What are the 3 basic requirements of a skimmer?

[Marquiseo]

lol I have to read your article then because I thought those were the basic functioingn portions of any basic skimmer.

Ill go deeper.

Air source - Without this, bubbles will not generate; on a venturi style pump, water would just overflow. In airstone driven skimmers, you need air to go through the lime stone or other diffuser ie air pump.
Body - without a body, you will just have a pump generating bubbles in your tank and for an airstone, it would be no different from you just adding a regular airstone in your tank
Collection - Without a collection source, the skimmate will just spill back into the tank.

 

[twilliard]

L

Aeration
organic waste removal
excess bacterial component removal.
Make wife happy.
not in that order.

Love this one!!

 

[redfishbluefish]

Wife driving...last chance:

1. Gas exchange
2. Poop removal....proteins and other nasty organic stuff.
3. Removal of nitrates/phosphates by removing organic nitrate/phosphate complexes and bacteria loaded with nitrates and phosphates.

 

[twilliard]

I will soon give the answers on the basic 3 functions..

@revhtree will my article be back up soon?

 

[twilliard]

Wife driving...last chance:

1. Gas exchange
2. Poop removal....proteins and other nasty organic stuff.
3. Removal of nitrates/phosphates by removing organic nitrate/phosphate complexes and bacteria loaded with nitrates and phosphates.

Yes!! You are on the right track!!

 

[Anthony kolodziej]

^^^^ this

 

[Marquiseo]

Silly me...I'm confusing functions with components.


1. DOC removal
2. Water Clarity
3. Gas Exchange

 

[Frick]

You really only need two for a functioning protein skimmer.

1. To provide as much surface area of air to water as long as possible in a relatively small closed area.
2. Then to collect the debris from the air tension in an efficient way to where it does not get mixed back in with the water source.

If we are talking about a reef aquarium specific protein skimmer than #3 can be a lot of things. Make it cheap, make it quiet, let the least amount of air back in system, add LEDs with lighting mode, etc.