Skimmer Q&A Thread

[reeftivo]

What is a skimmer?

if you're serious ;)

What is a protein skimmer, and what does it do?​

In the simplest terms, protein skimmer, also known as a foam fractionator, is a device used in saltwater aquariums in the removal of organic wastes, which include fish excrement, undigested food, and proteins. The other main purpose of using protein skimmer is to increase aeration in your aquarium with the removal of organic matter. In other words, protein skimmer allows your fish to get adequate oxygen.

There are several brands and designs of protein skimmers available on the market, and the type you choose depends on your aquarium needs.

Bubble King 130 double cone

 

[Borat]

if you're serious ;)

What is a protein skimmer, and what does it do?​

In the simplest terms, protein skimmer, also known as a foam fractionator, is a device used in saltwater aquariums in the removal of organic wastes, which include fish excrement, undigested food, and proteins. The other main purpose of using protein skimmer is to increase aeration in your aquarium with the removal of organic matter. In other words, protein skimmer allows your fish to get adequate oxygen.

There are several brands and designs of protein skimmers available on the market, and the type you choose depends on your aquarium needs.

Bubble King 130 double cone

Never had one..

 

[optimisticdingo]

A couple of weeks ago I woke up to find all of the fish in my aquarium dead, except for my Bi-Color Blenny. Come to find out my protein skimmer overflowed and I'm assuming the skimmate entering the water killed all of the fish. I thought I had tracked down and corrected the issue but today I got a call from my Wife at work and she told me the tank was looking bad. When I got home I found the skimmer overflowing again and this time the Bi-color Blenny didn't make it. At this point due to the 2 skimmer overflows I've lost over $600 in livestock and stand to lose more depending on if my corals survive this time and I'm not sure what keeps happening.

Originally I thought the problem was due to my top off water containing a high amount of ammonia. We found out that our R/O DI system wasn't good enough to remove all of the Chloramines from the water. Turns our our city has recently increased the amount of Chloramines it is using to purify the water. We upped our system from a 4 stage to a 7 stage R/O DI system and were receiving 0ppm ammonia in the water from the new system. Is there perhaps something else that could be causing my skimmer to overflow like this? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm beginning to wonder if this hobby is for me considering all I've had with my tanks is bad luck. First I had problems with parasites, then I had a tank leak and flood my house, and now this. Tons of money literally flushed down the toilet so I'm trying to avoid having a large loss like this again. Thanks in advance.

 

[Borat]

This is a proper skimmer...

 

[reeftivo]

i agree, although many of us don't have that kind of space for a big fuge. me included!

i run a pax bellum arid chaeto reactor and it helps greatly along with the skimmer.

 

[reeftivo]

A couple of weeks ago I woke up to find all of the fish in my aquarium dead, except for my Bi-Color Blenny. Come to find out my protein skimmer overflowed and I'm assuming the skimmate entering the water killed all of the fish. I thought I had tracked down and corrected the issue but today I got a call from my Wife at work and she told me the tank was looking bad. When I got home I found the skimmer overflowing again and this time the Bi-color Blenny didn't make it. At this point due to the 2 skimmer overflows I've lost over $600 in livestock and stand to lose more depending on if my corals survive this time and I'm not sure what keeps happening.

Originally I thought the problem was due to my top off water containing a high amount of ammonia. We found out that our R/O DI system wasn't good enough to remove all of the Chloramines from the water. Turns our our city has recently increased the amount of Chloramines it is using to purify the water. We upped our system from a 4 stage to a 7 stage R/O DI system and were receiving 0ppm ammonia in the water from the new system. Is there perhaps something else that could be causing my skimmer to overflow like this? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm beginning to wonder if this hobby is for me considering all I've had with my tanks is bad luck. First I had problems with parasites, then I had a tank leak and flood my house, and now this. Tons of money literally flushed down the toilet so I'm trying to avoid having a large loss like this again. Thanks in advance.

how old is the system and what are your water perameters

Skimmer overflow shouldn't kill off your fish. I heard that usually it's a sudden large ammonia spike or the saturated O2 drops too much. You can buy a separate chloramine carbon block to help your RO/DI unit if that's still an issue.

Back to the skimmer! What skimmer is it and which model. Also how deep are you running it?

 

[optimisticdingo]

how old is the system and what are your water perameters

Skimmer overflow shouldn't kill off your fish. I heard that usually it's a sudden large ammonia spike or the saturated O2 drops too much. You can buy a separate chloramine carbon block to help your RO/DI unit if that's still an issue.

Back to the skimmer! What skimmer is it and which model. Also how deep are you running it?

So the rock is over a year old but I recently purchased a new tank as an upgrade so the system has only been set up about two months. The tank was instantly cycled though because of the rock, all that was replaced was the sand bed.

