Over skimming question.

[loweryphil]

Im currently running a bubble magus c5 which is recommended up to 500L. My tank is 200l. I'm noticing everything looking pristine and zero algae at all. Is the 500l skimmer stripping everything before it even gets chance to cause algae? And is over skimming a bad thing?

 

[Super Fly]

yes, could strip out too much nutrient and end up w zero NO3 & PO4 which can result in cyano or dino appearing. U want some NO3 & PO4 in water. Depending on ur tank and feeding, some folks leave skimmer on 10-12 hrs/day.

 

[slayerhellfire]

yes over skimming is very bad, thats wy they rate skimmers. People who say hey get the biggest skimmer you can fit are clearly mistaken imo. Unless you feeding a ton to keep up with the skimmer it will not run efficiently and thats what you want.

 

[loweryphil]

yes over skimming is very bad, thats wy they rate skimmers. People who say hey get the biggest skimmer you can fit are clearly mistaken imo. Unless you feeding a ton to keep up with the skimmer it will not run efficiently and thats what you want.

I do have some nutrients present as my nitrate is at about 5ppm. But it seems to be doing a cracking job. It's taking out lots of gunk which makes me think it's doing a good job

 

[ChrisRD]

That skimmer is actually a good size for a well stocked tank of that size IMO. Skimmer ratings are very ambiguous IMO and personally I would not be concerned at all.

I do agree that driving P / N levels too low can cause problems...but personally I've not seen a problem with that solely due to skimmer size. Using GFO, carbon dosing, etc. to purposely drive those levels very low...that can certainly be overdone and lead to trouble IMO.

 

[loweryphil]

That skimmer is actually a good size for a well stocked tank of that size IMO. Skimmer ratings are very ambiguous IMO and personally I would not be concerned at all.

I do agree that driving P / N levels too low can cause problems...but personally I've not seen a problem with that solely due to skimmer size. Using GFO, carbon dosing, etc. to purposely drive those levels very low...that can certainly be overdone and lead to trouble IMO.

Very good answer!!!

 

[loweryphil]

Very good answer!!!

But can I also srart a new topic. I have a dd phosphate reactor still to set up. Will this be over kill? I'm just starting to see a mild diatom bloom.

 

[shred5]

In my opinion a skimmer can not over skim but you can have to big of a skimmer. They just are not efficient enough by themselves to bring things to zero. Add a carbon source or gfo etc you can bring things too low.
They can be too big where they do not perform well. A too large skimmer can be unstable. It may not produce a stable enough foam to rise over the neck and this is when you get more crud in the neck than in the cup.

It also can work part of the time and then not at all. You see this when a skimmer doesn't produce skimmate and then overflows once in a while.

Skimmer rating mean nothing for most skimmers. Most rating are far more than what they really handle.

 

[ChrisRD]

Agree with the oversized skimmer thing...and personally I would not setup a phosphate reactor unless there was a specific reason to. If it's a newer tank a diatom bloom at some point is typical and I would let it run its course. Make sure source water quality is good, keep up with maintenance and just give it time.

 

[theMeat]

Yep. Agree with the wisdom and knowledge shared with you. If your skimmer is producing, and producing steadily, than it’s not too big, as that would not be the case if it was.