protein scammers, blah. My LCS has a perfect alternative

[Lebowski_]

Just for the record. I agree with taricha that I’d run a skimmer even if it accomplished nothing but aeration.

I don’t consider skimmers any great way to control nutrients, but they do help remove organics of various sorts that can be toxins, yellowing compounds, bacteria, and suspended particulates.

I've noticed my pH has been less stable since I removed my skimmer - no other changes really. I imagine my aeration is poorer thus more CO2 in the water column.

Stable pH ain't no scam.

 

[Reign1]

I've noticed my pH has been less stable since I removed my skimmer - no other changes really. I imagine my aeration is poorer thus more CO2 in the water column.

Stable pH ain't no scam.

To pile on to this my PH had been running around 7.9-8.0 for the last several months. I turned on my swamp cooler (yes that is a thing when you live in a desert) and from just the added fresh air my PH is now 8.0-8.2 .. I have a feeling I will be adding a scrubber soon to see how much more it goes up.
Yes NO SCAM ..

 

[javajaws]

Just a scammer, I should probably throw it away and not even plug it in.

Seriously though...I've gotta mod it to hook up to my CO2 scrubber - even if it's a scam it'll still be worth the pH boost!

 

[Ballyhoo]

Just so long as it skims the scam, or scams the skim I will be happy. I just liked that when I removed it my sump looked nice an opened up but with the skimmer scammer my sump is loaded. Oh well I guess people don't have reef tanks for pretty sumps.

 

[VintageReefer]

Just so long as it skims the scam, or scams the skim I will be happy. I just liked that when I removed it my sump looked nice an opened up but with the skimmer scammer my sump is loaded. Oh well I guess people don't have reef tanks for pretty sumps.

Sure they do…just ask @AydenLincoln

 

[javajaws]

Sure they do…just ask @AydenLincoln

Looks like a bit of Reefer Madness going on there!

 

[AydenLincoln]

Sure they do…just ask @AydenLincoln

Yup! It makes me happy just looking at it!

 

[schooncw]

protein scammers are a money grab. What do they do break down compound waste inti smaller compounds? I guess these porous bars can act as a depositors , for lack of better terms. IDK. I just don't like my protein skimmer right now and my LCS did not disagree with me. I may be Fos no pun intended.

I think you need to do a tad more independent research.

 

[Ballyhoo]

I think you need to do a tad more independent research.

I did have a subtle disclaimer in my OP so I could see that would be missed.
but I do need to research a little bit more is whether the skimmer I have that comes with the system I bought, a G2 max, which is a 41 gallon tank -- 10 gallon sump. And what comes w that system is called a RSK 300 skimmer. It's just very large and I am wondering if it is actually a bit too large for my system. Would Red Sea design something too large for its own tank? thing is they have a lot of different tanks and they don't have a skimmer design for each tank. So I might look into buying a smaller one. I really don't like how much real estate it takes up in the sump. And I'm wondering if if it's just too much in the air gas exchange might miss particulates because it's too big of a machine. But I don't know.

" OMG LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT THING!"

 

[Troylee]

I’ll take a skimmer over a roller mat any day of the week! They work! I pull a gallon of nasty a week!

 

[thedon986]

So that’s a 53 gallon aquarium? Reefer 200? With a Red Sea DC 300 skimmer rated for 80 gallons HEAVY bioload? With a reef mat roller? This might be the most over-filtered aquarium I’ve ever seen. You’ve been totally oversold on equipment, no wonder you don’t think it’s working. I had no idea they were selling packages like this, they should be ashamed. I have that rating of a skimmer on an aquarium twice as big with no roller mat. Properly sizing a skimmer matters.

Realistically you need a skimmer rated for half that and no roller mat and you would be properly sized for filtration and could actually have a refugium if you wanted one.

 

[AriMiko43]

I hate when I get phone calls from protein scammers telling me I won something

 

[Ballyhoo]

So that’s a 53 gallon aquarium? Reefer 200? With a Red Sea DC 300 skimmer rated for 80 gallons HEAVY bioload? With a reef mat roller? This might be the most over-filtered aquarium I’ve ever seen. You’ve been totally oversold on equipment, no wonder you don’t think it’s working. I had no idea they were selling packages like this, they should be ashamed. I have that rating of a skimmer on an aquarium twice as big with no roller mat. Properly sizing a skimmer matters.

Realistically you need a skimmer rated for half that and no roller mat and you would be properly sized for filtration and could actually have a refugium if you wanted one.

thanks I'm glad I'm might've start figuring this thing out and why I've been discouraged. And to think they sell the same scammer on the 170 model which is a 31 gallon tank in like 9gallon sump. I just don't think Red Sea makes smaller scammers so they just throw in what they have in their packages. But I went into this new and I just wanted to get everything all at once and not have to worry about compatibility but now that I know more about things and I'm able to touch and feel and be more analytical with some experience I think I will Just buy a smaller skimmer and maybe I'll save the 300 skimmer for like a larger tank one day. sorry I do speech to text so some words come out different.

EDIT

I would appreciate some feedback because I've spent a lot of money, but I want things to be just right. So if I have a 41 gallon tank and a 10 gallon sump with that reef mat that I have, I should downsize to a different skimmer right? I'm thinking the coralLife skimmer that is modeled for tanks up to like 65 gallon and they can go in the sump or hang on. I almost like the idea of hang on so I can have more real estate in the sump, but I don't know how bad that will look.


yes, this is the system that I bought, which included that monstrous skimmer in a 41 gallon tank:

Reefer MAX 200 G2+ Black - Red Sea

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

 

[schooncw]

thanks I'm glad I'm might've start figuring this thing out and why I've been discouraged. And to think they sell the same scammer on the 170 model which is a 31 gallon tank in like 9gallon sump. I just don't think Red Sea makes smaller scammers so they just throw in what they have in their packages. But I went into this new and I just wanted to get everything all at once and not have to worry about compatibility but now that I know more about things and I'm able to touch and feel and be more analytical with some experience I think I will Just buy a smaller skimmer and maybe I'll save the 300 skimmer for like a larger tank one day. sorry I do speech to text so some words come out different.

EDIT

I would appreciate some feedback because I've spent a lot of money, but I want things to be just right. So if I have a 41 gallon tank and a 10 gallon sump with that reef mat that I have, I should downsize to a different skimmer right? I'm thinking the coralLife skimmer that is modeled for tanks up to like 65 gallon and they can go in the sump or hang on. I almost like the idea of hang on so I can have more real estate in the sump, but I don't know how bad that will look.


yes, this is the system that I bought, which included that monstrous skimmer in a 41 gallon tank:

Reefer MAX 200 G2+ Black - Red Sea

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Go to BRS and view the skimmers and recommendations. To keep things simple, I recommend Reef Octopus or Aquamaxx and def not Coralife. The Aquamaxx HOB is the best HOB I have seen or used - I used to be a dist/mfg sales rep in the aquatic industry.