I have a 150 gallon freshwater tank that wouldn't stay clear so I purchased a protein skimmer to remove the DOCs. It started pumping out a nasty yellow liquid on the first day. A while later I read protein skimmers were only for salt water and will not work for freshwater. I add one tablespoon of salt to every 5 gallons and this is what makes it work it also prevents fungus and ich. Unfortunately salt will kill live plants and invertebrates.Hopefully anyone with messy fish will benefit from having a protein skimmer.
Protein skimmer for freshwater tank!
- Thread starter catfishguy
- Start date
Interesting. I have thought about trying this several times. How long has it been running? Any change in the amount of gunk it collects?
Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my SCH-S960L using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
It's only been running a few days and has collected so much DOCs and there hasn't been a change is a change in the amount it's been collecting. It's a bubble magus for 150 - 180 gallon aquariums. Fish are always producing waste and it will quickly dissolve in the water protein skimmers will remove it as soon as it dissolves. Having a protein skimmer will reduce the need for water changes.
I have been using protein skimmers on fresh water for about 20 years, on ponds and tanks.
Fractionation occurs naturally in rapids, under waterfalls and with wave action in fresh water, although it occurs easier in salt water because of its density, but wherever the air water interface is agitated enough, it separates DOCs, proteins and other materials by fractionation.
below is foam produced by my DIY protein skimmer working on my freshwater pond.
Fractionation occurs naturally in rapids, under waterfalls and with wave action in fresh water, although it occurs easier in salt water because of its density, but wherever the air water interface is agitated enough, it separates DOCs, proteins and other materials by fractionation.
below is foam produced by my DIY protein skimmer working on my freshwater pond.
Most freshwater guys miss out on the convenience of a protein skimmer. Glad to see I'm not the only one to use them in freshwater.
Hmm.I have always heard that they do work on freshwater but very minimally.I might have to dust one of mine off and toy with it.
+1 I have an old 50-250 Red sea Berlin skimmer I picked up for $5 been thinking about running it on one of my FW tanks but I wasn't sure which one it would be most effective. I have some messy NW monsters in soft water but I also have a ton of Africans in extremely hard water.....
If you adjust the water intake to minimum the water level is higher inside the skimmer and then produces more foam you can also just submerge it deeper in the tank than recommended.