Off the wall ? about skimmers

acrodave · 12/01/2008, 03:56 PM

are they bio- or mechanical...i see it kinda in the middle

Mr. Brooks · 12/01/2008, 04:16 PM

Mechanical.

nikon187 · 12/01/2008, 04:17 PM

yep mechanical

sk8rreefgeek · 12/01/2008, 04:19 PM

It starts out mechanical.
No machine could produce that wonderful smell tho, when you clean the collection cup, without some biological help

Mr. Brooks · 12/01/2008, 04:23 PM

That smell is just the rotting waste that's already been removed. Doesn't make much of a difference what happens to it once it's been removed.

acrodave · 12/01/2008, 04:31 PM

so dose it only become mechanical when its a skimmer.what about the ocean foam

Mr. Brooks · 12/01/2008, 04:37 PM

Ocean foam isn't really filtering ocean water. Not sure what you're getting at.

A skimmer is mechanical in that it physically removes dissolved organics from the water via tiny bubbles. Ocean foam is caused by the same principle. A skimmer takes "ocean foam" one step further by providing a collection cup.

SlukBunWalla · 12/02/2008, 12:22 AM

I would say that, really, a skimmer should be considered chemical filtration. It's removing protiens, after all, as well as DISSOLVED organic matter. Which cannot be removed by any other (to my knowledge) mechanical filtration system. (One could argue activated charcoal does this...) It is therefore removing the undesirable CHEMICAL elements of our systems' water.

Or I could be way off base...who knows.

tydtran · 12/02/2008, 11:48 AM

Mechanical - it uses physical entrapment on the surface of an air bubble to remove wast.

Biological filtration means that a lifeform like bacteria is involved in removing the waste.

SlukBunWalla · 12/04/2008, 12:36 AM

An excerpt from "Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies".

(Clearly not the BEST, most highly regarded text on the topic of reef keeping, but it is a reference to my point.)

"Proteins and other wastes adhere to the bubbles, travel the surface, and gather in a collect in a removable cup that's emptied. This is really just a form of CHEMICAL FILTRATION, but unlike other filters, wastes are actually removed from the water and not converted to something else."

I'm not pretending to be an expert, but I have a pretty good working knowledge of whats going on in a reef tank. I can definitely see where one could think a skimmer is mechanically removing waste but since the main thing we're after when skimming is things that are intangible and in most cases invisible. Things that are only there in a chemical way. Molecules. We end up with a physical accumulation of simple chemical compounds.

So...chemical filtration?

I really don't KNOW anything for fact so if someone has compelling evidence to the contrary I truly am interested to hear!

m2434 · 12/04/2008, 07:13 AM

It's mechanical, but like everything in a reef tank, some nitrifying bacteria will build up, probably quite a bit actually due to the high o2 levels in the chamber. This however is a side effect and not the intended function....

Juruense · 12/04/2008, 07:19 AM

mechanical

crvz · 12/04/2008, 07:38 AM

agreed, it's mechanical filtration. It mechanically removes wastes from the water.

12/01/2008, 03:56 PM	#1
acrodave REEF NERD Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: maryville tn-- work in knoxville Posts: 4,187	Off the wall ? about skimmers are they bio- or mechanical...i see it kinda in the middle __________________ Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said Less technology more biology Tattoos are the only art you can take to the grave Current Tank Info: 26gal bow,20gal mantis tank/fuge150wHQI,20k AB Seio 620 maxijet1200x's 2 on a wave maker. all sps

12/01/2008, 04:17 PM	#3
nikon187 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 4,717	yep mechanical __________________ ----------------- Current Tanks: New 210 custom 84 x 24 x 24, 60g sump, SWC 250 extreme with bubble blaster 5000, 2 vortech mp40, 2 vortech mp10, 12 T5, Water blaster 5000, warner marine bio pellets, 60g clownfish cube, red carpet anemone with a 25g sump,SRO octopus 1000sss, 250w radium, lumenarc large.

