Saltwater Aquarium – Protein Skimmers – Yea, and Nay

I am a big fan of using a protein skimmer for marine fish only aquarium and reef aquariums populated or new. A protein skimmer is a device capable of removing organic matter different from the water, linking with oxygen. The organic link to the surface of the bubble and are pulled up, where it picked up from the water column in a container, the clean water moves to the bottom of the protein skimmer unit which returned to the aquarium free of organic matter.

I have said many times in the media as someone who is against the protein skimmer. I want to clarify that this was not the case. I have always valued the protein skimmer, but he was one of the first to stand up and say it is not always necessary and has some negative effects worth mentioning. At this time it was believed that a skimmer was absolutely necessary for any reef aquarium. I do not think at all because if you can remove different organic compounds, also strip the water of valuable trace elements.

To run a tank with bio balls, a skimmer has a great impact on water quality. Bio balls break high-level waste in low-level waste or put another way, is not something you want otherwise you do not. The skimmer if placed before bio balls is capable of removing organic matter before they are divided into low-level waste, The treatment plant can not be removed. The low-level waste will accumulate even has negative effects on their inhabitants and increased growth of algae. Also require more water changes. Place the skimmer after the ball bio makes no sense because the high level waste has already been broken by the bio balls before reaching the treatment plant so many cases around the skimmer can remove trace elements is valuable.

The skimmer seems to be most valuable for new aquariums with bio unstable loads, but once the aquarium stable (unless you run with bio balls), there must be a proper allocation of bacteria to ensure that water quality remains high despite the use of the treatment plant. At this point, the lid can be removed from the filter and can be seen as an oxygen reactor. Note that the amount of oxygen given to a system is much than logic suggests, but still better than nothing.

The organic residues are more of a negative impact on coral then the absence of a trace element which can only remove the receptacle from the filter when the tank is stable, all animals are thriving and have carried out a three-week testing skimmer. Once the corals begin to thrive and water quality is high, trace elements over a limiting factor, the impact of the use of sludge. The skimmer removes wastes and is able to divide by stable bacterial allocation.

The three-week testing skimmer is a way to prove the value of a slotted in a system. In my skimmer to test is to do any changing of water, not add trace elements or other chemicals around for three weeks. If you at the end of three weeks of your skimmer and remove the waste does not add a dose trace elements. At this point the filter will begin to skim again and show that everything that is being removed is the trace that it has acquired to add to your tank. It is this use of the filter that I have been vocal against it.

Once you have made three-week test skimmer, you can also track to see evidence that the purchase of trace elements is more likely to move through the skimmer. With slotted spoon running tests by adding a solution and see how much of it is extracted by the skimmer in the next couple of days, then wait a week before the skimmer adding the next. At the end of this test, you will clearly see that the solutions must be removable cover that can be added to the operation of the skimmer.

Many corals require the presence of various trace elements in order to prosper in the long term. If these elements are missing, eventually there will be a cost to the coral. Some people argue that it is necessary to trace, but experiments have shown that its value is significant. This is easy to see their reaction when they are added or after a water change is made. This thinking is similar to the person who says it feels good even though they have high blood pressure. Sure you are fine with blood pressure Register now, next month, next year, but eventually there will be a cost. The elimination of trace elements is the main part of a skimmer, so I suggest each consider getting a slotted spoon and use it, while the tank is new, unstable or more populated.

Tanks that are more populated benefit by the use of a skimmer. In this case when you see the need for trace elements, but also feel the need to be stripped of its organic products tank due fish at high loads, you can try a working system and the elimination of the cup in the skimmer. Because many trace elements do not stay long in the solution periods of time anyway, it's worth the skimmer cup for two days after the trace elements were added, and then return the cup to filter until the items are added back, at least once a week.

Many other types of media are now available that can be used to eliminate compounds that do not remove trace elements such as Bio Chem, ROWA and Purigen carbon. These media can be very effective and I encourage them all the time.

If you use a protein skimmer will also help improve mechanical filtration, many particles, including parasites and spores of algae, will be removed by the skimmer.

Some designs are much more effective than others skimmer. Worth investigating what will suit your application and give the best results. No matter how good is your skimmer is, what limits its production more important is how often the inside of the neck in the collection cup is clean. This does not mean the deposit of the material collected, which means cleaning the interior of the neck, where fatty acids and bacteria grow inside the neck and preventing break the organic its going over the edge into the collection cup. The more often it is more effective to clean the skimmer design is independent of the unit.

The idea of When establishing the skimmer is to have the white foam remain inside the neck and colored foam on the increase in the collection cup. The camera should be color white bubbles, but not so many bubbles on the flow of sewage into the receptacle and the white foam or escape through the exit in the tank, fill it with micro bubbles. To set the skimmer, the aim is to color the foam into the cup and stay white foam in the neck. To do this, open the air valve to increase the foam in the unit and close the air valve to lower the foam in the unit.

Ozone can also be added to the designs of several skimmer. Ozone will provide better water clarity and control of diseases but also reducing the role of the skimmer often results in the accumulation of nitrates. I advise you to conduct research before adding the ozone layer and the residual ozone is toxic. As with any team in this hobby, the ozone layer has is, rather than commercial use.

I am a business owner on skimmer is a must in any tank housing sharks or rays, and they excrete a higher level of waste urea call puts higher demand in the biological filtration and is best removed with a large slotted spoon.

protein skimmers have also been developed now freshwater, but only common in koi ponds significant.

In short, I think a skimmer is a great piece of equipment that has many uses all marine aquariums, but they are what I consider to be necessary and there is no need to run all the time.

I cover this and much more in my Marine Aquarium DVD instruction available http://www.exclusivefishfilms.com check it out!

Good luck and enjoy

Paul Talbot

About the Author

Paul’s interest in fish species and aquariums started early in life. He has worked in the aquarium industry all his working life and has been able to transfer his passion as a hobbyist to his customers. His wealth of experience is an advantage to corporate and hobbyist customers alike. Paul has written many articles for both international and local magazines. He has bred many types of fish and propagated many types of coral. His Instructional Marine Aquarium DVD can be found at http://www.exclusivefishfilms.com

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