Over skimming

[abyss]

[jolt26]

[Fugu]

Just a short quote from: http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_mar ... ?ast=&key=

Protein skimming
By Mike Paleta

It is possible to overskim the tank if too much water is run through the skimmers. Overskimming means taking an excess of good trace elements out of the water, which can be just as deleterious to the inhabitants as allowing an excess of dissolved organics to remain in the water. When a properly designed skimmer is used, if the amount of dissolved organics drops below a certain threshold then the amount of foam will be reduced and no additional skimming will result, therefore it is usually difficult to overskim an aquarium. However, with the newer more efficient skimmers, it is now much easier to overskim a tank since these skimmers are indiscriminate in terms of what they remove.

The possibility of overskimming a tank has led to the debate of whether these skimmers and trace elements should be used at all since all that is really occurring is the removal of the trace elements that were just added. The problem with this argument is that it neglects the need to remove waste and other deleterious materials that accumulate regardless of whether good compounds are removed or not. It is probably best to remove as much material, both good and bad, as efficiently as possible and then add the compounds and elements that have been deemed good or positive. In this way efficient skimming can be used to maintain more positive compounds in the water by allowing what is essential to be added to replace what has been removed. This may also be another reason why it may be necessary to "feed" the corals and other invertebrates in a tank using a powerful skimmer where that was not the case when less efficient skimmers were being used.

Mike Paletta is the author of The New Marine Aquarium and Ultimate Marine Aquariums.

[Reeferee]

if you have an over rated skimmer for your tank, can you adjust the air flow so it wont over skim your tank? or is this a stupid question?

[kurty]

[jolt26]

yes, there is overskimming. its really a debate. in fact, Eric Borneman (erichugo) of ReefCentral (now with marinedepot) doesn't use skimmers in some of his tanks. the fact that there are experts who say that overskimming is possible, means that it is more of a debate. like DSB vs BB. NSW vs Saltmix. tang debates. etc.

[apol]

kaya wag masyadong mag-rely sa mga iba. what's right now for them might be wrong in a few months or years. kung dati silang syokoy, maniniwala agad ako sa kanila, di ba art?

[jolt26]

[jolt26]

here is a very good thread on how to go skimmerless or underskim. macroalgae and a matured system is required. please read on

http://www.marinedepot.com/FORUMS/Topic26392-9-1.aspx

[Reeferee]

if you have an over rated skimmer for your tank, say 4 times over rated, does it require you to turn off the skimmer for a certain period of time then on again just like photoperiod?

ngayon ko lang naalala... oo nga pala... what works for you will not always work for others...

parang ako rin sumagot ng tanong ko...

[jolt26]

may gumagawa nun raymond sa isang tank ni erichugo dati, namention nya na 12hrs lang yung skimmer nya. hopefully, mahandle ng powerhead yung on-off, eh di ayus din

[jebo1]

This is a change. I have always read that it is better to "overskim" than "underskim" and that I have also read that you can never "overskim" actually. The issue of sieving-out plankton from your refugium was also 'somewhat' laid to rest by some aquarists. I guess if you monitor your parameters, do your water changes, you can never go wrong with more skimming. Try to achieve at least one cup of coffee a day (not tea), so they say.

[lombard0]

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[audioactive08]

[randell]

my guru, phil, once told me that many corallimorphs (actinos, ricordeas) can't survive an 'overskimmed' or immaculately clean envirnonoment, in contrast with SPS who thrives in that environment.