Skimmer advice

[rcbruce]

I have a 55 gal setup and use a Penn-Plax Cascade 1200 canister filter. I want to get rid of my bak-pak protein skimmer and put one in line from my canister filter, using it as the "pump", so everything will be under cabinet.
Anyone have this setup in use and with which skimmer?

 

[scsinet]

Because of the way skimmers are built, you can't pump the exhaust water to a level above (higher than) them. Water has to flow out either horizontally or downwards, so your idea will not work. Simply put, inline skimmers in the sense of your question do not exist.
THe only way a skimmer can be located below the tank is with a sump setup, and a dedicated pump to pull water from the sump, then have the skimmer return the water back to the same sump.
Furthermore, most skimmers, such as Beckett, Venturi, or Spray Induction types (and just about every skimmer made is one of these styles) usually requires a more powerful pump than a canister filter has.