Protein skimmer question or suggestions

miataliker

I was thinking about getting a protein skimmer for my saltwater tank and this is what i came too.

NEW PROTEIN SKIMMER w 300GPH GAL PUMP AQUARIUM TANKS - eBay (item 290390489931 end time Jan-18-10 11:45:18 PST)

Do you guys think this is a good protein skimmer? I mean im trying to go cheap right now. LOL!

Pasfur

I have used this skimmer personally, and have seen it used on a close friend's marine tank. This skimmer is a piece of junk. I mean total junk. There is not a single feature of this skimmer that is designed well. The plastic is cheap and prone to leaks, the venturi very weak, the skimate very wet, the height of the water in the skimmer column is almost impossible to control, the output is full of bubbles, and it runs hot.

I do not recall what size tank you have or what livestock you intend to keep. Provide this information and I will give you some skimmer suggestions. Even some from eBay.

dan3321

If skimmer is your main or only filter it needs to be a good one deltec or aquamedic.

Pasfur

I agree with the concept that a good skimmer is important. In fact, to me skimming has nothing to do with other forms of filtration. You can have an incredible filter, but without a skimmer you are not directly removing organic waste. You are simply breaking it down, generally into nitrate, and causing a reduction in the carbonates that make up your buffer system and help to stabilize alkalinity, calcium, and pH.

Bottom line, in a marine aquarium we want to leave the organic breakdown to live rock and live sand, exclusively. The skimmer supplements this process, and the better the skimmer, the more efficiently these organics are directly removed from the system. There are many factors that contribute to the amount of organics produced, and all of these factors need to be considered. Stocking level and type of livestock are very important considerations.

In many cases, less expensive models of skimmers will be very effective, such as The SeaClone, Coralife SuperSkimmer, and AquaRemora, each progressively better than the prior. When the need necessitates, higher quality skimmers are the way to go. The deltec brand certainly falls into the category of a high quality skimmer, and the results justify the price.

dan3321

I agree with all that plus the deltec will be running silently months or years after the lesser models have packed in or driven you crazy with their noisy motors and rattly bearings.