The parameters were like this earlier today after the skimmer had overflowed, and I had just removed the dead fish.
Ammonia - 0.5ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 25ppm
pH - 7.9
Phosphate - 0ppm (I think the levels are just undetectable on my Hannah LR Phosphate Checker)

I'm using the Reef Octopus Classic 200 and it is in about 10in of water.

If the skimmer overflow didn't cause this then I'm not exactly sure what did but both times after I had a die off the skimmer was going crazy and all I did was top off the tank. I checked the top off water I used last night and it contained no ammonia.

 

[reeftivo]

So the rock is over a year old but I recently purchased a new tank as an upgrade so the system has only been set up about two months. The tank was instantly cycled though because of the rock, all that was replaced was the sand bed.

The parameters were like this earlier today after the skimmer had overflowed, and I had just removed the dead fish.
Ammonia - 0.5ppm
Nitrite - 0ppm
Nitrate - 25ppm
pH - 7.9
Phosphate - 0ppm (I think the levels are just undetectable on my Hannah LR Phosphate Checker)

I'm using the Reef Octopus Classic 200 and it is in about 10in of water.

If the skimmer overflow didn't cause this then I'm not exactly sure what did but both times after I had a die off the skimmer was going crazy and all I did was top off the tank. I checked the top off water I used last night and it contained no ammonia.

Octo 200 classic should be in 7.5 to 8.5 inches of water. 10 is way too much. If you have to, build a stand using light diffuser panel and zip ties. Should cost about 20 in materials and you could probably make at least a couple stands.

 

[reeftivo]

Jfyi, You should have no measurable ammonia if the tank is cycled

 

[reeftivo]

Ammonia even in low ppm can be toxic to fish

 

[Borat]

i agree, although many of us don't have that kind of space for a big fuge. me included!

i run a pax bellum arid chaeto reactor and it helps greatly along with the skimmer.

It's a chicken-and-egg situation for you, except it's not Borat's pet chicken involved here..

You put all kinds of unnecessary equiptment in the sump - and then end up not having enough space for refugium (IMO).. A good established refugium replaces both the skimmer, the filter (X-filter, Z-filter and all kinds of alphabet filters) and any kind of nitrate/phosphate reactors. I don't even have filter socks - and my tank seem to process nutrients very effectively. I have to dose nitrates though - as they would be 0 otherwise..

 

[reeftivo]

To each his own. No need to criticize other peoples methods. Skimmers and reactors are very easy to clean and harvest so that's my choice.

 

[Borat]

To each his own. No need to criticize other peoples methods. Skimmers and reactors are very easy to clean and harvest so that's my choice.

some people are sensitive to criticizm or jokes (i am not) i apologies if you got offended by my crticizm and can offer to sacrifice my pet chicken in your name and fortune.

 

[surlytx]

some people are sensitive to criticizm or jokes (i am not) i apologies if you got offended by my crticizm and can offer to sacrifice my pet chicken in your name and fortune.

If the sacrifice comes to pass, will a fried chicken dinner follow?

 

[Borat]

If the sacrifice comes to pass, will a fried chicken dinner follow?

That's kind of the whole purpose I guess - we sit together, eat that poor pet Chicken and both feel a lot better about each other :)

 

[xxxenmsy]

I ran Reef Octopus Regal 200INT in an 80-gallon tank

I have 7 fish (will buy some more later)

I now feel that my skimmer is too big and it produces very little foam head and very little dirty water

What should I do? I don't really want to replace the skimmer
Here's a video of what happened when I reduced the air, but it's not good either

 

[reeftivo]

I ran Reef Octopus Regal 200INT in an 80-gallon tank

I have 7 fish (will buy some more later)

I now feel that my skimmer is too big and it produces very little foam head and very little dirty water

What should I do? I don't really want to replace the skimmer
Here's a video of what happened when I reduced the air, but it's not good either

what water level do you have it submerged in?

 

[reeftivo]

not a lot you can do with that since the neck is big (4.5") and needs more organics to sustain the foam head. i dont really have any suggestions other than leave the air open and run it in less water depth. might get a little noisy though since that will partially expose the effluent.

 

[xxxenmsy]

not a lot you can do with that since the neck is big (4.5") and needs more organics to sustain the foam head. i dont really have any suggestions other than leave the air open and run it in less water depth. might get a little noisy though since that will partially expose the effluent.

I'm thinking about changing the skimming paint. What do you recommend? Within 300 pieces
I'm going to buy Reef Octopus Regal 150INT Is it right for me ？
classic 150int ？Because he's cheaper

 

[xxxenmsy]

not a lot you can do with that since the neck is big (4.5") and needs more organics to sustain the foam head. i dont really have any suggestions other than leave the air open and run it in less water depth. might get a little noisy though since that will partially expose the effluent.

I'm thinking about changing the skimming paint. What do you recommend? Within 300 pieces