POLL: Do skimmers remove nitrate and phosphate?

[Miami Reef]

I’d like to see what people think about this. I’m not looking for right or wrong answers; just vote what you think.

When I say nitrate and phosphate, I mean the same nutrients that our test kits show.

Edit: Please ignore the grammatical error for the first option. It should read “remove.”

 

[Reefer Matt]

My understanding is that they remove dissolved organics before they can break down into free ammonia.

 

[KStatefan]

I voted but really wanted to post this.

No, protein skimmers themselves do not directly remove nitrate and phosphate from aquarium water. Here's why:

• Skimmer Function: Protein skimmers primarily remove dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) from the water column. These DOCs can include proteins, dissolved fish waste, and other organic matter.
• Nitrate and Phosphate Formation: Nitrates and phosphates are the byproducts of the breakdown of these organic compounds by bacteria in the aquarium.

How Skimmers Indirectly Help:

• Reducing Organic Load: By efficiently removing DOCs, skimmers prevent these compounds from accumulating and ultimately breaking down into nitrates and phosphates. This helps to control nutrient levels in the long term.

Other Methods for Nitrate and Phosphate Removal:

• Water Changes: Regular water changes are essential for removing accumulated nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Refugiums: Refugiums with macroalgae can effectively consume nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Chemical Filtration: Products like GFO (granular ferric oxide) can absorb phosphates from the water.
  
  
• Biopellets: These provide a substrate for bacteria that consume nitrates.

In Summary:

While protein skimmers play a crucial role in maintaining water quality by removing organic matter, they are not the primary tools for directly reducing nitrate and phosphate levels. A combination of methods, including water changes, refugiums, and chemical filtration, is often necessary for effective nutrient control in a reef aquarium.

Disclaimer the above is AI and I did not read any of it prior to posting.

 

[Miami Reef]

I voted but really wanted to post this.

No, protein skimmers themselves do not directly remove nitrate and phosphate from aquarium water. Here's why:

• Skimmer Function: Protein skimmers primarily remove dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) from the water column. These DOCs can include proteins, dissolved fish waste, and other organic matter.
• Nitrate and Phosphate Formation: Nitrates and phosphates are the byproducts of the breakdown of these organic compounds by bacteria in the aquarium.

How Skimmers Indirectly Help:

• Reducing Organic Load: By efficiently removing DOCs, skimmers prevent these compounds from accumulating and ultimately breaking down into nitrates and phosphates. This helps to control nutrient levels in the long term.

Other Methods for Nitrate and Phosphate Removal:

• Water Changes: Regular water changes are essential for removing accumulated nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Refugiums: Refugiums with macroalgae can effectively consume nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Chemical Filtration: Products like GFO (granular ferric oxide) can absorb phosphates from the water.
  
  
• Biopellets: These provide a substrate for bacteria that consume nitrates.

In Summary:

While protein skimmers play a crucial role in maintaining water quality by removing organic matter, they are not the primary tools for directly reducing nitrate and phosphate levels. A combination of methods, including water changes, refugiums, and chemical filtration, is often necessary for effective nutrient control in a reef aquarium.

Disclaimer the above is AI and I did not read any of it prior to posting.

Haha

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As noted, nitrate and phosphate themselves cannot be skimmed out because they do not absorb at the air water interface.

Organics containing N and P may be skimmable, and removing them before something consumes them can have a nitrate or phosphate reducing effect.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I was meant to start a thread with a similar question.

I have one system were nitrates and phosphates are added daily, there is no feeding and no fish in that system although the cup keeps on filling and nitrate and phosphate stay constant, without raising.

My thoughts is that my addition of carbon transforms nitrate and phosphate into organic matter thus removing them via protein skimmer.

Would this be considered exporting nitrate and phosphate via protein skimmer?

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I voted but really wanted to post this.

No, protein skimmers themselves do not directly remove nitrate and phosphate from aquarium water. Here's why:

• Skimmer Function: Protein skimmers primarily remove dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) from the water column. These DOCs can include proteins, dissolved fish waste, and other organic matter.
• Nitrate and Phosphate Formation: Nitrates and phosphates are the byproducts of the breakdown of these organic compounds by bacteria in the aquarium.

How Skimmers Indirectly Help:

• Reducing Organic Load: By efficiently removing DOCs, skimmers prevent these compounds from accumulating and ultimately breaking down into nitrates and phosphates. This helps to control nutrient levels in the long term.

Other Methods for Nitrate and Phosphate Removal:

• Water Changes: Regular water changes are essential for removing accumulated nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Refugiums: Refugiums with macroalgae can effectively consume nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Chemical Filtration: Products like GFO (granular ferric oxide) can absorb phosphates from the water.
  
  
• Biopellets: These provide a substrate for bacteria that consume nitrates.

In Summary:

While protein skimmers play a crucial role in maintaining water quality by removing organic matter, they are not the primary tools for directly reducing nitrate and phosphate levels. A combination of methods, including water changes, refugiums, and chemical filtration, is often necessary for effective nutrient control in a reef aquarium.

Disclaimer the above is AI and I did not read any of it prior to posting.

