Skimmer operation question

[ac7av]

I have been reading many posts about skimmers, the sizes and nasty smelling stuff you can get out of them, wet, dry or whatever. What is the skimmer doing for the system and why are you using one? It seems that most of the stuff it is taking out of the water could be used as food for the corals and other filter feeders in the tank. I have also seen people talking about not using one on small tanks because it’s just not worth the space and the water changes will do the same thing anyway. Why would this not apply on a larger tank? We are just talking about percentages aren’t we? Does it matter to a skimmer if its 10 gallons or 100 gallons on how effective it will be to the system and 20% water change of 10 gallons would be the same effect as 20% of 100 gallons? I guess I am just questioning if I even need to run one at all. I have run one on my tank since I started it. Why? Because everyone else says you need to have a good one. I have gone weeks with out having to empty the cup or even seen any foaming in the top of the cup, and in other time when, I am probable doing something stupid I mite have to empty it every day or even twice a day. Now that my tank is about a year old and I just don’t empty the cup except to clean it out because the stuff nearly evaporates as fast as I get some product in it. How many of you have just gone without the skimmer at all and to what effects if any in doing so?

 

[aquariumdebacle]

Protein skimming has mainly to due with removing organic protein from the water column. The portein molecule in paticular has a water hating (hydrophobic, think oil) and a hydrophyllic (think vinegar) side to the molecule. One side is very attracted to water while the other side tries to extend out of the water column. This means that any air-water interface (such as the surface) will attract protein molecules. This is what produces the "surface film" that you may see on the top of water in some aquariums. This film will prevent gas exchange. The more surface area you have (small bubbles) and the longer they are in contact with the water column (dwell time) the more effecient the skimmer and the more it will remove.

 

[luke33]

A tank without a protein skimmer is like the ocean without waves.

 

[g0rFz]

how big of a tank do you have and what kind of skimmer do you got? i have a 75 and i can pull out a cup of stuff in a day if i skim really wet, so you should def. be getting more than you are now. i would screw with the settings you have because you should always see a little foam around the top of your skimmer as this is just bubbles created from your skimmer...basically meaning perhaps it isnt working right?

 

[ac7av]

Well I cant say what kind of skimmer if it because it is almost all been modded to fit my system and budget so you could say I bought a cheep one to use parts that I could not figure out how to make and made it my own. I had looked at some skimmers that were in operation in people’s tanks that spent big bucks on them and saw how they worked. I had made an air powered one for a fresh water tank that worked well, at least I think it did. Don’t get me wrong I can make that thing put out some product. I should have been more accurate in saying that there is foam in the cylinder but the bubbles will break down faster then it will fill into the cup. I do get a very small amount in the cup that is produced overnight when the lights are off. It is such a small amount I would not have to empty it for a month. I use to get more but decided after reading much about the refugium to start leaving the lights on 24/7 in it. If I over feed that tank or dose vodka, or something other then just normally feed the stuff in the tank that baby can spit out some nasty amounts of stuff, so there is no doubt to me that the thing is working and I do adjust it regularly. When I first got it up and running I spend some time experimenting on the settings and the output over a period of time and have found a good sweet spot. I have what would be considered by most to be a light load on the tank. I feed 100 gallons worth the reef chilly daily, I put a 2in square piece of nori in daily and a silver side or shrimp in daily. I have some other supplements that only go in once or twice a week on top of that.

The tank is a 210 AGA mixed reef, 1134 watts of light on main tank, with 200lb sand, close to 300lb rock, and around 40 gallons in the sump when running.

I am not trying to figure out if the skimmer is working, I am pretty sure it is. The questions is, who is running large tanks with out one and how are they doing and how do they get around any buildup that will accumulate in the tank?

The LFS has a large display tank, mixed reef type, NO skimmer and never had one on it. I would place it in the category of mid to heavy load tank. He uses a canister filter and a small HOB refugium that looks like its big enough for a 20 gallon tank. They only do the normal water changes and it looks great all the time. The real sucky part is they pretty much ignore it. I wish I could do that to mine. I have talked to the owner about it many times and he does have a minimalist approach to the saltwater tanks and it sure work’s for him.

I am really starting to wonder why I have the stuff on the tank that people do without that don’t seem to make any impact on the health of the tank in the long run?

 

[ac7av]

Aquariumdebacle describes the process of what is going on very clearly. Wouldn’t the organic proteins be beneficial in some way to many organisms in a reef tank? Why take out food just to put some back in or is this type of protein not useable for some reason? Now everyone can understand the surface area and tension over the area. If there was a film over the entire tank how would you exchange gasses? Not very well I would guess. With the overflow box in the tank the surface is skimmed off, is the stuff collected in the filter pad in the skimmer box the same as the stuff the active protein skimmer is trying to clear out of the water? I ask this only because it looks and smells the same.

 

[g0rFz]

i *think* kenargo said he ran his tank without a skimmer for a long time with good results but ended up adding one once he started sps domination (dont quote me this was like 9 months ago) but he has a kick ass tank and i agree it can be done very effectively...

i wanna hear what mark has to say about this subject although the best thing i can think of is "skim everything out and add what YOU want" surely not all the proteins in there can be used for food.

 

[ac7av]

DonW wrote on another thread.

“Quantity of skimmate has nothing to do with rating. Excess skimmate production is a clue to how well a tank is maintained. The tunze fails in low nutrient systems and will not skim a tank that is already somewhat clean. If you want a "clean" sps system the tunze will fall short of clean. For softies or other high nutrient systems it will produce skimmate all day long.”

I am not talking about the tunze part but low and high nutrient systems. What does not make sense here is ( I know he was not answering my question here but he brings up a question) the quantity of skimmate. If the quantity has to do with how well the tank is maintained then should you get a lot or a little in a well maintained tank? Does too little mean I am starving the tank or is it just clean. I have lps and softies should I have a lot and this means I am starving my tank?