2 skimmers or 1 larger??

[briandg]

I am looking at upgrading my skimmer. I currently have a 180 gal tank w/sump. My tank is set up as FOWLR because I've never had the lighting for corals. My LED's will be in tomorrow and am trying to upgrade my equipment to get my Nitrates to 0, they've always been around 20 mainly because of water changes. I am looking for a skimmer with a small footprint, primarily because of the height of my stand. After researching, I have come up with two options both involving a Tunze Skimmer.
Now to my question . I can purchase a Tunze 9021 for around 590.00. The website also has the Tunze 9010 on closeout for 260.00. So for 520.00 I could purchase 2 of the 9010's and run both in the sump. The 9021 is rated for 554 gal tank and the 9010's are rated for 264 gal tanks. I don't know if it's wise to run 2 skimmers in the sump or just purchase the more expensive larger one. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by briandg http:///t/391129/2-skimmers-or-1-larger#post_3467193
I am looking at upgrading my skimmer. I currently have a 180 gal tank w/sump. My tank is set up as FOWLR because I've never had the lighting for corals. My LED's will be in tomorrow and am trying to upgrade my equipment to get my Nitrates to 0, they've always been around 20 mainly because of water changes. I am looking for a skimmer with a small footprint, primarily because of the height of my stand. After researching, I have come up with two options both involving a Tunze Skimmer.
Now to my question . I can purchase a Tunze 9021 for around 590.00. The website also has the Tunze 9010 on closeout for 260.00. So for 520.00 I could purchase 2 of the 9010's and run both in the sump. The 9021 is rated for 554 gal tank and the 9010's are rated for 264 gal tanks. I don't know if it's wise to run 2 skimmers in the sump or just purchase the more expensive larger one. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
A skimmer will not bring down your nitrates. A skimmer removes the organics out of the water...it will slow down the buildup of nitrate, but not remove what is already in the water.
Tunze makes a great skimmer....but it won't help for nitrates.
You can either do more water changes, lower your bioload (less fish in the tank) or get an Aquaripure (or simular) de-nitrator filter.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Getting a skimmer will improve your water quality greatly, and will reduce or eliminate dissolved and particulate matter from the water column that produces nitrate/phosphates. It reduces organic nitrate and phosphates, but not as many inorganic nitrate and phosphates like what hair algae and macroalgae remove from the system. So, a protein skimmer will greatly help, combined with a few key water changes, gravel vac'ing your sandbed lightly, adding macroalgae in a refugium or decorative macroalgae in your display tank and blowing off all your rocks with a powerhead before a water change. You should also only use RO water for all top offs and to mix salt with for water changes.
Use a three punch combo on any system and it will greatly reduce if not eliminate pollutants from your tank: macroalgae refugium or algae scrubber, protein skimmer, and phosphate reactor.
The macroalgae uses inorganic and organic wastes, heavy metals, excessive co2, and helps balance your pH at nighttime and increases the water volume of the system for greater stability. The protein skimmer mechanically removes waste - detritus, fish waste, algal spores, bacteria, and all kinds of dissolved and particulate organic (and sometimes inorganic like drywall dust!) out of the system. The phosphate reactor finishes off the filtration process by chemically binding phosphates and "dirt" to it's surfaces.
The aqua pure filter flower suggested uses vodka, and she will tell you that unless you have a great understanding of it, it will eventually crash your tank and kill all of your fish, like it did her one day not long ago.
Tunze is great, but you might be disappointed with them for the prices they charge. If you want a really awesome skimmer that wouldn't be overly expensive but still packs a punch - look into an octopus diablo cone skimmer. It's for a 300g heavy stocked tank and for a sticker price of $300 it's well worth every penny. It also wouldn't be too overrated for your tank. If you use a skimmer that is way overrated on your system, it won't skim efficiently and end up not doing anything to help improve your water quality.
Your headed in the right direction. Get the skimmer, do the water changes, add some macroalgae and your well on your way to a healthy tank.

 

[briandg]

Thanks for the replies. I understand the skimmer won't remove nitrates, I do water changes to reduce them, but I need a good skimmer to help keep them at lower levels. I am also planning on trying biopellets. I looked at the Octopus Diablo skimmer, unfortunately I only have 20" clearance. I really don't want to spend the money on the Tunze, but haven't found another good solution with my height requirement. I haven't been overly worried about my trates while having FOWLR, but now want to get into corals. I'm not sure how accurately the Tunze skimmers are rated, but am thinking the 9010 or 9011 would be too small for my system, not sure on that though.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by briandg http:///t/391129/2-skimmers-or-1-larger#post_3467211
Thanks for the replies. I understand the skimmer won't remove nitrates, I do water changes to reduce them, but I need a good skimmer to help keep them at lower levels. I am also planning on trying biopellets. I looked at the Octopus Diablo skimmer, unfortunately I only have 20" clearance. I really don't want to spend the money on the Tunze, but haven't found another good solution with my height requirement. I haven't been overly worried about my trates while having FOWLR, but now want to get into corals. I'm not sure how accurately the Tunze skimmers are rated, but am thinking the 9010 or 9011 would be too small for my system, not sure on that though.
If you want to keep corals...A duel carbon and phosphate reactor will help quite a bit.
I am no skimmer expert....but I run an Octopus XP1000sss it works great, and it isn't all that tall, it's much cheaper than a tunze and it's a good skimmer.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Biopellets are a waste of time and money. You can ask DeeJeff about his experience with the if yah wish.
Ever since tunze's reputation has come under fire from not publishing accurate flow rates for their powerheads, it makes many people also question the validity of their protein skimmer sizes to tank volume. Personally, I think that they are pretty spot on with their skimmers and trust their ratings. I would just get one of the 9010's and try it out for a while. If it isn't doing what you need, combined with water changes, and adding macroalgae then think about a phosphate reactor instead of another skimmer. One piece of equipment can't do it all, and overrating a skimmer for the tank isn't an make it run extremely inefficiently.
Check to make sure you have the proper sump water level for the tunze's operating depth.

 

[briandg]

Thanks again for the prompt replies. The Octopus XP1000sss is still going to be too tall I think. It's just over 20 inches. I think I'll go with the 9010, from what I can tell it's basically the same thing as the 2011 but I can get it for 100 dollars cheaper. I'll do some more research on the biopellets, I read some reviews where people claimed to have good luck with them, but I haven't researched them enough yet. Also I do use RODI water and it tests 0 on trates. I think I'm going to have to increase my water changes, in the past I've only done a 30 gal water change every two weeks. That worked to keep my trates from going off the charts but not acceptable for corals. I'll try the Tunze 9010 and increase the amount of my water changes to get the trates to 0 then go back to my smaller water changes and increase them to weekly and see how that works. I have some time as I'm not going to step into the world of corals until I can get my parameters where I'm comfortable with them. I also forgot, I do have a refugium with chaeto (sp?) to help with the trates.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Make sure you change that light bulb out over your fuge every two and a half to three months for maximum growth rates.
You should buy a Tds meter for your RO unit. Nitrates will probably be undetectable on a kit, but not for a Tds meter. It can only help.
I think you should be fine with that skimmer.
There is more to a water change than changing water. Blow off all your rocks with a powerhead or turkey baster and siphon as much as you can out. Let the filter catch the rest and an hour later, change the filter. You should probably also consider gravel vac'ing your sandbed. Over time organics build up in the sand and leach back into the water column. After you siphon your sand, add a cup of established sand from another persons tank to help replenish the infauna found there.
Sounds like you are on the right track.

 

[briandg]

I actually do have a TDS meter, I'm fortunate that my water tests pretty good out of the faucet and perfect out of the RODI (as it should) and my filters last a long time in my RODI. I will take your suggestions on changing the water, I always simply change it and don't blow off my rock. I have fairly good flow, but there are some dead spots and the blowing off and syphoning is something I have never done. So you're saying the 4 yo bulb over my refugium should be changed? I am not good about doing that but I will order a few as to have them and do a better job of changing them. On a side note just got a call that my LED's are in, excited about getting them installed this weekend. Problem 1 for having corals (lighting) solved, working on step 2 parameters, then I'll go to step 3 (dosing or calcium reactor), my calcium levels have always been low, I use Reef Crystals, maybe I should change my salt, but again for FOWLR I was never overly concerned.. Figure the best thing to do is take my time, take it one step at a time and not get too overwhelmed with everything!! Thanks again.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I would change them lights out ASAP! I use regular cfl bulbs over my fuge and have great results. Typically I use 23w cfl's or better. The color spectrum it produces gives me better growth rates than other types of bulbs.
Learning reef chemistry can be a daunting task. But, it needs to be learned. You are doing the right thing taking it one step at a time.

 

[acrylic51]

IMHO, you would be better served going with a single skimmer (quality) and I'm not saying Tunze skimmers aren't good, but on a tank that size look at skimmers such as SWC, ReefOctopus, I think Corey is using the Skimz skimmer.....But logically this would be a better skimmer choice for the task. Two skimmers can be done, but I feel you'd be better served with 1 properly sized skimmer.

 

[briandg]

Thanks for the advice, I have decided to go with one skimmer. I found a Tunze 9410 used in good condition. I'm hoping it will be big enough. I understand the concerns with it being big enough for my tank, but in order to get the cup off, I'm really limited to under 20 inches or less. I figure for what I paid for it, if it doesn't work and something new comes out that will, I should be able to get close to my money back out of it. I simply couldn't find a skimmer short enough to meet my needs and the Tunze seemed the closest. I think it will work for awhile, I'll probably have problems later when it's more fully stocked, but it's an improvement for now.
Thanks again.

 

[geoj]

I owned a Tunze DOC Protein Skimmer 9011. I never got it to work so I upgraded to a Super Reef Octopus XP1000 Space Saver. I hope you fare better.