12/01/2008, 04:19 PM	#4
sk8rreefgeek Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Lodi, California Posts: 1,352	It starts out mechanical. No machine could produce that wonderful smell tho, when you clean the collection cup, without some biological help __________________ It's time for operation crazy-plan Current Tank Info: Drilled 55g, 14g sump, coralife 125 SS: mated pair of b&w misbar clowns, ywg

12/01/2008, 04:31 PM	#6
acrodave REEF NERD Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: maryville tn-- work in knoxville Posts: 4,187	so dose it only become mechanical when its a skimmer.what about the ocean foam __________________ Peace,Dave Superman puts on Tim Tebow pajamas when he goes to bed The Heisman as a sophomore nuff said Less technology more biology Tattoos are the only art you can take to the grave Current Tank Info: 26gal bow,20gal mantis tank/fuge150wHQI,20k AB Seio 620 maxijet1200x's 2 on a wave maker. all sps

12/02/2008, 12:22 AM	#8
SlukBunWalla Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa City, IA Posts: 249	I would say that, really, a skimmer should be considered chemical filtration. It's removing protiens, after all, as well as DISSOLVED organic matter. Which cannot be removed by any other (to my knowledge) mechanical filtration system. (One could argue activated charcoal does this...) It is therefore removing the undesirable CHEMICAL elements of our systems' water. Or I could be way off base...who knows. __________________ If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. Click the red house for my 65 Gallon Build Thread Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef with 20 gallon sump/refugium, 2x250 halides, and a craaaaapy skimmer...and a 20H BTA/black occelaris tank with 4x24 T5HO...and a 15 gallon FOWLR with green spotted puffer.

12/01/2008, 04:16 PM	#2
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	Mechanical.

12/01/2008, 04:23 PM	#5
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	That smell is just the rotting waste that's already been removed. Doesn't make much of a difference what happens to it once it's been removed.

12/01/2008, 04:37 PM	#7
Mr. Brooks MASVC Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Simi Valley, CA Posts: 3,477	Ocean foam isn't really filtering ocean water. Not sure what you're getting at. A skimmer is mechanical in that it physically removes dissolved organics from the water via tiny bubbles. Ocean foam is caused by the same principle. A skimmer takes "ocean foam" one step further by providing a collection cup.

12/02/2008, 11:48 AM	#9
tydtran Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 853	Mechanical - it uses physical entrapment on the surface of an air bubble to remove wast. Biological filtration means that a lifeform like bacteria is involved in removing the waste.

12/04/2008, 12:36 AM	#10
SlukBunWalla Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa City, IA Posts: 249	An excerpt from "Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies". (Clearly not the BEST, most highly regarded text on the topic of reef keeping, but it is a reference to my point.) "Proteins and other wastes adhere to the bubbles, travel the surface, and gather in a collect in a removable cup that's emptied. This is really just a form of CHEMICAL FILTRATION, but unlike other filters, wastes are actually removed from the water and not converted to something else." I'm not pretending to be an expert, but I have a pretty good working knowledge of whats going on in a reef tank. I can definitely see where one could think a skimmer is mechanically removing waste but since the main thing we're after when skimming is things that are intangible and in most cases invisible. Things that are only there in a chemical way. Molecules. We end up with a physical accumulation of simple chemical compounds. So...chemical filtration? I really don't KNOW anything for fact so if someone has compelling evidence to the contrary I truly am interested to hear! __________________ If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. Click the red house for my 65 Gallon Build Thread Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef with 20 gallon sump/refugium, 2x250 halides, and a craaaaapy skimmer...and a 20H BTA/black occelaris tank with 4x24 T5HO...and a 15 gallon FOWLR with green spotted puffer.

12/04/2008, 07:13 AM	#11
m2434 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 2,171	It's mechanical, but like everything in a reef tank, some nitrifying bacteria will build up, probably quite a bit actually due to the high o2 levels in the chamber. This however is a side effect and not the intended function.... __________________ Our imagination is stretched to the utmost, not, as in fiction, to imagine things which are not really there, but just to comprehend those things which are there. ~Richard Feynman

12/04/2008, 07:19 AM	#12
Juruense Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Wayne, IN Posts: 1,138	mechanical

12/04/2008, 07:38 AM	#13
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 7,989	agreed, it's mechanical filtration. It mechanically removes wastes from the water. __________________ -Chris- You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?