What does a skimmer do exactly?

Hunterx · 09/09/2006, 10:23 PM

I been in the aqurium hobby since 1996 however I have only done fresh water and understood most of the equiment and how it worked. Now I am going into the SW relm and going big too. I under stand how LR filtration works, sumps, carbon work. But I never knew what a skimmer does and why its so important. What exactly is it "skimming"?

I ask this just because I am curious and what would happen if I didn't get one for my project. Is it really that important?

boxfishpooalot · 09/09/2006, 10:32 PM

skimmers increase gas exchange by increasing the surface area(tons of bubbles) so it helps with oxygen, ect.

They remove dissolved organics which are in the water. Organics stick to bubbles-aka-air(or even are attracted to the surface of the water). When the bubbles rise to the top of the skimmer, organics collect as a foam. That foam gets pushed out of the aquarium water into the skimmers cup. You have cleaner water.

Alot of things get removed by that process. Such as bacteria. The bacteria grow and use up pollutions in the tank(nitrate, phosphate,copper, iron,ect). when inside the bacteria they are skimmed out with the pollution inside them, removing nitrate ect.

If you leave those pollutants in the water then they can potentially be turned into nitrates, phosphates, ect. And cause alagae growth and reduced health of fish and corals. Also, alot of organics attach toxic metals to them which can be skimmed out then, which would not be skimmed just as free floating metals.

Its a very important thing. Nature uses skimming, such as foam on the beach.

navajo · 09/09/2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hunterx
I been in the aqurium hobby since 1996 however I have only done fresh water and understood most of the equiment and how it worked. Now I am going into the SW relm and going big too. I under stand how LR filtration works, sumps, carbon work. But I never knew what a skimmer does and why its so important. What exactly is it "skimming"?

I ask this just because I am curious and what would happen if I didn't get one for my project. Is it really that important?

Well, there are 2 schools of thought about skimmers. Some (most) SW people swear by them and wouldn't run a tank without one (I am in that group, by the way...

) and there are some who never use them or only use them part time and have success too.

A skimmer is a system that introduces LOTS of TINY air bubbles into a container of saltwater. What this does, is since the saltwater is "sticky" (for lack of a better word) the particles or impurities stick to the outer surface of the bubbles.

Then as the bubbles rise up underneath each other, they push the dirtier bubbles towards the top of a tube where the spill over a lip into another chamber where they are held for you to dump.

I have to say that sounds clear as mud! HAHAHA!

BUT, if you look at someones skimmer collection cup, I guarentee you that you will also want to get that stuff out of your tank instead of leaving it in there to rot also.

Now, the people that run skimmerless, usually rely on low biolad and a large refugium with macro algae to use up the nutrients that are in the water column instead of export them with a skimmer.

Did that make ANY sense?

familyreefer · 09/09/2006, 10:40 PM

And then there are those of us who run skimmers and refugiums. We are the neat freaks I guess. The more of the goo I can remove the better!

navajo · 09/09/2006, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by familyreefer
And then there are those of us who run skimmers and refugiums. We are the neat freaks I guess. The more of the goo I can remove the better!

I'm with you!

Any little edge we can get helps!

Poorcollegereef · 09/09/2006, 10:52 PM

I am also a pro skimmer person. Unlike FW, nitrates are much more "dangerous" to a SW system. Nitrates as high as 20ppm can completely wipe out a tank of very sensitive and expensive corals. In addition, massive water changes, 25% or more, can also play havoc on a reef system so it is fairly difficult to nearly impossible to remove large amounts of nitrates from a reef tank that has a medium to heavier bioload. The solution to this is skimming. Like what navajo and pooalot have said, the skimmer takes fish waste out of the water before bacteria can begin to convert them into the various nitrigen counterparts. Less fishpoo, less nitrates. Also, unlike freshwater, marine systems normally dont rely on mechanical filtration. I have no filter pads or anything that would catch fishpoo and extra food and result in nitrates. My skimmer is my only "filter" I have for my tank. I also have a small refugium as well.

Good skimmers mean less work and more bioload one can have too. Bad or cheap skimmers can equal more work, higher nitrates and alot more headaches. When buying a skimmer buy what others people on this forum recommend... or swear by...cough aquaC...cough

jdieck · 09/09/2006, 10:57 PM

What is Skimming?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/rhf/index.php

Hunterx · 09/10/2006, 10:54 AM

Is a refugium an alteritive to a skimmer or is that somthing completly diffrent.

Poorcollegereef · 09/10/2006, 11:20 AM

well, it is kinda both... skimmers remove waste before they become nitrates and refugiums remove waste during and after they have been broken down. Some people use it as a different means of reducing nitrates while others(like me) use it was a second means of removing waste. Is it a subsitute? I would say no because a good skimmer is much more effective than a refugium IMO but many if not most people who have a significant bioload who do not have a skimmer will have a refugium. People can get in big argument about which one is better or whatnot. In my case, I have a good size skimmer (remora pro) on my 20+20 system but for my 10gal breeders, I have a skimmer on one and I am waiting for an aquaclear70 so I can build a nano refugium for the other. In the end, most if not all hobbiest will say that having both is the best, but many people have had a great deal of success doing one or the other.

Hunterx · 09/10/2006, 11:29 AM

I see thanks for the info

Poorcollegereef · 09/10/2006, 11:38 AM

np, depending on the size of your project, that may be the real deciding factor. refugiums are cheaper when the tanks are smaller but once the tank size and bioload increase, then skimmers become more cost effective. If you tank is going to be 25 gallons or less, then the AC70/110 DIY might be the best option but if the tank is going to be larger, then skimming is going to work better

Hunterx · 09/10/2006, 11:49 AM

im going large at least 120-150

Poorcollegereef · 09/10/2006, 12:11 PM

wow, awesome, yeah you should have a skimmer and a big one!

