Can a skimmer be too big?
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Anthony kolodziej
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water volume is used to "size" skimmers . but in all honesty it is your bioload that will best determine how your skimmer will perform . I have a total water volume of about 350-375 gallons so I got an SRO 5000 which is rated for 500 gallons lightly stocked . I have only about 12 fish so far and it skimmed great first couple days then kinda fell off . It still works fine and doing its job but now I can see I need more fish lol.
Cment
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Yep your bioload will be the determining factor along with how much you feed them. If your 80 is heavily stocked I see no problem going with a large skimmer but if not you will notice an inconsistency with your skimmate
a 160g skimmer is perfect for your tank. I usually advise twice the tank volume in a skimmer.
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IMO only if it doesn't fit in your tank or room.
Seriously, I like to at least double the volume of water to measure a skimmer. So if you have 200g, you need a skimmer that can handle 400g. It is a quick easy measurement since over time your reef will change and most will be very stocked. Saves money in the long run and keeps the system quite clean. My skimmer is rated for 700g and my total system is around 270g.
Seriously, I like to at least double the volume of water to measure a skimmer. So if you have 200g, you need a skimmer that can handle 400g. It is a quick easy measurement since over time your reef will change and most will be very stocked. Saves money in the long run and keeps the system quite clean. My skimmer is rated for 700g and my total system is around 270g.
Cment
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Is the skimmer your looking at rated for a 160g tank or are you looking to get a slimmer for a 160g tank. Imo there s big difference. Rating of 160g skimmer usually means half that at a heavy Bioload eg. An RO elite 200int super cone which is rated at 400g lightly stocked or 200g heavily stocked...
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For info in case it helps. I have run an sps/lps system for 3 years with this skimmer and now run a gorg system and nps. So far it has handled the difference well. It now produces a ton more skimmate, but that is expected with auto feedings 20 different times a day.
Great stuff guys but my question is can I over size a skimmer in order to use it on a different tank eventually... So can I use a skimmer rated at around 350gallons on a 80 gallon display w/ 40gallon sump setup? or would it be useless
twilliard
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Yes you can
I run the Orphek Helix 5000 on 80G total volume.
For my future tank when i can buy my own place will be 300 gallons
I run the Orphek Helix 5000 on 80G total volume.
For my future tank when i can buy my own place will be 300 gallons
Just put it on a timer [emoji1]
Daniel@R2R
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@spspirate influenced me a lot on my thoughts about skimmers, and his basic philosophy is the BIGGER the BETTER. He makes some good points about skimming heavy so you can feed heavy and also about how the extra oxygenation helps the reef as well. Maybe he'll chime in and do a better job of explaining things.
