# ProteinSkimmer Really needed?



## kilicar

Hey all im setting up my 55 gallon tank for salt, i was told by my lfs that i need a protein skimmer and its nothing but a plastic tube with a airstone hooked up to my pump....what is this doing? i dont see why its needed....is it?


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## nismo driver

the type pf skimmer you described is the most basic but what all skimmers do is create bubble that cause the protiens to be removed from the water.. there does need to be some form of protien removal and skimmers are the most effective way to tdo it, if you go skimmerles youll need to do frequent water changes.. you should research skmmers and find teh right one before you just buy the crap they try to sell you at the lfs ...


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## kilicar

I got the cheapest, i just wanted to see it set it up, while i was shopping for the best.....im a ebay fan but still not sure what is good, what type/brand do you recommend?


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## nismo driver

for a HOB aqua-c makes some good ones. ive have personally never used a hob skimmer though..

dont get a seaclone


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## Coldfire

For a HOB skimmer, definitely go with the Aqua-C Remora. If you are going to run a sump, then go with EuroReef or Tunze.


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## nismo driver

cold fire ever hear of or see a bermuda aquatics? one of the more repuatble LFS has one for 250 the BPS c3 and they apparently are pretty good. they had a larger one skimming a row of there display tanks and working great.


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## Coldfire

I have never seen one in action, but I have heard about them. They look like a cross between the Euroreef or Burlin skimmers sitting on a Aqua-C base (EV style). I presume their "anti-clogging" system is a spray induced bubble system similar to the Aqua-C's product. What kind of skimmate is the LFS's pulling, and how much? I know that there are tons of skimmers out there on the market, but most need some sort of tweaking for them to preform up to par.


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## redbellyjx ©

to answer your question... NO a skimmer is NOT needed.

This depends on your hobby experience. There are other ways to provide nutrient export such as a refugium with a deep sand bed and macro algae.

The deep sand bed helps with reducing nitrates and the macro algae eats up phosphates. I started my refugium because i dont have that powerful enough skimmer for my tank. Plus i wanted to save energy by being able to not run the skimmer all day.

However, most people will tell you a skimmer is necessary.


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## nismo driver

Coldfire said:


> I have never seen one in action, but I have heard about them. They look like a cross between the Euroreef or Burlin skimmers sitting on a Aqua-C base (EV style). I presume their "anti-clogging" system is a spray induced bubble system similar to the Aqua-C's product. What kind of skimmate is the LFS's pulling, and how much? I know that there are tons of skimmers out there on the market, but most need some sort of tweaking for them to preform up to par.


they had it skimming kind of dry and it was pulling some nasty looking gunk out, the drain was hooked up to a two or three gallon jug that was just about full and it was pulling that weekly. i would say it was running on atleast 500 gallon section of the lfs that housed there anenome displays, nano coral frags, nano sized rocks, fish and cleaner crews, atleat 16 tanks with a huge rubbermaid sump


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## Coldfire

ND - Are you looking at the BPS-3C for your 20g reef? If so, that would be a huge skimmer for that size tank (which gets me excited BTW). I am sure that that much of a "over-rated" sized skimmer, it would definitely pull tons of crap from your tank.

Rogue (HOB) - 30-200G
BPS-3C - 150-300G 
BPS-5C - 300-500G 
BPS-8C - 400-800G 
BPS-K10 - 800-1000G
BPS-K14 - 1000-1400G


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## Sheppard

Good responses so far.

I find that alot of mixed opinions on skimmers. YES they are definitley beneficial, but absolutely necessary..no.

I have seen alot of very simple setups that had great healthy corals. Simple setups meaning skimmerless and even sumpless.
BUT, they look great in 1 picture that took 1 second to take. Its all the behind the scenes stuff you have to do in order to maintain a tank with no skimmer. Like mentioned before, be prepared for frequent waterchanges.

I definitley run a skimmer although I may be in the market for a new one now. Mine overflowed with regular tank water and got it everywhere! I don't know how I can maintain the water level within the skimmer.

just shop around and you'll find a decent priced one.


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## nismo driver

Coldfire said:


> ND - Are you looking at the BPS-3C for your 20g reef? If so, that would be a huge skimmer for that size tank (which gets me excited BTW). I am sure that that much of a "over-rated" sized skimmer, it would definitely pull tons of crap from your tank.
> 
> Rogue (HOB) - 30-200G
> BPS-3C - 150-300G
> BPS-5C - 300-500G
> BPS-8C - 400-800G
> BPS-K10 - 800-1000G
> BPS-K14 - 1000-1400G


bps-3c for the 45 gallon

however plans changed my car has got to sh1t so i had to replace it and scrap plans for more upgrades, which honestyl i can still have a nice tank with out the upgrades.. i need to lay off the reef crack atleast until the new tank setup is paid off.. im thinking i will have to grow and harvest my coral to support my habit.. so in about six to ten months i should be able to frag some sps to finance some upgrades


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## Coldfire

nismo driver said:


> bps-3c for the 45 gallon
> 
> however plans changed my car has got to sh1t so i had to replace it and scrap plans for more upgrades, which honestyl i can still have a nice tank with out the upgrades.. *i need to lay off the reef crack atleast until the new tank setup is paid off.. *im thinking i will have to grow and harvest my coral to support my habit.. so in about six to ten months i should be able to frag some sps to finance some upgrades












yeah, that 3c would pound a 45g tank. Over skimming is music to my ears!

