Skimmer Recommendations? Max Air Intake Desired

[josephxsxn]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to upgrade the skimmer on my display tank. The current skimmer works ok, but I feel like it's undersized and that my PH would benefit from even more air-intake.

Today my ~210 gallon system is using an eshopp x-160 which is rated for a light bioload of 220 gallons or so.. I really want something with alot more air intake but it's hard to find any air intake ratings of skimmers so hoping that folks here have some recommendations. I noticed on unique corals the great white skimmers list their air intake, does anyone know any other manufacturer that lists air intake?

Thanks

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Air intake is labeled on larger manufactured skimmers. Usually in L/ph...
The gph or water going through the skimmer is more important imo.
Basically the more gph the more lph.
Say a lifereef with a basic smaller jaebo dc pump pumps so much gph throught it....well the venturi or air intake will increase as the gph does.
Hths.
D

 

[blaxsun]

Nyos Quantum 160 or 220 might be worth checking out.

 

[josephxsxn]

Air intake is labeled on larger manufactured skimmers. Usually in L/ph...
The gph or water going through the skimmer is more important imo.
Basically the more gph the more lph.
Say a lifereef with a basic smaller jaebo dc pump pumps so much gph throught it....well the venturi or air intake will increase as the gph does.
Hths.
D

Never used a venturi design before, the ReefLife site really talks highly of them. I could see hooking up an overkill pump to one to really drive the numbers high.. I assume I would just attach my outdoor air line to the venturi.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Most skimmers use a venturi these days. The vent is just down on the pump in front of the intake. The below body pump skimmers of today usually use a mesh wheel or prop to increase the pump foam.production .as well... what skimmer are you using or used to using?
D

 

[josephxsxn]

Most skimmers use a venturi these days. The vent is just down on the pump in front of the intake. The below body pump skimmers of today usually use a mesh wheel or prop to increase the pump foam.production .as well... what skimmer are you using or used to using?
D

Using this today the x-160, just reading the description it does have a venturi much like your describe.

X-160 AXIUM Space Saving G4 Protein Skimmer

Eshopps mid-level line of Axium skimmers keeps upping the bar on simplicity and performance. The internal pump design allows for a smaller footprint and using powerful Sicce pumps means there is no loss of performance. The skimmer body of the new 4th generation has been completely redesigned...

www.marinedepot.com

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Nice skimmer. It's a dc pump? You have it full on? All the way up?

 

[josephxsxn]

Nice skimmer. It's a dc pump? You have it full on? All the way up?

It's AC pump, running at max (because no control lol ). Had a few issues for a while getting it to skim well, always still seems finiky but better now that I put a platform to lift it so it's at 9" of water.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Ya u could probably raise it a other 1" or 1.5" and get better control from the knob that controls the water inside the body.
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

9" is pretty deep imo
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Another*

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

If was a dc I was gonna say crank it up to get more.lph of air.
Lol
But ud have to lower the water level inside
Turn the knob...
D

 

[josephxsxn]

I can try to raise the unit some more to put it at 7.5", I do tend to play with the knob but find I get more skim with more water in the skimmer not lower.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

It takes time for that foam head to get heavy and build up. You don't want to be skimming all the time. Only when the nutrients get out of hand
My opinion.
D

 

[josephxsxn]

I feel you, my primary goal of the skimmer is really more for PH corrections which is why I have the outdoor skimmer air line. It makes a huge difference but after following some other threads I am curious if more air intake would improve the gas balance even more and hence the PH.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

No. It won't. Ur tank will exp such a small increase it will be barely noticeable on a test.
Ur better off trickle dosing soda ash to increase ph and stabilize alkalinity. Again.
My opinion
D

 

[josephxsxn]

No. It won't. Ur tank will exp such a small increase it will be barely noticeable on a test.
Ur better off trickle dosing soda ash to increase ph and stabilize alkalinity. Again.
My opinion
D

I know when I went to an outdoor skimmer line I got almost a 0.2 increase across the board in PH and hence why I was looking to increase the air-intake .. Been using reef-code a/b on a doser for a long time now so my alk stays pretty constant but dont get the boost like you would from soda or kalk.