help with protein skimmers!!!!

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

cherubael

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2008
67
0
0
australia
hey guys,
i know im asking heaps of questions but you lot know so much so i may as well ask.

I was told to not waste my time with protein skimmers, now im thinking if im getting two eels and some other large waste producers i should get one but i reckon the money would make it a waste, what do you guys think? is it worth it (also im new to sw, so will it make my life easier?)?

and if it is whats a decent skimmer?
 
I think it is always best to use a skimmer depending on your filtration, eg: most people don't use them with ecosystem method or similar.

If your filtration is the standard, eg: trickle or live rock(berlin) then they should always be included in the system. They pull out a dark brown foul smelling liquid which is obviously better out of your tank.

As for the best ones???? I'm glad you asked because i am about to upgrade mine and was going to ask the same question!!!
 
with LR/LRubble? i'd [almost] always add a skimmer to a salt tank. they pull out organics before they can break down in the water column, definitely make life easier.
 
oh god i thought this would happen...one says yes one says no.....lol

yeah there will be a fair bit of live rock in the tank and the guy at the LFS said there isnt a need for one with out corals but im not sure, im kinda up for anything if it makes life easier for the fish.
 
I am very disappointed by your remarks "Reefscape"!! You should understand the "Mechanics" of a fish only system, and how it benefits more than a "reef system", from the use of a Skimmer.
Cherubael, I have kept Marine Predators for "40" years now. And please take the word of someone from the "Old school" I dread to think what would happen to my system without the use of a Skimmer. I employ the use of 150kg (approx 350ibs) of live rock, a "Forrest" of Mangroves to help with filtration. But they alone could not cope with the waste. So I also employ a huge "Deltec AP" skimmer to keep the water quality in harmony.
 
Corals are a lot more sensitive to DOc levels than most fish are. I would say that if you can maintain a water change schedule that can facilitate nitrate levels (as a broad indicator of DOC levels) below 20ppm or so, you could probably do without a skimmer.

that being said, if you're planning on a huge bioload of messy fish in the tank, you might employ one to help keep levels under control rather than doing 50% water changes twice a week due to high organics.
 
cherubael;2305515; said:
I was told to not waste my time with protein skimmers
Click to expand...


who told you this?
what's their address?
and where's my knife?

jk but seriously they must have been out of their gourd..

skimmer are sometimes the only filtration on a tank and they do fine

what kind and what model skimmer is dependant on 2 things, do you have a sump? and what size tank?
 
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