TheFishTeen
New member
Every protein skimmer available comes with a volume rating, so you can pick the right model for your system size.
But every tank has a different bio-load, and different filtration. Every one's aquarium water chemistry is different. So how does a company rate their skimmers' volume capacity? They can't just test their own systems and see if the water is clean.
Some companies go as far as putting separate specific numbers, such as "300G for a light bio-load, 250-200G for medium to heavy". How do they calculate this?
I once read that a public aquarium used algal turf scrubbers as a main means of filtration, and on a consistent basis would place a mat of algae from the scrubber in a dehumidifier, then they would weigh and analyze the mat to measure the export of nutrients.
Can protein skimmer manufacturers use a precise method to measure the nutrient export as a result of the unit, or do they just guess, taking to mind "X"GPH VS "X"l/ph of air intake to assume "X" as the contact time, then taking that time and figuring in the units capacity to handle a system? I may be way off, but I've been trying to do research on this and nothing has come up.
It seems unless there is a scientific method of calculating a maximum skimmer volume capacity, there is no way to know if a skimmer model can work for your tank, if its rated lower and vise-versa.
But every tank has a different bio-load, and different filtration. Every one's aquarium water chemistry is different. So how does a company rate their skimmers' volume capacity? They can't just test their own systems and see if the water is clean.
Some companies go as far as putting separate specific numbers, such as "300G for a light bio-load, 250-200G for medium to heavy". How do they calculate this?
I once read that a public aquarium used algal turf scrubbers as a main means of filtration, and on a consistent basis would place a mat of algae from the scrubber in a dehumidifier, then they would weigh and analyze the mat to measure the export of nutrients.
Can protein skimmer manufacturers use a precise method to measure the nutrient export as a result of the unit, or do they just guess, taking to mind "X"GPH VS "X"l/ph of air intake to assume "X" as the contact time, then taking that time and figuring in the units capacity to handle a system? I may be way off, but I've been trying to do research on this and nothing has come up.
It seems unless there is a scientific method of calculating a maximum skimmer volume capacity, there is no way to know if a skimmer model can work for your tank, if its rated lower and vise-versa.