Ahhh!

 

[Miami Reef]

My thoughts is that my addition of carbon transforms nitrate and phosphate into organic matter thus removing them via protein skimmer.

Would this be considered exporting nitrate and phosphate via protein skimmer?

You’re correct about that. If bacteria grow with carbon dosing, the N & P they used will be skimmed along with them.

My question was more about if skimmers can directly remove the nutrient in their inorganic form. I wanted to see where community stands.

I think it’s a relatively common misconception that skimmers can directly remove both.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Would this be considered exporting nitrate and phosphate via protein skimmer?

You can call it that. Folks just need to understand what is removed directly and what may need to be changed into something else to be removed, to understand how it may relate to their situation.

 

[Reefering1]

You’re correct about that. If bacteria grow with carbon dosing, the N & P they used will be skimmed along with them.

My question was more about if skimmers can directly remove the nutrient in their inorganic form. I wanted to see where community stands.

I think it’s a relatively common misconception that skimmers can directly remove both.

No. @Reefer Matt hit the nail on the head

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think it’s a relatively common misconception that skimmers can directly remove both.

I agree that many folks misunderstand the process.

 

[sixty_reefer]

You can call it that. Folks just need to understand what is removed directly and what may need to be changed into something else to be removed, to understand how it may relate to their situation.

I’ve always referred to it as transforming inorganic nutrients into organic nutrients, I understand the wording may be misleading for some as I consider bacteria and Protozoa nutrients for some organisms in our tanks.

 

[sixty_reefer]

You’re correct about that. If bacteria grow with carbon dosing, the N & P they used will be skimmed along with them.

My question was more about if skimmers can directly remove the nutrient in their inorganic form. I wanted to see where community stands.

I think it’s a relatively common misconception that skimmers can directly remove both.

To be fully honest it would be possible for some of the foam in the protein skimmer to contain inorganic phosphate and nitrates but this would be so minimal to even mention.
It’s my understanding that we cannot export inorganic efficiently through a protein skimmer unless something is added such as Lanthanum that would bind inorganic phosphate and export them this way.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I voted but really wanted to post this.

No, protein skimmers themselves do not directly remove nitrate and phosphate from aquarium water. Here's why:

• Skimmer Function: Protein skimmers primarily remove dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) from the water column. These DOCs can include proteins, dissolved fish waste, and other organic matter.
• Nitrate and Phosphate Formation: Nitrates and phosphates are the byproducts of the breakdown of these organic compounds by bacteria in the aquarium.

How Skimmers Indirectly Help:

• Reducing Organic Load: By efficiently removing DOCs, skimmers prevent these compounds from accumulating and ultimately breaking down into nitrates and phosphates. This helps to control nutrient levels in the long term.

Other Methods for Nitrate and Phosphate Removal:

• Water Changes: Regular water changes are essential for removing accumulated nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Refugiums: Refugiums with macroalgae can effectively consume nitrates and phosphates.
  
  
• Chemical Filtration: Products like GFO (granular ferric oxide) can absorb phosphates from the water.
  
  
• Biopellets: These provide a substrate for bacteria that consume nitrates.

In Summary:

While protein skimmers play a crucial role in maintaining water quality by removing organic matter, they are not the primary tools for directly reducing nitrate and phosphate levels. A combination of methods, including water changes, refugiums, and chemical filtration, is often necessary for effective nutrient control in a reef aquarium.

Disclaimer the above is AI and I did not read any of it prior to posting.

There is so many mistakes with this post that is hard to even start with question!

For a start bacteria and macro algae’s don’t consume nitrate and phosphate to my knowledge they assimilate those nutrients.

A protein skimmer can easily be a primary method of export nitrates and phosphate depending on the method chosen by the aquarist. Ex. Carbon dosing and lanthanum dosing to protein skimmer.

(This is how I would personally deal with Ai comments)

 

[Doctorgori]

No but “Steady Chem 2025” does

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No but “Steady Chem 2025” does

There’s little it doesn’t do!

 

[KStatefan]

There is so many mistakes with this post that is hard to even start with question!

For a start bacteria and macro algae’s don’t consume nitrate and phosphate to my knowledge they assimilate those nutrients.

A protein skimmer can easily be a primary method of export nitrates and phosphate depending on the method chosen by the aquarist. Ex. Carbon dosing and lanthanum dosing to protein skimmer.

(This is how I would personally deal with Ai comments)

What?

 

[sixty_reefer]

What?

You should read before posting. It would avoid your confusion!

Disclaimer the above is AI and I did not read any of it prior to posting.

 

[sixty_reefer]

To be fully honest it would be possible for some of the foam in the protein skimmer to contain inorganic phosphate and nitrates but this would be so minimal to even mention.
It’s my understanding that we cannot export inorganic efficiently through a protein skimmer unless something is added such as Lanthanum that would bind inorganic phosphate and export them this way.

Ive voted not sure. After giving it a little thought it kinda feels that the right answer would be it just removes phosphates.

 

[Dan_P]

What?

Let’s just say if this was a sporting event, I would bet on AI to win against this responder most of the time.

In Silico AI 1
Human AI 0