09/09/2006, 10:23 PM	#1
Hunterx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tenafly Posts: 22	What does a skimmer do exactly? I been in the aqurium hobby since 1996 however I have only done fresh water and understood most of the equiment and how it worked. Now I am going into the SW relm and going big too. I under stand how LR filtration works, sumps, carbon work. But I never knew what a skimmer does and why its so important. What exactly is it "skimming"? I ask this just because I am curious and what would happen if I didn't get one for my project. Is it really that important?

09/09/2006, 10:32 PM	#2
boxfishpooalot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: canada, Grande Praire, Ab Posts: 5,824	skimmers increase gas exchange by increasing the surface area(tons of bubbles) so it helps with oxygen, ect. They remove dissolved organics which are in the water. Organics stick to bubbles-aka-air(or even are attracted to the surface of the water). When the bubbles rise to the top of the skimmer, organics collect as a foam. That foam gets pushed out of the aquarium water into the skimmers cup. You have cleaner water. Alot of things get removed by that process. Such as bacteria. The bacteria grow and use up pollutions in the tank(nitrate, phosphate,copper, iron,ect). when inside the bacteria they are skimmed out with the pollution inside them, removing nitrate ect. If you leave those pollutants in the water then they can potentially be turned into nitrates, phosphates, ect. And cause alagae growth and reduced health of fish and corals. Also, alot of organics attach toxic metals to them which can be skimmed out then, which would not be skimmed just as free floating metals. Its a very important thing. Nature uses skimming, such as foam on the beach. __________________ Its a good idea to have a refrence sample for alk test kits. 1.1350 grams of baking soda in 1gallon of distilled water=10dkh. Check your alkalinity test kit! Algae is Mother Natures phosphate remover Current Tank Info: 220 galon mixed reef.

09/09/2006, 10:40 PM	#4
familyreefer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Augusta Ga. Posts: 206	Skimmate And then there are those of us who run skimmers and refugiums. We are the neat freaks I guess. The more of the goo I can remove the better! __________________ Interests: My kids, sailing, my Yellow Nape,Sun Conyer.African Grey, and cockatoo Current Tank Info: 220gal reef

09/09/2006, 10:57 PM	#7
jdieck Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Maumee, OH Posts: 15,673	What is Skimming? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-08/rhf/index.php __________________ Did I write what I wrote? What the heck am I talking about! Well..... Nevermind. Current Tank Info: 225 gal reef, DSB, 40 g sump w/ LRT100 return, 37 g pre-sump, 3 MH 250 W 15K, 4 96 W PC dual actinic,ETS 1500 Skim.w/LRT70, 20 lb Ca R., 40 W UV, 1/3 HP chiller, two 350 W Htrs, Neptune II Cont., 330 P LR/ 330 P LS. 55 gal Refugium

09/09/2006, 10:52 PM	#6
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	I am also a pro skimmer person. Unlike FW, nitrates are much more "dangerous" to a SW system. Nitrates as high as 20ppm can completely wipe out a tank of very sensitive and expensive corals. In addition, massive water changes, 25% or more, can also play havoc on a reef system so it is fairly difficult to nearly impossible to remove large amounts of nitrates from a reef tank that has a medium to heavier bioload. The solution to this is skimming. Like what navajo and pooalot have said, the skimmer takes fish waste out of the water before bacteria can begin to convert them into the various nitrigen counterparts. Less fishpoo, less nitrates. Also, unlike freshwater, marine systems normally dont rely on mechanical filtration. I have no filter pads or anything that would catch fishpoo and extra food and result in nitrates. My skimmer is my only "filter" I have for my tank. I also have a small refugium as well. Good skimmers mean less work and more bioload one can have too. Bad or cheap skimmers can equal more work, higher nitrates and alot more headaches. When buying a skimmer buy what others people on this forum recommend... or swear by...cough aquaC...cough

09/10/2006, 10:54 AM	#8
Hunterx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tenafly Posts: 22	Is a refugium an alteritive to a skimmer or is that somthing completly diffrent.

09/10/2006, 11:20 AM	#9
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	well, it is kinda both... skimmers remove waste before they become nitrates and refugiums remove waste during and after they have been broken down. Some people use it as a different means of reducing nitrates while others(like me) use it was a second means of removing waste. Is it a subsitute? I would say no because a good skimmer is much more effective than a refugium IMO but many if not most people who have a significant bioload who do not have a skimmer will have a refugium. People can get in big argument about which one is better or whatnot. In my case, I have a good size skimmer (remora pro) on my 20+20 system but for my 10gal breeders, I have a skimmer on one and I am waiting for an aquaclear70 so I can build a nano refugium for the other. In the end, most if not all hobbiest will say that having both is the best, but many people have had a great deal of success doing one or the other.

09/10/2006, 11:29 AM	#10
Hunterx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tenafly Posts: 22	I see thanks for the info

09/10/2006, 11:38 AM	#11
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	np, depending on the size of your project, that may be the real deciding factor. refugiums are cheaper when the tanks are smaller but once the tank size and bioload increase, then skimmers become more cost effective. If you tank is going to be 25 gallons or less, then the AC70/110 DIY might be the best option but if the tank is going to be larger, then skimming is going to work better

09/10/2006, 11:49 AM	#12
Hunterx Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Tenafly Posts: 22	im going large at least 120-150

09/10/2006, 12:11 PM	#13
Poorcollegereef Future Doc Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: DC Posts: 961	wow, awesome, yeah you should have a skimmer and a big one!