I am in need of one protein skimmer under $450 that can stand alone insump so i can take it to one sump on one day and then take it to another sump on a different day. I am setting up (5)30 gallon broodstock tanks with a sump that will fill to about 12 inches in depth, and i have 3(65) gallon tanks for growout with its own same sump the same size.. i am trying my hand at breeding marine fish.... i want to be able to skim one sump for a few days, and then take it out to skim the other sump for a few day, etc. what type of protein skimmer so you recommend? i currently own a tunze 9010 in my 90 tank. Thanks. Bunker
which one
- Thread starter bunkerboy
- Start date
I don't think this will work very well, growout tanks are heavily fed and for ideal growth you need pristine water. I would either go skimmerless and set up for nearly continuous water changes or get a good skimmer for each set up. Moving the skimmers constantly is likely to be a headache and result in mediocre skimmer performance. Besides that in the few days without a skimmer bacteria will have converted most of the waste into non skimmable components like Nitrate and Phosphate so the purpose of skimming will largely be lost.
I really think a continuous water change set up is where to spend the money but the 9010 would be the most appropriate of the skimmers we offer. In all likelihood you could set up a very professional trickle water change system for about $1000 max, vs $1600 for 5 9010's and the results would be superior. Something that exchanged about 1-3 gallon an hour from each set up should work very well and the basic expense would be plumbing and a large vat to hold and mix saltwater. Really the whole system could be run on gravity and float valves. Of course you would have the long term expense of salt mix but the fish would grow faster and be healthier.
The space i have is limited in my basement... i have five 30 gallon tanks on top, 3 65 gallon tanks in middle for growout, and two rubbermaid sumps below. Maybe daily small water changes would be good, but i was hoping one skimmer in each sump would help time wise... Does the 9010 come with everything needed for insump use? I have my 9010 hanging in my 90 tank and does and excellent job. what happens if the top off water level fluctuates a little... i know the 9010 in my 90 gallon FOWLR tank only skims well when the water level is at the blue water line on the skimmer. Thanks for the quick replies. Bunker
Similar threads
