Protein Skimmer Selection

madball13 · 02/27/2021, 05:28 AM

Hey guys!

Im currently in the process of getting everything I need to set up my 50g saltwater tank. I plan on doing a mixed reef and will be using a sump, so I was curious what everyones thoughts on what the best in sump skimmer would be for a 50g.

TIA

Timfish · 02/27/2021, 08:49 AM

DOesn't really matter much. Penn state conducted research 11 years ago and not only didn't find much difference they also noted the skimmer manufacturers didn't have any metric to quantify their claims. Here's a quote from thier paper.

"but no skimmer manufacturer has offered any quantitative support for their claims, in part because no useful metric for skimmer performance exists. In this article, we introduce two different measures for skimmer performance; (1) how fast the skimmer removes organic matter from salt water, and (2) how much of the existing organic material actually is removed" Feldman et al

I think it's telling skimmer manufacterers still have not embraced any method to quantify what their skimmers do. Here's videos of some of my skimmerless systems:

90 Gallon Mixed Reef
https://youtu.be/4t8IjelZwUk

500 gallon
https://youtu.be/_Uf5IyXvajg

Mixed Reef started in 1997, 10-07-19
https://youtu.be/dh_nLhj1QXc

220 Rimless 450 view
https://youtu.be/aCRYfIZs8N8

clevername · 03/07/2021, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madball13

Hey guys!

Im currently in the process of getting everything I need to set up my 50g saltwater tank. I plan on doing a mixed reef and will be using a sump, so I was curious what everyones thoughts on what the best in sump skimmer would be for a 50g.

TIA

read and research some more or be more intelligent about your questions. Size of tank is just little what we need to know. What fish are you keeping (hopfully no tangs BUT if so they are pigs), live rock, dosing phyto plankton, what foods you feeding (frozen/nori/flakes/pellets), not the most important BUT a huge factor.... what area do you have to fit a skimmer. You also never mentioned any budget so ill assume anything is fine.

to answer your question: a recirculating skimmer is the best skimmer period!
source to back up my opinion
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/conte...otein-skimmers

SnowManSnow · 03/12/2021, 03:51 PM

Just one to check out... I recently bought the Maxpect Duo Skimmer... I really like it.

moondoggy4 · 03/13/2021, 12:02 AM

It is easy to over skim a 50 gallon tank, so I would get the smaller skimmer like an AquMAxx FC80 I think they call it.

02/27/2021, 05:28 AM	#1
madball13 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 35	Protein Skimmer Selection Hey guys! Im currently in the process of getting everything I need to set up my 50g saltwater tank. I plan on doing a mixed reef and will be using a sump, so I was curious what everyones thoughts on what the best in sump skimmer would be for a 50g. TIA

02/27/2021, 08:49 AM	#2
Timfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,985	DOesn't really matter much. Penn state conducted research 11 years ago and not only didn't find much difference they also noted the skimmer manufacturers didn't have any metric to quantify their claims. Here's a quote from thier paper. "but no skimmer manufacturer has offered any quantitative support for their claims, in part because no useful metric for skimmer performance exists. In this article, we introduce two different measures for skimmer performance; (1) how fast the skimmer removes organic matter from salt water, and (2) how much of the existing organic material actually is removed" Feldman et al I think it's telling skimmer manufacterers still have not embraced any method to quantify what their skimmers do. Here's videos of some of my skimmerless systems: 90 Gallon Mixed Reef https://youtu.be/4t8IjelZwUk 500 gallon https://youtu.be/_Uf5IyXvajg Mixed Reef started in 1997, 10-07-19 https://youtu.be/dh_nLhj1QXc 220 Rimless 450 view https://youtu.be/aCRYfIZs8N8 __________________ "Our crystal clear aquaria come nowhere close to the nutrient loads that swirl around natural reefs" Charles Delbeek

03/12/2021, 03:51 PM	#4
SnowManSnow Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Georgia Posts: 956	Just one to check out... I recently bought the Maxpect Duo Skimmer... I really like it. __________________ It's dark as the inside of a cow out here! - Mark Twain Current Tank Info: 120 MRC acrylic Tank (love it). Constellation T5s Mixed Reef

03/13/2021, 12:02 AM	#5
moondoggy4 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: menifee So cal Posts: 11,042	It is easy to over skim a 50 gallon tank, so I would get the smaller skimmer like an AquMAxx FC80 I think they call it.