Who has replaced their skimmer with an algae scrubber?

[Lylelovett]

Hi all,

I installed an algae-scrubber on my 150gal about 5 months ago, and I love it. Since then, my skimmer has collected about 1-inch, MAYBE, of skimmate. So now I'm wondering if I should just remove my skimmer altogether...

Has anyone replaced their skimmer with an algae-scrubber? Thoughts?

Thanks for your input!

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I leave my skimmer on for gas exchange. I actually turn off my skimmer regularly because I can’t keep minimal levels of nitrate and phosphate

 

[Jekyl]

Hi all,

I installed an algae-scrubber on my 150gal about 5 months ago, and I love it. Since then, my skimmer has collected about 1-inch, MAYBE, of skimmate. So now I'm wondering if I should just remove my skimmer altogether...

Has anyone replaced their skimmer with an algae-scrubber? Thoughts?

Thanks for your input!

I wouldn't give up the gas exchange

 

[RedReefer]

I use both. I would choose a skimmer over a scrubber, if it was one or the other...

 

[Lylelovett]

I use both. I would choose a skimmer over a scrubber, if it was one or the other...

I was just trying to free u some room in my refugium. But the gas exchange is a good point that I hadn't thought of. Thanks!

 

[brmc1985]

I was just trying to free u some room in my refugium. But the gas exchange is a good point that I hadn't thought of. Thanks!

Skimmer provides the air exchange and also removes nutrients before they break down where as the algae scrubber just uses more of the “dissolved” nutrients. If that makes sense

 

[sp1187]

never used a skimmer. scrubber only.

 

[Robert (Bearclawws)]

On my 300 gallon after running the algae scrubber 3 years, my skimmer has not been producing enough skim. I think most likely because over time as I adjusted the bio-load in balance with how much nutrients the scrubber can remove efficiently, I am just not getting much skim. But I kept it running for ORP. All that oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange is an added bonus for health with a plus to PH. However even though the water falling down the algae scrubber screen does the same thing I believe the skimmer is a bonus. Especially if you dosed certain things because of certain situations where you would want the skimmer to remove in a timely manner after a certain amount of time has passed. Both the skimmer and Scrubber (With its lights), or one of the other, you can use to run only at night to balance the 24/7 PH since PH is naturally lower at night yet goes up in the day naturally with sunlight.

If not for any other use the skimmer running at night can have somewhat the same affect as bubble scrubbing, which a skimmer can fine tune water clarity. Tiny Bubbles go up and capture small particulates in the water and carry them out through the filtration system. OFF SUBJECT.. I have an airstone on a timer by one of my return pumps so it injects tiny bubbles in the main display at night. If you put your return pump in a filter bag and the airstone outside and under the bag, the bubbles will be smaller going into the pump and I do that anyway as a backup plan to keep crap from reaching the return pump. Bubble scrubbing makes the tank look fresh in the morning in my opinion because those tiny bubbles come in contact with rocks, corals, glass walls, everything. If electricity goes out, you have all the more oxygen in the water because of Skimmer and all mentioned here.

 

[USCfan]

Guess you have a single pass in-sump skimmer design?

It's just a tradeoff with a single pass in-sump skimmer.

To get the best performance, you want a setup that traps the surface skim straight into the skimmer from the overflow. So the overflow itself adds to the dwell time. Also, you can adjust the flow rate through the skimmer to hit the "magic" 3 minute dwell time once DOC gets low. None of this can be done with most in-sump single-pass skimmers.

I feel a lot of this information been lost over the years.

 

[Robert (Bearclawws)]

Guess you have a single pass in-sump skimmer design?

It's just a tradeoff with a single pass in-sump skimmer.

To get the best performance, you want a setup that traps the surface skim straight into the skimmer from the overflow. So the overflow itself adds to the dwell time. Also, you can adjust the flow rate through the skimmer to hit the "magic" 3 minute dwell time once DOC gets low. None of this can be done with most in-sump single-pass skimmers.

I feel a lot of this information been lost over the years.

Great information! Always more to learn. Never even heard of that. Where can I find a skimmer that does that?

 

[USCfan]

Great information! Always more to learn. I never even heard of that. Where can I find a skimmer that does that?

I haven't look for new skimmers in over 15 years so I think deltec still make some maybe.

The newest line of these type of skimmers is seachem's Division skimmers that only sold in LFS. If they came out with a dc version, it would be the only skimmer I would buy as an upgrade.

If you look on YouTube there are so good interview with the engineer behind the skimmer with more of the science.

Here is a review talking about this feature.

"
As if that weren’t enough, the Aquavitro Division skimmers are ready-made to be installed as recirculating skimmers for even more contact time and fine-tuning the dwell time of the raw tank water that is fed into the top inlet. This design feature might be foreign to some of the more novice reef builders, but for some tanks, especially fish tanks or when used with ozone, recirculating water gives users the option to strip both light and heavy proteins. "

Aquavitro Division Skimmer Review - A Return to the Fundamentals of Protein Skimming | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

The Aquavitro Division skimmer is an exciting new product from Seachem that strives to provides an ideal balance of features for a surprising price. Right off the bat it’s clear that these new…

reefbuilders.com

Btw I just love the title of that review "Aquavitro Division Skimmer Review – A Return to the Fundamentals of Protein Skimming"

 

[Robert (Bearclawws)]

I haven't look for new skimmers in over 15 years so I think deltec still make some maybe.

The newest line of these type of skimmers is seachem's Division skimmers that only sold in LFS. If they came out with a dc version, it would be the only skimmer I would buy as an upgrade.

If you look on YouTube there are so good interview with the engineer behind the skimmer with more of the science.

Here is a review talking about this feature.

"
As if that weren’t enough, the Aquavitro Division skimmers are ready-made to be installed as recirculating skimmers for even more contact time and fine-tuning the dwell time of the raw tank water that is fed into the top inlet. This design feature might be foreign to some of the more novice reef builders, but for some tanks, especially fish tanks or when used with ozone, recirculating water gives users the option to strip both light and heavy proteins. "

Aquavitro Division Skimmer Review - A Return to the Fundamentals of Protein Skimming | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

The Aquavitro Division skimmer is an exciting new product from Seachem that strives to provides an ideal balance of features for a surprising price. Right off the bat it’s clear that these new…

reefbuilders.com

Btw I just love the title of that review "Aquavitro Division Skimmer Review – A Return to the Fundamentals of Protein Skimming"

Thank you for sharing this information with me, much appreciated to know about this. It shocks me that this isn't the standard way of running a skimmer after learning the difference between it and single pass.