Page 1 of 1

Skimmer Questions

Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 2:11 pm
by shannon2
I have a 100 gallon fish only tank. I have about 100 lbs of liverock in it with about 2-3" sand bed. I have a 30 gallon sump with 30-40lbs of liverock in it. With filter media. I was thinking of taking out the live rock and putting a red sea Berlin protein skimmer or a Corallife 125 protein skimmer on it. I was wondering what some of ya'll are doing with your Fish only tanks.

Re: Skimmer Questions

Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 4:10 pm
by Amphiprion
Instead of the ones you proposed, do look at the thread made earlier by jt3069. There are several great suggestions in that thread and all of those skimmer brands will outperform the ones you have listed--and most are within the same price range of $175-$250. Again, I tend to like Reef Octopus, Bubble Magus, and SWC--they have excellent performance per dollar value and skim on par with far (far) more expensive models.

You may also want to consider some sort of macroalgae, like Chaetomorpha, for filtration. Whereas a skimmer is meant to remove particles and complex molecules, algae primarily removes dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus, meaning a direct decline in nitrate and phosphate. Most fish-only systems experience an increased level of these sorts of compounds, so it can be very helpful in keeping the tank a bit cleaner, healthier, and less algae-prone. Algal turf scrubbers also work extremely well and would be more effective overall, but are a bit more involved and require more maintenance than a simple Chaetomorpha "scrubber." Either way, it is a good idea and something to consider.

Re: Skimmer Questions

Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 2:44 pm
by shannon2
I do have Chaetomorpha In my sump. I was just wondering if taking all the live rock out of the sump and putting a big protein skimmer in would be better. I was just wondering what everyone else runs on there fish only Tanks.

Thanks

Re: Skimmer Questions

Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 12:46 pm
by rich850
If its for your predator tank you need a good skimmer they expel a lot of waste due to their diet