The ocean has a "built in" skimmer!

[Brummie]

I've been investigating rain water for a chameleon I've got and was semi surprised to find out what elements were contained. As such I've made an artificial rainwater mix. Dissolved organics in rainwater from marine sources tends to be lower than that from terrestrial storms for example, but it seems fact that oceans do skim;

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00128-007-9353-x

"The observed rainwater ratio of Cl/Na (1.1) is closer to that of seawater ratio (1.16) indicates fractionation of sea-salt"

http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/10/17569/2010/acpd-10-17569-2010.pdf#page1

"During both seasons Cl− and Na+ were the most abundant components. These ions

were also highly correlated and their ratio was close to that found in sea water. A

comparison with Na+ showed that also for several other components an appreciable

part of the concentration was derived from sea-salt"

http://core.ecu.edu/geology/woods/RiverComp5450.htm

"Precipitation is very dilute seawater because most of its dissolved ions are derived from bubbles bursting at the sea surface"

"Because of the great dilution os sea salt by pure water, the TDS of rain is low (1-10 ppm) depending on proximity to the coast."

 

[jdaniels175]

ocean foam= protein skimmer

 

[reefer315]

I think that's where the whole protein skimmer idea came from

 

[Coral Dreams]

Yes it does.

 

[billsreef]

Not just skimming of organics, but lots of salt spray gets into the air and can travel quite some distance in a visually observable manner.

 

[rhinonm]

If you think about it is still a pretty small skimmer for how big the ocean is. Not all coasts have much wave action.

 

[jdaniels175]

If you think about it is still a pretty small skimmer for how big the ocean is. Not all coasts have much wave action.

which if true brings up the question of: are low nutrient levels achieved with protein skimming overrated in the aquarium??

My guess is that the answer is maybe. The ecosystem of the ocean is much more complicated in regards to nutrient use/ export/ etc. than just protein skimming. In the home aquarium though, it is useful due to its efficiency and relatively small size, when compared to say...a mangrove forest or the Evergaldes.

 

[Brummie]

which if true brings up the question of: are low nutrient levels achieved with protein skimming overrated in the aquarium??

My guess is that the answer is maybe. The ecosystem of the ocean is much more complicated in regards to nutrient use/ export/ etc. than just protein skimming. In the home aquarium though, it is useful due to its efficiency and relatively small size, when compared to say...a mangrove forest or the Evergaldes.

That's kind of why I posted this. I run a couple of algae scrubbers, an unconventional waterfall, and a "badass" ?!? I've always thought that bubbles are important but on the algae growing site, the "super moderator" is often saying that oceans do not skim, you dont need to skim, you dont need bubbles. I think aeration (or skimming) is very important for gas exchange, especially when growing lots of algae in a closed loop system.

 

[Craig Borowski]

I think that's where the whole protein skimmer idea came from

It actually came from an aquarist who observed, back in the early 1960s, that scummy foam was developing in the air-bubble riser tubes used on his undergravel filters.

 

[ganjero]

Yes it does.

This is OT but, are you gonna manually add your sig banner to all your posts? :spin1:

 

[FlyPenFly]

Skimmate analysis shows how extremely nutrient rich it is. I would rather throw that out than have it stay in the aquarium.

The ocean and our small aquariums aren't that comparable. The scale would be like comparing my house to the Solar system. There are all sorts of processes going on that we don't really know about or understand very well.

 

[Brummie]

I found these two links, which sort of puts the tin lid on it,

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/91JC00954/abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872374/

 

[billsreef]

This is OT but, are you gonna manually add your sig banner to all your posts? :spin1:

Actually what he is going to do is read the [ua] and stop doing that