Can you run too large of a skimmer?

A

AquaFrenzy

New member
The old rule of thumb is bigger is better when it comes to skimmers, is it a problem to run one that is much bigger than what your tank "needs"? thanks!
 
AquaFrenzy said:
The old rule of thumb is bigger is better when it comes to skimmers, is it a problem to run one that is much bigger than what your tank "needs"? thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes you can. Some will say you cannot but the size of a skimmers neck is designed to handle a certain type of load and water size. Running a skimmer rated for a 300 gallon heavy stocked tank on a 50 gallon with 3 fish in will not work well. Yea it will skim, just very very inconsistent. So yes it could work but consistent skimming is far better and less stressful.
I would go with a skimmer that is rated for a tank your size and load. Or close too it.

Corey
 
I'm running too large of a skimmer right now.
I set up a starter tank real cheap with elbow grease and dumpster diving. I ran without a skimmer for a year until I found a 120 that I can really get excited about; mostly to make sure I like the hobby before I get in too deep. So as I transition into the big tank, I'm using its 100+ rated skimmer on my under stocked 55.

What happens is it just chugs along, making froth, but never really produces foam.
There just isn't enough poo in the water to form a head. It's like the diff between a lager and a Guinness, both will bubble if you shake them but the Guinness makes a head that has real body to it, that you could scoop off with a spoon. Your skimmer should be removing the foam, not the froth. An oversized one has a hard time with that.

I've found carbon dosing helpful, cause it makes the skimmer more productive so the extra foam carries the poo out with it. But I still only run it 4-5 hours a day. I turn it on after work, and off before bed. In that time it cranks up a big head and gets the poo out of the tank, but after 3 or so hours it settles down and just makes froth mostly.

If you're shopping, you usually want to double the manufacturer ratings for tank size. You can look up diff skimmers on brs and they'll give the manufacturers rating, as well as what they recommend for diff stocking levels. Like, say you want a reef octo 2,000; coralvue may say that works for a 2,000 gal tank, but brs will rec it for a heavy-stocked 750, and an average 1,000. I'd even take a bit off the brs rec's too, just to be safe. You don't want to wind up underpowered, within reason.
 
AquaFrenzy said:
should I base it on the light or heavy bio load?
Click to expand...

Depends on your plans for the tank. Heavy is overstocked, predators, or big poopers like tangs. It's hard to decide before you even set up, but if you're liking the idea of a tank full of fish better that a tank full of coral with a fish or two on the side - I'd lean heavier.
 
So here's something I've always wondered since we are on the topic.

What if you run TWO properly sized skimmers instead of one big oversized one?
 
If you have a large skimmer and just wanting to use it and not have to buy another one you can run it on a timer as well
 
Bent said:
What if you run TWO properly sized skimmers instead of one big oversized one?
Click to expand...

What for?
I mean, people do. But there's a point of diminishing return. When you reach it the waters clean and the big one or neither little one is pulling anything. That's your sweet spot. Beyond it I think your just burning electricity.
 
CStrickland said:
I'm running too large of a skimmer right now.
I set up a starter tank real cheap with elbow grease and dumpster diving. I ran without a skimmer for a year until I found a 120 that I can really get excited about; mostly to make sure I like the hobby before I get in too deep. So as I transition into the big tank, I'm using its 100+ rated skimmer on my under stocked 55.

What happens is it just chugs along, making froth, but never really produces foam.
There just isn't enough poo in the water to form a head. It's like the diff between a lager and a Guinness, both will bubble if you shake them but the Guinness makes a head that has real body to it, that you could scoop off with a spoon. Your skimmer should be removing the foam, not the froth. An oversized one has a hard time with that.

I've found carbon dosing helpful, cause it makes the skimmer more productive so the extra foam carries the poo out with it. But I still only run it 4-5 hours a day. I turn it on after work, and off before bed. In that time it cranks up a big head and gets the poo out of the tank, but after 3 or so hours it settles down and just makes froth mostly.

If you're shopping, you usually want to double the manufacturer ratings for tank size. You can look up diff skimmers on brs and they'll give the manufacturers rating, as well as what they recommend for diff stocking levels. Like, say you want a reef octo 2,000; coralvue may say that works for a 2,000 gal tank, but brs will rec it for a heavy-stocked 750, and an average 1,000. I'd even take a bit off the brs rec's too, just to be safe. You don't want to wind up underpowered, within reason.
Click to expand...
What type of skimmer are you running?
 
CStrickland said:
What for?
I mean, people do. But there's a point of diminishing return. When you reach it the waters clean and the big one or neither little one is pulling anything. That's your sweet spot. Beyond it I think your just burning electricity.
Click to expand...

That's true. Never thought of it like that.
 
my setup is 125g tank with ruby 36 sump, it is a fowlr and will have a decent amount of fish when established, any recommendations?
 
Don't double up skimmer size. That isn't a sure bet to make it work.
I run a Bubble King double cone 200 on my tank. Rated for 260 gallon heavy load. I have a 240 with 30 fish in it.....sounds like a good load to me. I run the skimmer in deeper water and have the wedge pipe closed more because the skimmer is a beast and my load is not too much for it. So if I applied that theory of doubling size of skimmer, I would have bought the skimmer rated for 1000 gallons.
Buy a good skimmer that is proven to work successfully and chances are you will be able to match it up to your tank size and load and have it work great.

Corey
 
Does anyone actually think there's any reliable science behind skimmer 'sizing'? If there is, hasn't been apparent to me. I think if your skimmer holds more water than the display you're oversized ... beyond that I'm not so sure.
 
I think it probs has more to do with the amount of poop than the water volume of the system. But that's hard to quantify too, like you could say ___ skimmer can handle 5 poopers, but 5 tangs and 5 firefish are totes diff. I guess that's what they're going for with the bioload rec's on brs, but few people know what that means when they are buying their first skimmer. It's a tricky thing when you are setting up a new system, a lot depends on how you'll stock it - lights, skimmer, even rock arranging. But those decisions are hard too make that early in the game.

EDIT: lol I swear I didn't see this post until after I wrote mine
ca1ore said:
I agree with this. Also consider that volume rating on a skimmer is a proxy at best, and useless at worst; and that bioload is what determines the necessary skimmer size. Unfortunately there is no practical way to standardize bioload.

I have routinely used skimmers 'rated' for 3x the volume of a particular tank. On my current 90 gallon FOWLR, for example, I run an ASM G3 that is rated for 250 gallons and it works just fine.
Click to expand...
what he said
 
Last edited:
I have a 90 gallon tank with a Reef Octopus skimmer rated for 150 gallons. Thing skims awesome- this setup works for me!! ;)
 
right now im looking at

Aquamaxx Q-3 (or even Q-5?)
http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMaxx...in_Skimmers-AquaMaxx-UJ00157-FIPSISNW-vi.html

Bubble Magus D9 (dc version of 9 I think)
https://premiumaquatics.com/products/bubble-magus-curve-d9-dc-internal-protein-skimmer.html

Vertex 180i (is it worth the price difference?)
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idProduct=VX13900&child=VX14300

I've pondered Skimz but seems like the valve handle is very fragile, also open to Reef Octopus as well, they just have so many to chose from lol
 
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