Protein skimmer?
- Thread starter davet
- Start date
Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure salt water is needed for a protein skimmer to even work.
-Cobizzle
-Cobizzle
i think they can be used in freshwater but they are more essential in saltwater. if im wrong anyone let me know. 
The salinity level would have to be very high for it to work.
Very simply put, skimmers rely on the way in which waste attaches itself to foamy bubbles. The skimmer produces the foam by injecting air into a reaction chamber and the waste floats away on the bubbles into a collection cup. Freshwater will not foam like salt water does, so you will not get nearly the same results.
Again very simply put, salt water is difficult to reproduce exactly, so water changes are difficult. Protein skimmers, chemical filtration, and the like are for minimizing water changes by reducing waste. Fresh water is easy to change and is very inexpensive. The cost of the skimmer, its operation, etc. is more than offset by the ease and cheapness of water changes in fresh water. Add to that the fact the skimmers pretty much don't work in fresh, and you'd be wasting your effort on a skimmer.
Now, that all is just a general description. Skimmers ARE used in koi ponds and some other very dirty, highly organic situations, but you'd never want a home aquarium to get into that situation........especially when changing water is such a cheaper and healthier solution!
Very simply put, skimmers rely on the way in which waste attaches itself to foamy bubbles. The skimmer produces the foam by injecting air into a reaction chamber and the waste floats away on the bubbles into a collection cup. Freshwater will not foam like salt water does, so you will not get nearly the same results.
Again very simply put, salt water is difficult to reproduce exactly, so water changes are difficult. Protein skimmers, chemical filtration, and the like are for minimizing water changes by reducing waste. Fresh water is easy to change and is very inexpensive. The cost of the skimmer, its operation, etc. is more than offset by the ease and cheapness of water changes in fresh water. Add to that the fact the skimmers pretty much don't work in fresh, and you'd be wasting your effort on a skimmer.
Now, that all is just a general description. Skimmers ARE used in koi ponds and some other very dirty, highly organic situations, but you'd never want a home aquarium to get into that situation........especially when changing water is such a cheaper and healthier solution!