Protien Skimmers

[Starfishpower]

can someone give me a good overview about protein skimmers; purpose, usage, maintance, personal tips and hints, initial and longterm costs. im working this summer and since i have "mulit-tank syndrome" and must have more aquariums i figure i might as well spend most of my money on that. so im gathering information on what to upgrade to. iv got an idea in my head for a 75 gallon tank dedicated to waspfish. maybe a knight goby here and there and perhaps a dragon goby too but mainly waspfish. so, any thoughts?

 

[nmonks]

When I've used skimmers in brackish tanks, I've found standard issue plastic ones with wooden airstones work fine. You do need a good strong air pump though, because water foams less well at lower salinity. You also want a tall model rather than the compact ones optimised for mini reef tanks.

Do remember that protein skimmers don't work at low salinities. Others may have different experiences, but I personally wouldn't consider one worth the effort in a tank much below SG 1.010.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Starfishpower]

thanks. i saw one today for the first time so im assuming i know what you mean when you say the tall plastic ones, it was plastic... and it was really tall. also, it was $270. is that expensize? how much can i expect to pay for a good one? do you frecomend any brand names and models. ill try and remember this model type when i go back to that store tomarrow. im taking my cory cat up there to have them ID it and see if they can order me some more.

 

[Colin_T]

If you post a pic of your cory someone on here might be able to identify it for you. Save you having to catch it out and stress it.

Protein skimmers help keep the water cleaner for longer by removing protein waste from the water. This waste normally gets broken down by the filter bacteria. They also strip out certain trace elements and plankton from the water column.
They work by forcing air and water together in a tube. The fine airbubbles stick to protein particles and this residue collects at the top of the skimmer in a collection cup.

power skimmers can be used instead of air operated skimmers. They use a water pump with a venturi to make the foamy water. Again tho it might not work if the salinity is too low.
power skimmers take up less space and usually do a better job compared ot air operated units.
Tunze do a reasonable model but they are expensive.
Queens 2000s (I think that is what they are called) do a cheap unit that works pretty well. You need to buy the pump separately but the skimmer unit sells for about $100AU.
You have to be careful with the plastics that some models use. They often use acrylic/perspex and it can become brittle and crack very easily. Have a look at the units available at your LFS and see if any of their display models have cracks or fractures in the plastic. It is usually the units with thicker walls that are acrylic.

You should wash out the collection cup whenever it is half full. You can also wash out the skimmer tube each week if you like. Some people do and others never bother. Some units work better if they are spotlessly clean.
Air operated skimmers need a new airstone every month or so because they block up with salt. Power skimmers don't need anything replaced but the water pump should be well maintained and might need a replacement impellor or shaft further down the track.

 

[Starfishpower]

ya i dont wana put any stress on him (or maybe her) so im gona take a picture up to the lfs. i tryd getting an ID once before but the pic wasnt very good and i got a bunch of different answers. i uploaded a new pic just now on that old thread. here's a link

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showto...p;#entry1986110

its kinda funny cause the lfs even gave me a bucket to bring him back up there in. im might look funny walking in with it empty and just some pics in my hand but thats ok, if theyr really concerned about fish theyll understand why i did that iv been talking with the owner, the guy that gave me the bucket to barrow, about getting a job there this summer. he said in a few weeks i might get hired. id love to work there, i really hate ignorant fish store ppl that dont tell ppl the right stuff and then their fish end up dieing because of it. i really want to help out and educate ppl so they dont have to go through the heartbreak of losing their pets like that. and thanks for all that info on the protein skimmers. ill get the make and model of the one at the store later today and let you know what it is.

 

[Colin_T]

ask the shop owner if you can do a couple of weeks work experience or volunteer work for him. If you work hard and don't mess up he will be more likely to offer you a job.
It's always a good way to get a job. Give the boss a couple of weeks free labour and show em how good you are

 

[Starfishpower]

i got the info for that protien skimmer. im not sure what labels meant what exactly, e.i. brand name as opposed to product name, but here goes: Nautilus te; turbo eductor; protien skimmer; kent marine. the store wanted $270 for it. are you familiar with this model or company?

 

[Colin_T]

The company that makes the skimmer is Kent Marine.
The Protein skimmer is called the Nautilus te; (turbo eductor)
It is an internal power skimmer, meaning it sits inside the aquarium and is run with a water pump or power head. You need to buy the power head seperately. Any type of water pump or power head will do as long as it can pump 650-900gph.
The skimmer is designed for tanks up to 300gallons and can be used on any tank up to this size. You can use it on bigger tanks but it won't be as effective.
It is pretty big being nearly 2ft high ad 8inches in diameter at its widest part.
it only has a 90 day warranty, that is pretty crappy

Look for another one It's a bit expensive and probably a bit of overkill for your tank. However you are going brackish so a bigger skimmer will help to compensate for the fact it won't skim as efficiently to start with, (due to the fresher water).

Do you really need a skimmer? Most people that have brackish tanks don't use them because they are not very efficient unless you get the water really salty. If you only have the salinity low then it probably won't make any real difference to the water quality.

The following link has info on different skimmers. There is lots of info but it might not mean much to you. Another brand of skimmer is Tunze. They are pretty expensive but come with a pump as well so it might be something to check out. There are plenty of other brands too.

http/www.marineandreef.com/Saltwater_Aqu...kimming_s/8.htm

 

[el_vulture619]

Sea Clone skimmers SUCK!! Avoid them, they barely work in full SW so I doubt they will be any better in a BW system. I do have one but it has been modified and drilled and taped, ect... it still works when it wants to.

Like Neale said, if your going to be under 1.010 save you money for something else. I keep my waspfish at 1.010-12 depending on the water change. I used to use one on my BW but found that it was piontless. The cup only filled with skimmate once a week, and was not helping. Waspish are not very messy fish and are small to begin with. A 75g will not dirty very quickly with these fish.

I do run a skimmer in my puffer tanks. I dont run any skimmers 24/7 maybe 2x a month.

Save your money for more fish or a sump.

 

[Starfishpower]

yep, everyone is telling me to save my money, that BW doesnt really need a skimmer. so ill hold off. i need a summer job first any way before i can actually act on any of my plans man i hope i get atleast one good job this summer. thanks, yall might have just saved me a ton of money