I have been eating some reef crack the past few weeks, (e.g. new SPS frags, crabs, etc..). As you know I designed the plans for the new refuge, which I need to go make sure a LFS will drill it for me. Once I get that up and running I am going to hit the SPS's hard again.

Do you know how to ship SPS frags, or are you going to sell locally?


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## redbellyman21

coralife skimmers are damn good too, they are great for the price, I have 2 of the 125 models HOB setup and they produce some great removal of protein matter.


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## Alexraptor

Are skimmers needed? I don't beleive there is a straight answer to this.

If your keeping a rather simple system with lesser demanding corals then no. Some corals do require nutrient rich waters and then skimming might even be detrimental for their health.
However a lot of other species like acropora's need total pristine water quality for healthy growth.


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## nismo driver

Alexraptor said:


> Are skimmers needed? I don't beleive there is a straight answer to this.
> 
> If your keeping a rather simple system with lesser demanding corals then no. Some corals do require nutrient rich waters and then skimming might even be detrimental for their health.
> However a lot of other species like acropora's need total pristine water quality for healthy growth.


yes an no, the number one limiting factor to keeping corals that thrieve in nutrient rich waters is that those nutrients break down and convert into waste which is why you should have skimmer and why you cannot duplicate the nutrient rich environment of the ocean, all but the largest captive systems do not have the biological capacity to handle sustained high levels of nutrients..

even the ocean has its own skmmer, waves and rocky shore lines act as a skimmer and add to the complex system of nutrient export in teh ocean.


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## maddyfish

I ran my 75 for about a year with no skimmer/ 75 pounds of good cured live rock, 50 pounds of DIY rock, and a very lightly fed 2" damsel. No other fish. Worked fine, but that was a nearly non- existant bio-load. ANy more than that and a skimmer is needed. I currently have the damsel, a clown and a yellow tank in the 75 with a 20 long sump and an AquaC remora pro skimmer.


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## nismo driver

maddyfish said:


> I ran my 75 for about a year with no skimmer/ 75 pounds of good cured live rock, 50 pounds of DIY rock, and a very lightly fed 2" damsel. No other fish. Worked fine, but that was a nearly non- existant bio-load. ANy more than that and a skimmer is needed. I currently have the damsel, a clown and a yellow tank in the 75 with a 20 long sump and an AquaC remora pro skimmer.


what else was in the tank other then the damsel? like what kinds of coral ?

protien skimmers are just removing fish waste, butwith a low bio load like that water changes can handle most of the nutrient export..
i ran my 10 gallon nano for three or four months with no skimmer, then my 20 long with no skimmer for a few months and when i did finally put a skimmer on it the skimmate wasnt that impressive, low bioload makes a difference


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## Coldfire

Not to de-rail from the topic if a skimmer is needed or not, but here is a question for Aqua-C Remora users:

I currently run a Aqua-C Remora with the max pump they sell with them (MJ1200, 295gph). Granted, I said a Remora not the Remora Pro which can be upgraded to a Mag3 (350 gph). My question is this, what is the max GPH pump that I could put on the Remora to boost preformance? I was looking at a two pumps, one rated in the 400 gph range, and another rated in the 600 gph range. I wonder if I could put a 600 gph pump on the Aqua-C Remora which "would" enhance its preformance or if the skimmer could actually handle that type of gph ran throught it? Anyone know?


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## nismo driver

does the remora use a venturi type system? lets say you ro put a higher power pump on it and its too much, you could mod the impeller to chop more bubles and slow it down a bit. im not sure if this would even increase the productivity but more bubbles = better.. stronger pump = more bubbles...


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## maddyfish

nismo driver said:


> what else was in the tank other then the damsel? like what kinds of coral ?


That was before I started into coral. Just the damsel, some snails, some hermits, the rock, and a cleaner shrimp.


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## Ægir

On my 55gal i use a modified Seaclone 100 that was almost a freebie... they are crap to begin with but after about 2 hours of modding it, i am happy with what it pulls out.... i just added a big wooden air stone, and mesh modded the pump, and venturi intake.... so it was all about 10$ or so if you can get your hands on a discarded one its better than nothing until you upgrade down the road... oh and add an overflow cause the skimmer cut is tiny, fillin it up with nasty ass paste that smells like roadkill in the Arizona desert ... SWEET!


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## Alexraptor

Ummm Skimmers pull out A LOT more than just fishwaste. It pulls out any organic sludge basicly.
If skimmers just pulled out fish waste then my skimmer cup would be virtually empty as the only fish wise livestock i have is a pair of eviota nano gobies. But i have much more than that, i have crabs, snails, hermits, starfish, corals LPS and SPS as well as softies even seasquirts and sponges.


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