Can I overskim

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
P

Pig8enis

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 15, 2011
120
0
0
Alachua, fl
I was in the process of starting a large reef system. Due to space constraints I have decided at this juncture it is not an option. I have a reef octopus skimmer rated for 200 gallons and would like to know if it will be too much for my tank.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/octopus-extreme-200-protein-skimmer.html
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/octopus-extreme-200-protein-skimmer.html
That is the skimmer I have. I have made a concrete decision to skim and would raged not have to buy another skimmer.
 
You cannot overskim. The general rule of thumb for skimmers is to ALWAYS buy a skimmer rated for bigger than your tank
 
You can have skimmate that is too wet, but that is simply a matter of tuning. But the answer is that no, you can't really overskim. The proteins that form on the surface of the bubbles will either be present or not. Oversizing the skimmer will ensure you are adequately skimming.
 
Ok I guess my major concern was heat generation as well. The tank is a 75 gallon. I asked my LFS and he said that is would generate way too much heat for the tank size to handle. I guess My next question would be if a 4 bulb T5 system at about 200 watts would be sufficient. My only other option to pumP wattage into my tank is a halide ballast and I am fairly sure that I would boil my animals.
 
Yeah the big problem with halides on a standard height tank is heat. You would probably need a chiller to run halides on a 75 lol. It all depends what you are trying to house in your DT, if you are going with hard corals you would probably want a HO light fixture, but if you are just trying to have soft corals and nems a 4 bulb t-5 would do ya just fine. There is a formula for watts per gallon for corals but i dont remember what it is. Just make sure you run actinic/10000k bulbs.
 
I'll probably just get 2 t5 fixtures. I figure the extra hundred dollars is going to be better in the long run anyway. Chillers eat up electricity from what I hear. Iono I would like to keep a crocea clam.
 
2 fixtures would work very well, just watch the heat for the first week or two to make sure they dont heat up the water. Ive never had any experience with chillers so i dont know if they eat up electricity or not but it wouldnt surprise me if they did.
 
i guess my original question still stands though. how big do you usually go over with a skimmer. this skimmer is like 2.5 times higher than my tank. Which might not seem like a big deal but his thing is made to run 200 gallon tanks i am concerned about the transfer of heat from the motor. this is what my lfs owner said at least. any credence.
 
I guess i just dont really have any experience with a skimmer that big. I have a 75 and I currently have a coralife superskimmer 125 on it and the motor doesnt get that warm. I also have mine running in a sump under the tank and it keeps the water warm enough to not need a heater inside of the sump but it doesnt get the water above 75. Worst case scenario i guess my opinion is all you can do is try it. When you are curing your live rock turn your skimmer and lights on for 24 or 36 hours and see how warm the water gets. Thats really the only way you will be sure what it does. And if it does get too warm, take your heater out of your tank, use your skimmer as your heater lol
 
No amount of T5 fixtures is going to cause heat issues. That is one of the main benefits of T5's over metal halides, I have literally set up tanks with T5's covering every inch of the water surface. However, I know plenty of people running halides without a chiller. It is really just a case by case basis that varies depending on the brand, style, number, duration run, and distance from the water surface of the halide fixtures. I would have a hard time believing that two 150w halide pendants over a 75 gallon for approximately 8 hours a day would cause significant heat issues, you may see a slight increase if any. Where you see problems with temperature is when you get into the 250-400 watt setups and when dealing with a small tank. There are a ton of 29 gallon bio cubes that come with 150watt halides and don't include a chiller, never heard of anyone having a problem. That is on a tank less than half the size of yours with the bulb almost directly on the water and sealed inside a hood with minimal ventilation. I would keep my options open if I were you. Every light system has it's advantages and disadvantages, do your due diligence and study up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom