Berlin Skimmer advice

[chele]

Thanks for reading...
I'm looking at getting a Berlin Air Lift protein skimmer because I have to put it in the tank. (eclipse hood so no option to hang off the back) Tank is a fish only 37G with a little live rock that I thought could get by on water changes alone. No dice.
Dumb question, with it being placed in tank, does the collection cup have to be above the water? If anyone has experience with this model or knows of other in-tank skimmers out there, please share
I was even considering getting 2 nano skimmers since they're small and could be hidden better.

 

[joker_ca]

i had one when i first started out years ago, IMO they suck! but to answer your questions yes the collection cup has to be above the water line. on the skimmer there is a red line where the water line should be which will raise the skimmer out of the water pretty high i dont think it will fit under the hood
im pretty sure if you cut out a piece of the plastic on your eclipse hood you could fit a remora skimmer or cpr bakpak

 

[donna d]

i have been hearing alot bout protein skimmers. This is prob a dumb ques but here goes What are they for and are they nessesary? i have only a 30g hex tank and was just wonderin if i should get one. My LFS never mentioned that to me at all. :notsure:

 

[chele]

A protein skimmer basically removes the disolved organic compounds (DOC) from the water. DOC's come from food that the fish don't eat and fish waste. DOC's can keep your nitrates high and I've been told they can affect your pH (because of the excess nitrates). There's a few good sites that explain how they work if you wanted to know. It basically involves the skimmer, an air pump and a lot of bubbles.
With a smallish tank, you can find a decent skimmer that hangs on the outside of the tank. I'm not sure how well that will work with a hex tank though...
Within a couple days, it will start pulling a nasty foamy muck out of water that looks clear. I know I need one in my tank because the surface of the water looks oily.
Hope that explains it a little bit.