protein skimmer

[debbie]

I have never had a protein skimmer nor do I know how they work. On my current tank of 10 gal I have been running an Aqua Clear filter the past 4 years.
I would like to know if one can use just a protein skimmer by itself and would it do the same job as the Aqua Clear??
Sorry for the stupid question...

 

[sprieto]

A protein skimmer is used to remove biowaste products, so no.
Your Aquaclear is probobly a "power filter", used aas your "main filter".
For a 10 gallon fresh water you are fine.
A saltwater tank, no matter what size, needs both, a "main filter" and a protein skimmer......
Sorry this might not have helped much.....

 

[nycbob]

protein skimmer will improve water quality. if ur not keeping anything delicate, i'd skip on it on a 10 gallon.

 

[frankthetank]

Originally Posted by sprieto
A protein skimmer is used to remove biowaste products, so no.
Your Aquaclear is probobly a "power filter", used aas your "main filter".
For a 10 gallon fresh water you are fine.
A saltwater tank, no matter what size, needs both, a "main filter" and a protein skimmer......
Sorry this might not have helped much.....
What do you consider a "main" filter?
A saltwater tank does not need a power filter or canister filter... which I consider a "main" filter. A tank can greatly benefit from a fuge, however for a 10g I don't think we need to set up a fuge.
A saltwater tank needs LR and a skimmer. I know that people have run them skimmer less... and I have too for a period of time. But I'll take a tank with at least a # per gallon LR and a skimmer over a tank w/o a skimmer and a power filter.
So I say go with the skimmer and if you could run a sponge that would be fine. But again, in his case... a 10g tank I don't know what I would do. I haven't had something that small before.
I think those little eclispe models run a sponge, but no skimmer. I really have no clue.

 

[debbie]

Everything is growing and doing very well in the tank the past 4 years. I just thought a skimmer would be quiet and not have the "spilling" into the tank effect the Aqua Clears do.
So maybe I will just leave well enough alone. "If it ain't broke don't fix it"

 

[waterlogged]

Originally Posted by Debbie
Everything is growing and doing very well in the tank the past 4 years. I just thought a skimmer would be quiet and not have the "spilling" into the tank effect the Aqua Clears do.
So maybe I will just leave well enough alone. "If it ain't broke don't fix it"

None of my skimmers are quiet. Make sure you change filter media frequently.

 

[spyder78]

For a year and a half, I have been running only a skimmer on my 30G and everything has been great. If the Aqua Clear is working for you, I say leave it as is. Now, if it were broken, then I'd say get a skimmer. On a 10G, you would have to hang the skimmer on the back anyway, so you would still have the spilling effect. The reason I went with a skimmer from the beginning was for water clarity and less of a chance of the filter media being a nitrate trap. That's just my opinion, though.