Two skimmers

[Jon M.]

Anyone ever run two skimmers in one sump? I have an extra lying around and wonder if it is worth it.

 

[Mjrenz]

Anyone ever run two skimmers in one sump? I have an extra lying around and wonder if it is worth it.

I would ask myself if my tank needs it, is my current skimmer large enough, and will I remove too much and harm my corals?

 

[Clownfishy]

I have often wondered about this but for from a resilience perspective. If our skimmer failed and I am working away, it would be quite an issue. However, running two would resolve this.

 

[FlyPenFly]

It usually won't work unless you have a massive system with high turn over or two very undersized skimmers. They seem to negate each other out in most cases and neither will build the foam to skim.

I've wanted to do this so I could run narrow and large neck sizes to pull out more different types of organics.

 

[jda]

Running two skimmers can be really great. No skimmer is 100% efficient (more like 30%), so they don't work against each other. My usual advice is to run two skimmers when you can because even two average skimmers can outwork a single $2k Red Dragon powered skimmer, or the like, and it is not even close.

On one tank, I have a RO with the Sicce PSK pump and also a LifeReef- both pull tons of nasty skim mate. On another tank, I have a ASM G3 and an older ER 12-2 as well as a smaller RO with a Sicce PSK Pump and all three pull tons of junk.

Put them both on and see what happens. I don't think that anybody who has ever done it would tell you that they don't work well.

Ideally, running a uniform bubble size skimmer (needlewheel) and then a variable bubble size (downdraft, beckett or venturi) would compliment each other quite well, but even two of the same works very fine. Neck size, heights, bubble plates or cones really offer nothing and contact time and turbulence is what matters in most skimmers.