Skimming an SPS tank

[radone]

Just curious, as to your thoughts on skimming an SPS tank. Should the skimmer be oversized to do the job?
Can you overskim an SPS setup?

Been lurking about the forum and you guys/gals have some awesome tanks BTW

 

[Froggy]

I think the skimmer should be oversized. That being said, I also think you can overskim too resulting in pale starving corals. It seems to be a balancing act. Feed enough and skim/export enough. I am still trying to dial that scale in :worried:

 

[BillyC]

The reason you want an oversized one, in my opinion, is because it gives you some cushion in case of an accident. For example an accidental overfeeding or a livestock death has better chances of being skimmed out before polluting your tank.

 

[pimp2daizzo]

not trying to hijack this but...right now im running a aqua c ev 180 on my 90galon. i want to get a new skimmer should i just replace mine with a new bigger one or should i just add a second skimmer about the same size?

 

[BuckeyeTodd]

just get a newer skimmer...atb 840 would be amazing, if not that then maybe the SRO 2000(The 1000 may do the job depending on how heavily stocked)

 

[radone]

The problem I have is my wife likes to overfeed everything, thus thinking a little over would be better. I have seen some tanks where it's under and it seems ok. but yeah Billy I must think like you do. Livestock death (rare), carpet surfing accident not possible, getting sucked into the overflow highly possible LOL
I really need to attend the 3rd situation

 

[pimp2daizzo]

The problem I have is my wife likes to overfeed everything, thus thinking a little over would be better. I have seen some tanks where it's under and it seems ok. but yeah Billy I must think like you do. Livestock death (rare), carpet surfing accident not possible, getting sucked into the overflow highly possible LOL
I really need to attend the 3rd situation

pretty much the same reason i think i need a new one.

 

[westreef]

I think the skimmer should be oversized. That being said, I also think you can overskim too resulting in pale starving corals. It seems to be a balancing act. Feed enough and skim/export enough. I am still trying to dial that scale in :worried:

How much oversized, 100%, 200% ? I heard if is is way oversized, it won't skim.

 

[OneReef]

This just my opinion from experience. You cannot overskim, theres no such thing. (unless it's overflowing and changing your salinity, lol) You want to pull all the crap out that you can. But if your skimmer is too large though, it won't skim well, and you won't get efficient skimming. I don't understand people that want monster skimmers that are too big for their tank. In my experience, it won't pull out near what a smaller skimmer would. I have had better success with small neck skimmers as opposed to wide neck skimmers. Try to match skimmer size with tank size and bioload. This is just my opinion and by no means fact. Just what I have seen in my own tanks over the years.

 

[Froggy]

How much oversized, 100%, 200% ? I heard if is is way oversized, it won't skim.

I have had good success with skimmers realistically rated for 2 times the tank size. Most skimmer manufacturers overate their skimmers. Euroreef always rated their skimmers realistically ( now a different co name I cannot think of now ) but compare skimmers specs to theirs to get a better idea of their capability.

I personally run a Euroreef RS 250 on my 120 and it does a consistent job.

Joe

 

[radone]

Good info here,
Glad to hear going bigger isn't so bad
Been running a DIY skimmer on my setup and it just doesn't cut the water volume anymore, I pretty much doubled my volume moving into this 210 and it has struggled for me so I broke down and will be picking up a Deltec AP702 soon. I feel pretty confident that will severely help me in the long run. Hopefully help with the overfeeding my wife does too LOL

 

[reefsurfing]

I have a BK Mini 180 which has been running on my 40 gallon reef for only a month so far but it seems to pull skimate every single day. Its definately a balancing act as the tank is heavily stocked since im still in a transition of finding some fish homes. I would say the skimmer rated for 4-5 times my current volume pulls 1 cup or more a day of sticky nasty skim.

 

[Acropolooza]

Well I don't skim my 20L long and sps grows like mad!