Skimmers

[Europhyllia]

What is currently considered a good skimmer brand?
I have an ASM skimmer and it's working well. It's the model rated for up to 150 gallons. My DT is 125 gallons.
I do feed heavily so maybe I should upgrade to a larger capacity skimmer?

[allan]

Karin, my skimmer is a good one... but I don't know what it is. I got it from Texreefer about four months ago or so.

If your Nitrates are down, what else would you look at for evidence of excessive nutrients that may require a larger/better skimmer?

[Europhyllia]

algae

[allan]

lol, yeah, I thought that's what you'd come back with.

I think I need to cut back on my feeding as well. I've noticed that I have a spot or two with some nuisance algae creeping in.

[Jordan N.]

Going to give a somewhat contrarian view -- Here goes...

Two excellent articles about what skimmers actually do.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/1/aafeature
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/2/aafeature]

The first article examines the TOC (Total Organic Compounds) removed by a skimmer. The second article does chemical analysis on the produced skimmate. Overall they found VERY little difference in the actual performance between any of the skimmers.

Our data show that there are not compelling or remarkably large differences in measurable skimmer TOC removal metrics among the seven skimmers tested, although the Reef Octopus 150 consistently underperformed compared to the other skimmers. However, in the larger picture, it is equally apparent that if an aquarist runs a skimmer continuously (24/7), then any of the skimmers tested would perform adequately in terms of rate of TOC removal; the only practical differences might involve the frequency of skimmer cup cleaning. A perhaps more interesting observation to emerge from these skimmer studies involves not the rate of TOC removal, but rather the amount of TOC removed. None of the skimmers tested removed more than 35% of the extant TOC, leading to the conclusion that bubbles are really not a very effective medium for organic nutrient removal.

The chemical/elemental composition of skimmate generated by an H&S 200-1260 skimmer on a 175-gallon reef tank over the course of several days or a week had some surprises. Only a minor amount of the skimmate (solid + liquid) could be attributed to organic carbon (TOC); about 29%, and most of that material was not water soluble, i.e., was not dissolved organic carbon. The majority of the recovered skimmate solid, apart from the commons ions of seawater, was CaCO3, MgCO3, and SiO2 - inorganic compounds! The origin of these species is not known with certainity, but a good case can be made that the SiO2 stems from the shells of diatoms. The CaCO3 might be derived from other planktonic microbes bearing calcium carbonate shells, or might come from calcium reactor effluent. To the extent that the solid skimmate consists of microflora, then some proportion of the insoluble organic material removed by skimming would then simply be the organic components (the "guts") of these microflora. These microflora do concentrate P, N, and C nutrients from the water column, and so their removal via skimming does constitute a means of nutrient export.

So according to this data skimming may function primary by removing diatoms and other small reef life --That sounds like food to me. Actually now that I think about it that may be why skimmate smells so bad --A cup of rotting life isn't going to smell very good.

Have you considered building a DIY turf scrubber and giving the algae a place to grow other than in your tank? If I remember correctly I believe Erik uses one.

-Jordan N.

[Europhyllia]

I am not sure what the difference is between a turf scrubber and a refugium (I do have a big one!).
Very good info on the skimmer! Thanks. I'll just stick with what I got. I do need to run a skimmer if for nothing else than the bubbles because I do solid carbon dosing (biopellets in media reactor) and need the skimmer for that. I might get some more carbon pellets to help with the nitrate (minimal to begin with because my algae gobbles it up).
If I am honest with myself I sort of knew the algae was going to happen since I had that major diatom bloom following the liverock removal. Basically I cycled the tank and I sort of expected the green algae to follow the diatoms just like in the initial cycle.
Well it's here and I don't like it. lol

[Big_Pun]

i just bought an octopus new semicone version and for the price its awesome, i have the 110 model, also ive read to get a skimmer double the size of your tank if you have coral and fish, so make sure you read what its rated for

[Jordan N.]

I am not sure what the difference is between a turf scrubber and a refugium (I do have a big one!).
Very good info on the skimmer! Thanks. I'll just stick with what I got. I do need to run a skimmer if for nothing else than the bubbles because I do solid carbon dosing (biopellets in media reactor) and need the skimmer for that. I might get some more carbon pellets to help with the nitrate (minimal to begin with because my algae gobbles it up).
If I am honest with myself I sort of knew the algae was going to happen since I had that major diatom bloom following the liverock removal. Basically I cycled the tank and I sort of expected the green algae to follow the diatoms just like in the initial cycle.
Well it's here and I don't like it. lol

The micro algae is just better at taking up nutrients quickly than a refugium is. They grow faster and consume more. (Hence why they can out compete your refugium.)

Good luck with whatever you try to do. Like with all things in this hoppu it's probably just a matter of waiting it out.

-jordan N.

[hobogato]

i added a turf scrubber at the end of the time i had the big tank and saw all of the film algae and other nuisance algae disappear from the main tank. however, there wasnt an over abundance there to begin with.

here (link) is a forum dedicated to turf scrubbers, lots of info there...

[Europhyllia]

Too complicated. lol.
50% of my problem is still the caulerpa anyway. I am bringing in the big guns next week. ;)