Protein Skimmers

[enjoiskater158]

hey everyone, ATM i have a 30 gallon aquarium but am upgrading to a 125 gallon around may or june. now im trying to plan everything out study up on everything. anyway, in my 30 gallon i have no skimmer yet my nitrates and other stuff(ammonia,nitrite) are fine. i heard that protein skimmers will not only takes out organic material that would turn into nitrate's and such, but also calcium, iron, iodine, and other elements that are needed for reef growth. so i was wondering if its really worth getting a skimmer because i would have to add calcium, strontium and all types of stuff for reef growth. would it be ok if i got about 150 lbs of live rock for a 125 gallon tank with 30 gallon sump and than not get a skimmer? and if a skimmer is a must could anyone recommend one?

 

[SkiFletch]

Its not an ABSOLOUTE must, but running a tank that size without a skimmer probably isn't the best idea. While skimmers can remove SOME trace elements, they cannot remove their useful ionic forms. What skimmers remove is dissolved organic compounds. Often times, dissolved organics will bind OH groups, stronium ions, iron, and others to their own structure and when they do so they're removed from functionality in the aquarium anyways. The skimmer removes the whole dissolved organic molecule, including any ions it bonds effectively removing the ion from the water column but ask yourself this: If you did not have a skimmer and large dissolved organics and protiens built up to concentrations way higher than is typical on natural reefs, what does it matter if trace elements are removed from the skimmer when the coral's growth and health are impacted by the organic buildup? Let the organics build up and stunt coral growth? Or do minor calc/alk/mg dosing and do your water changes to replace trace elements (which you should be doing anyways)? I can't make the choice for you, but when every experienced reefer I know runs a skimmer and people like Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley, Anthony Calfo, Melev, and others swear by them, I know I'd have one in my tank

For a 125 in-sump skimmer in the US, I'd be looking at ASM G3 or higher, EuroReef 24" tall and larger, AquaC Urchin, or TurboFlotor skimmers. Save your money and buy used off of ebay or purchase used off of a local reefer in a nearby reef club. People are setting up and breaking down tanks all the time, why pay exhorbinant costs when you can get it for much less?

 

[enjoiskater158]

thanks ski, also does instant ocean add enought trace elements to replenish what the skimmer takes away or whould i get a test kit for calcium, iron, strontium, iodine and the other important elements and when they are low add supplements

 

[enjoiskater158]

These were recommended to me by an aquarist i know whats your opinion on them.
berlin skimmer
corallife skimmer

thank in advanced

 

[SkiFletch]

I use plain old IO for my reeftank, and I've got a way oversized skimmer for my setup. So yeah, IME it provides enough trace elements. I still have to dose for calc/alk/mg but thats a fact of my corals' calcification, not the quality of my salt.

The Berlin Classics are OK. They used to be the top dogs in the late '90s but are just plain old venturi inlets with a standard impeller. Not the best bubble formation.

Coralife Superskimmers are by far the economical winner in this hemisphere. Best bang for the buck, no doubt. They use a needlewheel pump to create a really good fine bubble foam. They're not QUITE as good as some of the ones I originally suggested, but at less than 1/2 the price and nearly the same skimmate production, its hard to argue with. There's a significant break-in period with these (or any skimmer for that matter) but since you're running in-sump you wont notice much if some microbubbles are released into the sump.

 

[enjoiskater158]

thanks, i was also looking into buying an RO unit cause it would cost $75 just for the RO water from my LFS to fill the 125 tank plus 30 gal sump and id have to make many trips back a forth so i thought buying one would end up saving me money. I was looking at this one

corallife RO unit
model 50 gpd 4-stage

any input on weather its a good RO unit or not?

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah you almoast NEED your own RO unit for a 125, you're right there. Trust me though, you'll want at least a 100GPD model to keep up with demand, especially in the winter when RO output slows. Best places to buy RO units are ebay, buckeye field supply, or used from a local reefer. RO membranes last multiple years (mines nearing 3 years old) for the kind of use aquarists put them through so buying used is always a decent option

 

[enjoiskater158]

how do you tell when you need to replace your membrane? also is it true that the temp of the water affects how fast water is filtered? if so whats the best temp to go with?

 

[SkiFletch]

Temperature affects the speed of which the water can go through the membrane. So when input water gets cold, the unit really really slows down. A good trick to avoiding this problem is to fill a bucket full of hot water, take some long supply tubing and coil it up in the hot water bucket. This way the input water gets warmed up . NEVER EVER run hot tap water through the filter, you can seriously damage the membrane this way since there are usually nasty things in a hot water tank .

A good RO unit will come with a flush kit for the membrane. When the TDS of the RO discharge starts rising into the 5-10ppm range you know that the membrane needs to be flushed for 15-20 minutes. This usually happens once a month in moderate usage. Flushing will return the discharge to the 1-3ppm that is typical.