whats a protein skimmer?

[gerb1617]

i am new to saltwater tanks but am currently cycling a 10gallon and a 55gallon! what is a protein skimmer and what is its purpose? should i buy one?

[shaginwagon13]

Its more or less the heart of your system. To make the lost story short it cleans waste (uneaten food, etc) our of your system.

Yes you should have one.

[SushiGirl]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_skimmer

Depends on how you're going to set up your tanks & what you're going to keep in them.

[gerb1617]

any idea on which one to buy?

[gerb1617]

the ten gallon is ganna have a starfish, clown fish, and a cleanershrimp. the 55 is ganna have 1 lionfish! what do ya think?

[A Reef Scene]

Get a quality skimmer, and over size it some for your tank.

[gerb1617]

Originally Posted by A Reef Scene

Get a quality skimmer, and over size it some for your tank.

can you give me a brand name or size?

[shaginwagon13]

Originally Posted by gerb1617

the ten gallon is ganna have a starfish, clown fish, and a cleanershrimp. the 55 is ganna have 1 lionfish! what do ya think?

If you plumb both tanks together to share a sump/refiugium you can get one skimmer that does both tanks. That what I would do.

[billyb1122]

A protein skimmer is a device used remove organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. Protein skimming is the only form of aquarium filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose, lightening the load on the biological filter.

All skimmers basically work using a common idea: water flows through a chamber and is brought into contact with a column of fine bubbles. The bubbles collect proteins and other substances (like fish poop) and carry them to the top of the device where the foam, but not the water, collects in a cup. Here the foam condenses to a liquid, which can be easily removed from the system. The material that collects in the cup can range from pale greenish-yellow, watery liquid to a thick black tar.

[moondoggy4]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...2#post20035982 Good reviews and cheap

[gerb1617]

http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMaxx_...PSHONW-vi.html
how about this one for my 55?

[ekoroknay]

You don't need one for your 10 gallon. Keep up on your water changes and the 10 will be just fine.

The bigger the tank the more you "need" a skimmer. Like others have said, it all depends on what you keep in your tank.

[Dustin1300]

I love the SRO line of skimmers from Octopus. I'd urge you to go to sump because of keeping the display tank clean looking and free of equipment and if you go that route go with SRO 1000/2000 internal.

If you are stuck on HOB get the following:
http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-s...O-LX1000S.html

Premium Aquatics is a GREAT resource and if you give them a call/chat/e-mail they can give you the recommendation on skimmer and they'll beat anyone's prices

[gerb1617]

How about a skimmer for a 55gallon with a lionfish and 30lbs of live rock?

[xCry0x]

Originally Posted by gerb1617

the ten gallon is ganna have a starfish, clown fish, and a cleanershrimp. the 55 is ganna have 1 lionfish! what do ya think?

Think any star fish needs a lot more than a 10g tank.

If you do not plan on having corals you do not need a skimmer, fish only tanks can live with higher nitrates and just mechanical filtration ie a cannister filter similar to a freshwater setup.

Since lionfish are messy eaters you might want to consider running the tank barebottom with no sand so it is easy to clean up after the fish.

You could essentially throw a big aqueon hang on the back filter on the 55g tank and fill it with water and throw in some decent sized rocks and you would be fine if you kept up with cleaning the tank and water changes. Items like a protein skimmer, large amounts of live rock, bio pellets/carbon dosing can allow you to go longer between changes but are by no means needed for a fish only tank.