- Is a protein skimmer worth it?
I think that the majority of reefers
who use a protein skimmer would all shout out
with a resounding, "Absolutely,"
if you ask that question,
but instead of giving you the shortest possible answer,
let's look at how a protein skimmer is worth it.
First off, I think it's probably a good idea
to address the fact that protein skimmer prices
can range quite a bit,
not just because of the size of tank that they're rated for,
but also in terms of quality,
performance, and specialized features.
So if you buy the cheapest skimmer possible,
you'll likely find it doesn't work very well
and therefore might not be worth it.
And also you could blow a ton of money
on the upper echelon skimmers
with all the bells and whistles
and find it works really well,
but given how much you paid,
many feels a little bit underwhelming.
So for that reason, we're going to assume
we're talking about a protein skimmer
in that budget friendly, mid-tier price range
that's a great value for what you spend
and also works really well.
So with that out of the way,
I think the most obvious way
that a protein skimmer proves its worth
is by pulling out dissolved organics,
yellowing pigments, and suspended particulates
from our reef aquariums without using
any sort of mechanical, chemical, or biological media.
By harnessing the power of foam fractionation,
a protein skimmer produces millions of tiny bubbles
that attract dissolved waste like fish poop,
uneaten foods, and other organics
that stick to the outsides of those little bubbles
and as they converge and grow into larger bubbles,
they draw that waste up and out of the water
and deposit it inside of the collection cup
all before ever getting the chance
to break down in the water
into unwanted excess nutrients
that could fuel past algae and bacterial slime growth.
And that sounds pretty fantastic, right?
Because, well, it is.
In most cases, that means you won't have to do
water changes as often since you're going to be removing
a good portion of that waste
on a regular basis with your protein skimmer.
So your aquarium's phosphate and nitrate levels
shouldn't rise as quickly,
less water changes means
less maintenance on your plate
and less salt being used.
And less salt being used means
you can keep some more of those crisp
dollar dollar bills in your pocket.
And I say can, because I think the majority of us
are just gonna reallocate that money to our coral budget.
No shame in admitting that, right?
I can't be the only one.
I'm not the only one, right?
I'm not the only one.
Those yellowing pigments I was just mentioning before,
although they aren't always very obvious,
they are more of a pain than you might think.
They can have a pretty significant impact
on the amount of light that reaches your corals,
making your light fixture less efficient
than it should be.
Removing those pigments is something
that all reefers should want to do,
and while carbon can definitely do the trick,
you'll end up going through quite a bit of it
without a protein skimmer helping out.
In some cases you may find
that you don't need to run carbon at all,
which is another big (lips smacking)
plus one towards protein skimmers being worth it.
Now, aside from filtration,
a protein skimmers also provide
an absolute ton of gas exchange for our reef tanks.
All of those tiny micro bubbles
add up to a vast amount of surface area,
likely many times more than the surface area
at the top of our aquarium
and are credited with providing
the majority of the oxygenation
and gas exchange for our reefs.
All of that added gas exchange
could be a great tool for helping to keep
the pH of our aquariums nice and high
for our corals right around that 8.1 to 8.3 mark,
where the corals tend to grow best.
Especially when paired with a CO2 scrubber,
which is becoming increasingly more common,
since it's such an effective way
to get that little bump in pH
that many reefers are looking for.
Now on top of that, protein skimmers
are also an important part or tool
used in other types of filtration methods.
A good example being the use of biopellets or ozone.
For reefers using biopellet reactors,
the excess bacteria that's produced
and sloughed off by those biopellets
can be removed from the system
through proteins skimming.
With ozone, protein skimmers can make
an excellent reaction chamber
and because of that, many skimmers are made
to work seamlessly with ozone generators.
So for reefers looking at using
either of those options for filtration,
a protein skimmer has even more value.
Protein skimmers are so popular,
in fact, that there are all kinds
of accessories available for them
to make them even easier to use than they already are,
as well as just making the more hands free.
I'm talking automatic neck wipers,
waste collectors, skimmer cup sensors, and more.
Many of the aquarium controllers
that are available have settings
and tasks dedicated specifically to protein skimmers
so that they work even more seamlessly
with your entire aquarium system.
Now, I'm not saying that everybody
must have a protein skimmer to be successful,
'cause that's not true.
And yes, there's definitely maintenance
that you're going to need to perform on a protein skimmer,
like dumping out that full cup of skimmy
every week or so,
and cleaning out the skimmer body
and pump periodically.
You know, the typical stuff
for any piece of reef aquarium gear.
And there's still a running cost
since it uses electricity,
like any other pumper filter on your aquarium,
but for everything a protein skimmer does and can do,
they can be one of the best investments
for a reef tank that you can make,
which is why I'll always, whenever possible,
choose to run a protein skimmer
on my personal reef tanks.
But honestly, the big question
that a lot of people get hung up on
with protein skimmers is,
"How do I even pick the right protein skimmer
for my specific tank?"
Can you trust the size rating that's on the box?
Are there other factors that I need to consider?
You might be pretty surprised to hear
that many of us are getting skimmers
that are way too large for our tanks
and should have spent less on a smaller skimmer.
So, how do you pick the right skimmer?
Well, Ryan's actually gonna walk you
through that in this video right here.
And it's only gonna take five minutes
and you should have all the information you need
to go through, pick the right skimmer
and not waste money, not get the wrong thing.
And then you can feel confident
you got what you need.
It doesn't have to be confusing,
just need a little bit of info.
(upbeat music)