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Too Much Skimming?
- Thread starter diverbh4
- Start date
BOSTONBAKEDBEAN
Just a reefer
a recent rc thread of the month. On wet skimming. As in using it as a slow water change.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13989641#post13989641
I personally over skim in a completely mixed tank and everything is happy n growing.
Heard some mention/debate that leathers, softies can benefit from a bit of nitrates, but from personal experience I'd rather skim to much instead of two little.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13989641#post13989641
I personally over skim in a completely mixed tank and everything is happy n growing.
Heard some mention/debate that leathers, softies can benefit from a bit of nitrates, but from personal experience I'd rather skim to much instead of two little.
Most skimmers are widely overrated anyways and I think it's pretty hard to over skim a tank...
I have a skimmer that's rated for 160 gallons and it has a rep as being one of the better rated skimmers on my 65-70ish gallon total volume setup...
I have a skimmer that's rated for 160 gallons and it has a rep as being one of the better rated skimmers on my 65-70ish gallon total volume setup...
Here's a decent thread on the subject as well...
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=70693&highlight=overskim
http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=70693&highlight=overskim
Joel A
Started over.
I don't buy into that crap ... just a marketing ploy to get people to buy their "gentle" skimmers (like the KZ revolution)...
Also, it is in theory possible to over skim a tank, although it's not easily achieved. Over skimming a tank for a long period of time can actually cause Nitrates to drop to undetectable levels... causing corals to actually "starve".. however this is a desirable problem to have compared to most of us... and from what i've seen it's very uncommon to actually over skim a tank.
With the exception of a select few top money skimmers... they are all rated for tanks larger than they should be on... so as a general rule you should buy a skimmer that is rated for a tank larger than what you'd like to keep it on. However don't go too crazy... if you buy to large of a skimmer it won't be effective in removing organics from your tank because there simply aren't enough organics in your system for a large skimmer to take out.
Corals, especially SPS, does not use nitrate as food.
On the other hand, clams (which is NOT coral) do uptake nitrate as food source.
Joel A
Started over.
False...
Why do you challenge everything i say with misinformation?
Why do you think systems with no nutrients have corals with poor growth, pale color, and polyp extension? Why do you think people use AA's? Why do you think people feed extra when dosing carbon. It's not a common issue to run into, but corals DO need trace amounts of phosphate and nitrate to thrive.
SharkLover
T5 LPS
As far as corals are concerned I always thought the main trace elements coral used were strontium, iodine. Thats pretty much all I dose in my tank while running chaeto.
SharkLover
T5 LPS
Jeez, you just put me to the test. Now i wanna go back and make sure I know basic chemistry lol.
Joel A
Started over.
your chemistry is just fine. Cheers
Ok, lets hit the books and figure out what happens in an environment with no Nitrate and Phosphate... yet containing Sessile Invertebrate.
Next let's look at what the end product of AA's are... oh yeah NITRATES. Corals can not live without Nitrogen... period. Nitrates are the end products of proteins..
Great to have you back on the forums.. things change (people don't use compact fluorescent light bulbs anymore) Let's move out of the dark age please where we realize carbon dosing and AA's are not hocus pocus...
http://glassbox-design.com/2008/ami...s-do-they-work/)
Let me know when you're caught up.
Fact is, yes it IS possible to overskim. Although not many people successfully achieve it.. IT IS Possible.
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Joel A
Started over.
lots of SPS keepers dose strontium... not so much iodine as far as i know...
Personally i don't dose either of those as i think weekly water changes keep those levels in check.
I Do however dose Potassium...
Joel A
Started over.
SharkLover
T5 LPS
.Save your money. Many people run succesful reef tanks without a skimmer. Manufacturers claims have been proven false by scientific studies and I have never seen one skimmer company even try to back up their claims with any research. If a skimmer co. could prove their skimmer was better than the rest it, they'd pay big money to the researchers. They're all overrated...
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2#h8
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2#h8
