a Remora Pro and I cant believe the amount of skimmate it produces. I agree with gator on this... without a skimmer all that "stuff" would still be in the water doing who knows what to some very expensive coral and fish.

Who knows?  breaking it down ofcourse!  Those proteins break down the calcium on the corals...

...and the result is ammonia and foul smells!  hehe

[DARKPHREAK]

Really OMG I didnt know that....

[dannypd]

Really OMG I didnt know that....

After a few weeks without water changes, you'll notice foam build up on the top...thats the reaction and breakdown.

[DARKPHREAK]

I was being sarcastic...

[dannypd]

I was being sarcastic...

Damn you!!   MY feeble mind cannot take such sarcasm

lol

[DARKPHREAK]

Sorry... just fooling around.

BTW are you on the saltwater forum, AC ?