Overskimming?

snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Protein skimmers... many people are buying skimmers that are rated for twice the size of their tanks in hopes that this can cure any algae issues that may arise... However, isn't there some drawback from this thought? Could you be in fact removing a lot of food that corals need to survive? Could you be stripping the water of more than just foods? What do protein skimmers not remove? How can you make sure that you are not removing too much coral food from the water column before the corals can eat it?
Do SPS dominated reef tanks have to have such large protein skimmers to strip the water of almost all foods? Or, is that just an effort to reduce nitrate and phosphates to undetectable levels while starving SPS corals of their remaining 15% of food not derived from photosynthesis?
Is it underskimming or am I just feeding too much? Lets say you have a 100g aquarium and a skimmer rated for 100g tank. You have a "normal" bioload consisting of a small tang, a few anthias, a couple blennies, a couple gobies and a mandarin. You feed nori for the tang, small pellets for the mandarin (special diet), and a cube of frozen food every day for everything else, including your corals. You have an algae problem on the rise... are you underskimming or overfeeding?
 
S

siptang

Guest
I used to think this way and bigger isn't always better is what I learned.
On the topic of food for sps, I don't think skimmer removes everything in the water but if you see that your sps is suffering you should turn off your return pump and your skimmer for the duration of the feeding and for couple of hours to ensure enough nutrient is getting to your corals.
If you have algae problem on the rise, then it is most likely under skimming and too much nutrient in the water or too much light or combination of both but definitely under skimming not over on that particular issue.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
+1 i dont think skimmers remove everything...i think u can run carbon too much though
I say underskimming...the fish eat in like 20min to where as the coral are eating all night long....mainly on stuff we can prob barely see. I would rather overskim than underskim ya?
I believe their are other ways of removing trates and phosphates though and one shouldnt rely on carbon or an extra large skimmer... ill admit i run a lil over rated skimmers but on my lil tank im running a matvh for the skimmer and sadly i dont think it is keeping up.
Everyone rates em diff anyways. U want to look at some numbers but i can remember wat they are. Something like the air# to the intake of the water or something of the pump.... ??? darnit off to pm someone lol.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392619/overskimming#post_3487566
Protein skimmers... many people are buying skimmers that are rated for twice the size of their tanks in hopes that this can cure any algae issues that may arise... However, isn't there some drawback from this thought? Could you be in fact removing a lot of food that corals need to survive? Could you be stripping the water of more than just foods? What do protein skimmers not remove? How can you make sure that you are not removing too much coral food from the water column before the corals can eat it?
Do SPS dominated reef tanks have to have such large protein skimmers to strip the water of almost all foods? Or, is that just an effort to reduce nitrate and phosphates to undetectable levels while starving SPS corals of their remaining 15% of food not derived from photosynthesis?
Is it underskimming or am I just feeding too much? Lets say you have a 100g aquarium and a skimmer rated for 100g tank. You have a "normal" bioload consisting of a small tang, a few anthias, a couple blennies, a couple gobies and a mandarin. You feed nori for the tang, small pellets for the mandarin (special diet), and a cube of frozen food every day for everything else, including your corals. You have an algae problem on the rise... are you underskimming or overfeeding?
The following is what I understand about skimmers, if I am incorrect enlighten me.
To feed the corals and at the same time run a skimmer, means you just wasted the food.
That is about all the skimmer removes...organic compounds.
If you overfeed coral food, the skimmer will help by removing that extra from the tank. So in that way it kind of helps with algae control...stop overfeeding will do the same.
A skimmer does not remove nitrates or phosphates, it does not remove algae spores and it does not add extra oxygen to the tank.
On coral feeding day....turn off the skimmer. Filter feeding corals need time to absorb the food in the water, so give the corals a day to feed and turn the skimmer back on after leaving it off 12 to 24 hours.
You can keep a saltwater tank and not use a skimmer.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392619/overskimming#post_3487566
