Protein Skimmer & Hydrometer

[crackmonkey]

If I setup my 40 gal as a brackish figure eight tank which protein skimmer would fit in a Juwel tank since all the ones i've seen are hang on ones, cant you get external skimmers? Also whats the best most accurate Hydrometer

 

[CFC]

If figure 8s are your intended occupants for the tank then a protein skimmer is not nessesary, F8s are most happy with a SG or around 1.005 and skimmers aren't funtional at SGs below 1.006 with their performance improving the higher the SG goes.

I find the best hydrometers for brackish are the floating type which are calibrated down to 1.000.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I believe the floating type hydrometers are calibrated for 60 degrees.

 

[nmonks]

A protein skimmer is nice to have, but isn't essential, and as CFC said won't work well (at all?) below an SG of 1.010. I wouldn't keep a figure-8 puffer above 1.005, and certainly not above 1.010, so in this case the protein skimmer is probably not going to be useful.

Skimmers are usually recommended for use with high salinity, high metabolism fish like scats and monos that can overload a filter with organic wastes. But do bear in mind what a skimmer can and cannot do. The best way to think of them is as a device to remove particulate and especially dissolved organics before they decay into (eventually) nitrates. But they don't remove silt, nitrate, or solid wastes like faeces.

As for hydrometers, pick whatever one you can get for a good price. With a brackish tank, maintaining an exact salinity is irrelevant; whether or not you keep a figure-8 at 1.002, 1.004, or 1.06 doesn't really matter since these fish adapt to whatever is available (within reason). So even if your el cheapo hydrometer is off by 10 or 20% it isn't going to do any harm at all. But you do need to get one that goes to 1.000; some of the marine tank specific ones are calibrated for use at 1.016 and upwards.

This is exactly the opposite for marines, where fish and especially inverts expect a uniform salinity.

I'm not saying you shouldn't get a hydrometer (they're cheap and useful) but that you needn't get paranoid about spending a lot of money on one. A simple floating hydrometer is plenty good enough for brackish water purposes.

Some experienced aquarists maintain that regularly changing the salinity in a brackish water tank is a good thing; it stresses external parasites, mimics the fishes natural habitat, and can, in some cases, stimulate appetite and breeding. The downside of course is that filter bacteria don't like sudden water chemistry changes, although provided you hover around the 1.010 mark moving between 1.005 and 1.015, the bacteria won't suddently die off. But if you do a large salinity change, check the nitrites after 24-48 hours just to make sure everything is OK.

Cheers,

Neale

If I setup my 40 gal as a brackish figure eight tank which protein skimmer would fit in a Juwel tank since all the ones i've seen are hang on ones, cant you get external skimmers? Also whats the best most accurate Hydrometer

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[Little Fish]

As for hydrometers, pick whatever one you can get for a good price. With a brackish tank, maintaining an exact salinity is irrelevant; whether or not you keep a figure-8 at 1.002, 1.004, or 1.06 doesn't really matter since these fish adapt to whatever is available (within reason). So even if your el cheapo hydrometer is off by 10 or 20% it isn't going to do any harm at all. But you do need to get one that goes to 1.000; some of the marine tank specific ones are calibrated for use at 1.016 and upwards.

This is exactly the opposite for marines, where fish and especially inverts expect a uniform salinity.

I'm not saying you shouldn't get a hydrometer (they're cheap and useful) but that you needn't get paranoid about spending a lot of money on one. A simple floating hydrometer is plenty good enough for brackish water purposes.

[snapback]919157[/snapback]​

Hmm, I never think of it this way but I guess you're right. Brackish fishes do have the ability to adapt within certain degrees of salinity. However, my personal preferrence is still a refractometer and get measurements as accurate as possible. I feel much better knowing if the SG on my tank is on the high or low side it is because I want it to be. I must be a control freak

I have a friend that keeps a reef tank but he didn't even use a hydrometer 2 of his corals split twice and 1 anemone splits 4 times already; he has pictures to prove it too I guess he must be on the extreme end of estimating while I'm on the other end of as accruate as possible measuring.

 

[nmonks]

Yep!

Using a refractometer to measure salinity in a brackish water tank is certainly fun, but it isn't necessary. You can usually tell from the fish if the salinity is too high or low... for example things like morays go off their food and brackish water damselfish become nervous and skittish if kept at the wrong salinity.

On the other hand, with marine inverts, I'd definitely recommend investing in a good quality hydrometer. What I've noticed is that a lot of marine aquarists use two or three of them, since the variation among them is significant. I suppose a refractometer is much better in this regard.

Cheers,

Neale

I must be a control freak

 

[Little Fish]

Using a refractometer to measure salinity in a brackish water tank is certainly fun, but it isn't necessary. You can usually tell from the fish if the salinity is too high or low... for example things like morays go off their food and brackish water damselfish become nervous and skittish if kept at the wrong salinity.

I don't have much luck with estimation and fishes. Once, I did an estimate of medication and half of the tank die. After that incident, I try to be as precise as possible and not experimenting on the fishes. May be with people like you, i.e., people with more experience; you can notice subtle changes and correct the problems before it's too late. For newbies like me, I have to rely on the equipment I use.

On the other hand, with marine inverts, I'd definitely recommend investing in a good quality hydrometer. What I've noticed is that a lot of marine aquarists use two or three of them, since the variation among them is significant. I suppose a refractometer is much better in this regard.

I'm not keeping any marine tanks and I have 3 hydrometers. Not that I have money to burn though. They are my "tutition" paid for not knowing enough about hydrometers. Only Instant Ocean will measure from SG 1.000 up, both Coralife and Red Sea starts with SG 1.010.

I think the only reason that my friend has been able to get by is because he has a relatively large tank, I think it is a 95G. His non-precise salt usage must have been diluted to an insignificant level with that much water in the tank. A measuring cup and a 5 gallon bucket is all he used.