Is this skimmer too big?

[Speedy5200]

I just bought a used etss 800 with a mak 4 pump to go in my new 75 aga rr tank. Its my first reef. Is this too much skimmer for a 75 or is there such a thing as too much skimming?? I plan on having a combination of soft, lps, & eventually a few sps corals. Also, for any etss 800 users, the sump that came with this setup has the skimmer output below the waterline. Is that gonna give me any forseeable problems? Please tell me your opinions.
Thanks in advance,
Billy

 

[2poor2reef]

I run an aquac ev-90 on my little sps tank. With sunp and refugium there may be 30g of water column. The aquac site says the ev-90 is rated up to 125g. I want an oversized skimmer because I like the option of skimming only part-time. The only downside to heavy skimming IMO is plankton reduction. I like to be able to skim just once a week, letting plankiton levels build during the week, and then clean out the doc quickly. Coupled with a dsb/refugium I think it's an effective combination. My opinion only.

 

[Speedy5200]

Actually the ae Tech note says this:

Note: A Mak4 or GenX pump cannot run this skimmer effectively.
It will operate the skimmer at its lowest flow range about 600GPH. The total upper flow range is not available in case higher skimming capacity is needed such as when tank size or its bio-load are increased.

This should be to my advantage because of my tank is under the recommended size. Also, thats why i came here for an expeienced answer, not a biased one. I think maybe i will just do like you all say, maybe only run it during the days only.
Thanks for all the replys.

 

[Dewey]

You should visit the AETech site for more information:
ETSS 800
At the bottom it states
"Note: A Mak4 or GenX pump cannot run this skimmer effectively."

It's probably a little too big for your tank. It's rated for 200-500 gallon tanks. They also work best with the output of the skimmer above the water level of the sump.
I have the ETS600 on my 90g and I raise it up on a little stand.

 

[Iron]

I belive the output can be below the water line in the800 and up they are taller. The mak4 may be to small of a pump but being the tank is small for the skimmer that maybe a plus. If you feed everyday and have fish I wouldn worry. If your corals seem to not look so good feed more . The ocean is full of food. You can also run it less days or less hours or just at night, IMO it's easier to tune down your big skimmer than to try to increase the skimming of a puny one

 

[Iron]

I wouldn't worry about skimming out plankton. Small tanks wouldn't produce much if any. You need a tank in the hundred of gallons before you can really think of your tank to be an ecosystem= never needing to feed having it self sustained.I would just feed more but not over feed

 

[davelin315]

IMO, there's no such thing as too much skimming, the more the better. A larger skimmer helps to oxygenate your water, aid in gas exchanges, aid in the breakdown of dissolved organics, remove detritus from your system, and basically scrub your tank. Because of this, I also wouldn't turn it down at night, or run it periodically. Your system will get used to the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water from a large skimmer, and when you deprive it, you'll stress the system, possibly causing a crash.

 

[2poor2reef]

Man, I can't believe I'm posting to support the underskimming crowd. I've always been on the other side. Davelin, saltwater becomes saturated at a certain point. If your system is already saturated then running a skimmer or not doesn't matter in terms of maintaining oxygen in your system.

Iron, no one said they expected 100% of the plankton to be generated by the tank fauna. Plankton that are fed are skimmed out also. I don't want to feed DTs and then watch it be skimmed out. I also don't want the zooplankton that my refugium/dsb does produce to be skimmed out either. What I observe through experience is that plankton production tends to be feast or famine anyway. In a spawn of bristleworms, peppermints, etc., a large amount of zoo is produced all at once. If I run a oversized skimmer 24x7 then this will quickly be depleted. If I don't then this plankton remains in my water column longer to give my corals more opportunity to feed. My opinion.

 

[hectina]

Speedy,

Try running the MAK4 for a while. If it works then keep it. Skimmers are usually designed around a given pump, and the Mak4 may not produce enough foam. It all comes down to the reaction chamber and collection tube.

 

[davelin315]

Good point. However, since very little mechanical filtration usually goes on in a reef tank (at least in mine) I believe in lots of skimming. I have even seen a lot of people who attach ozonizers to their skimmers to increase it's output (this, though, I think is a waste of time). Just the way I think. Nice to get other points of view, though.

 

[DeathWish302]

2poor2reef:

I don't see a skimmer as depriving the corals of food, but helping them maintain a more natural food table as nature. Yes, a skimmer does pull plankton out. But at the same time you can feed HEAVILY to meet the natural amount of food that passes corals each day. I can't give you an exact estimate on how much food blows by, but if you were to try and replicate you would fail (and so would I, no flame). To meet that level of food you have to add somewhere in the ballpark of 8-10oz, yes 8-10, for every 100 gallons. Now if we added that much food, there would be a lot of disolved organics that would foul the water. With a skimmer this large amount fed is capable.

HTH,
DW302

 

[2poor2reef]

You both make good points. If you went back to my previous posts on this topic I totally agree with you DeathWish. That's why I've got an EV-90 on a 15g tank! I always said I want to feed heavy and skim heavy. Foot on the gas and foot on the brake. But I can't feed a large continuous supply of zooplankton. So I have to settle for a SMALL continuous zoo supply from my refugium, supplemented by large feedings once or twice per day. Hey, that's why we all added these refugiums in the first place. They are a refuge for pods and plankton producing critters so they can feed our corals and fish. What's the point of producing the zoo if the skimmer takes it out of the water column? I stock very lightly, so I'm starting to think that I want an oversized skimmer so that I can periodically take the doc out of the water quickly while letting the plankton population maximize the remainder of the time. Just a thought.

[ August 23, 2001: Message edited by: 2poor2reef ]

 

[Iron]

If you feed dt turn the skimmer off. But i run a fair size becket skimmer on my 120g. I feed heavy I have 3 types of snails that breed in my tank I have mass tube worms all kinds of life that breeds in my tank.I like to fee alot si,ply because the ocean has an abundant suppl y of food which my tank doesn't , heavy skimming lets me feed which I like to do. Some ppl don't