Protein skimmers... many people are buying skimmers that are rated for twice the size of their tanks in hopes that this can cure any algae issues that may arise... However, isn't there some drawback from this thought? Could you be in fact removing a lot of food that corals need to survive? Could you be stripping the water of more than just foods? What do protein skimmers not remove? How can you make sure that you are not removing too much coral food from the water column before the corals can eat it?
Do SPS dominated reef tanks have to have such large protein skimmers to strip the water of almost all foods? Or, is that just an effort to reduce nitrate and phosphates to undetectable levels while starving SPS corals of their remaining 15% of food not derived from photosynthesis?
Is it underskimming or am I just feeding too much? Lets say you have a 100g aquarium and a skimmer rated for 100g tank. You have a "normal" bioload consisting of a small tang, a few anthias, a couple blennies, a couple gobies and a mandarin. You feed nori for the tang, small pellets for the mandarin (special diet), and a cube of frozen food every day for everything else, including your corals. You have an algae problem on the rise... are you underskimming or overfeeding?
You can not over skim. There have been several studies on this issue. Now lets say you have a 20 gallon long and have a skimmer rated for a 56, maybe but I doubt it highly. I would place a bet and I bet that I win.
The skimmer only removes a fraction of waste and or anything else in the system, foods, elements, and or chemicles such as mg and ca.
More than likely if one is having an issue with algea, they should test the systems water, cut down on the feeding and check their light schedule and or change the bulbs.
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
ya soooo i guess it takes the fatty proteins or watever to actually make foam head move... so an over rated skimmer will just skim un consistantly. Kinda off and on
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
I agree that skimmers take food away from your corals and filter feeders.
But then I don' use one so any skimmer is overskimming.
my .02
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by cabinetman http:///t/392619/overskimming#post_3488620
So what do you guys do for filtration if your not running a skimmer?
56g Seahorse tank: Macroalgae. A Sump, and a tiny canister in the sump to keep it clear of sediment.
Test results:
PH - 8.0
Ammonia - 0
Nitrates - 0
Nitrites - 0
Alkalinity last reading - 2.5 (I am now out of tests)
A skimmer ONLY removes organic material, it does not really filter anything.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Having eight fish in a 20g system is tough on my filtration. I have been having some hair algae build up in the display tank. If i had an algae scrubber in my sump, i probably wouldnt have any issues at all. I do use a skimmer, but that has only been a recent development in the last year or so. Most of the time i go with a low bioload and a refugium with macroalgae.
However, i am getting into the higher end sps corals which require a little cleaner water.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
I skim on all my tanks, but I turn the skimmer off periodically when I feed filter foods.
My seahorse tank has a Tunze skimmer that's overrated for my tank. But horses are dirty animals, I try to keep most of the organics they produce out of the tank.
My 110g tank has a skimmer rated for.....100g. It's underrated, but I was happy with it when I used it before, so I'm keeping it unless I decide otherwise later on. I'll use it in the same proportions, probably run it constantly except days I wish to filter feed.
I do not think it's really possible to overskim, unless you're running your overflow line 100% DIRECTLY through your skimmer before it goes to the return pump. There's just so much more water flowing past the skimmer than it can possibly use, so (guestimating) probably 75% of your overflow water passes right by the skimmer. On the other hand, I also don't think it's absolutely necessary to skim a saltwater tank. It's a tool, not a fix-all.
 
kiefers

kiefers

Active Member
With lights off for around an hour or two, feed with the plankton, turn filter off (15 minutes). Before turning filter back on, turn skimmer off. I leave it off all night and turn it back on in the a.m.
But thats just me
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiefers http:///t/392619/overskimming#post_3488776
With lights off for around an hour or two, feed with the plankton, turn filter off (15 minutes). Before turning filter back on, turn skimmer off. I leave it off all night and turn it back on in the a.m.
But thats just me
That is the same thing I do with my reef tank. But I don't use a filter, I turn off power head so it wont blow food out of the disc corals B4 the can get it to there mouth.
 
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