Use a Protein Skimmer for Freshwater???????

[[email protected]]

It might sound like a stupid question, but hey, what the hell.......

The wife and I just 4 weeks ago started our first sal****er reef tank,
and I'm so impressed by the operation of the skimmer, that I wonder if
anyone has found a way to use a skimmer for a freshwater tank??

Of course, it is obvious that freshwater doesn't foam the way
sal****er does, just the same, I thought I'd pose the question.......

Anyone care to comment?

Thanks,

Greg

[Lone_Gunner]

It takes a lot more to use a protein skimmer on fresh water than it
does salt. Its just not cost efficieint and from what I have seen,
they are big time expensive and not even anywhere like a sal****er
protein skimmer. Aquatic Eco Systems sells skimmers for freshwater
use, but theyare all geared to aqua culture and large fish farms with
dense stocking ratios. IIRC prices start off around $1,800 for base
model.



On 13 Jun 2006 16:52:22 -0700, wrote:

>It might sound like a stupid question, but hey, what the hell.......
>
>The wife and I just 4 weeks ago started our first sal****er reef tank,
>and I'm so impressed by the operation of the skimmer, that I wonder if
>anyone has found a way to use a skimmer for a freshwater tank??
>
>Of course, it is obvious that freshwater doesn't foam the way
>sal****er does, just the same, I thought I'd pose the question.......
>
>Anyone care to comment?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Greg


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[Koi-Lo]

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> It might sound like a stupid question, but hey, what the hell.......
> The wife and I just 4 weeks ago started our first sal****er reef tank,
> and I'm so impressed by the operation of the skimmer, that I wonder if
> anyone has found a way to use a skimmer for a freshwater tank??

I can't see why they'd be needed on a fresh water tank. With all the
partial water changes we do dissolved solids are removed. Or enough are
removed to keep our fish healthy and thriving.

> Of course, it is obvious that freshwater doesn't foam the way
> sal****er does, just the same, I thought I'd pose the question.......
> Anyone care to comment?

Yes. If you try it please post back and let us know if there's any benefit
to using a skimmer for a FW tank.
--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[Lone_Gunner]

As if people that keep sal****er do not do water changes? Pretty well
bet sal****er keepers do far more water changes with or without a
simmer than freshwater keepers ever thought of. Just one more
assumption eh Carolyn?

On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:35:12 -0500, "Koi-Lo" >
wrote:

>
> wrote in message
ups.com...
>> It might sound like a stupid question, but hey, what the hell.......
>> The wife and I just 4 weeks ago started our first sal****er reef tank,
>> and I'm so impressed by the operation of the skimmer, that I wonder if
>> anyone has found a way to use a skimmer for a freshwater tank??
>
>I can't see why they'd be needed on a fresh water tank. With all the
>partial water changes we do dissolved solids are removed. Or enough are
>removed to keep our fish healthy and thriving.
>
>> Of course, it is obvious that freshwater doesn't foam the way
>> sal****er does, just the same, I thought I'd pose the question.......
>> Anyone care to comment?
>
>Yes. If you try it please post back and let us know if there's any benefit
>to using a skimmer for a FW tank.


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Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[dc]

wrote in news:1150242742.509105.91150
@y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

> Of course, it is obvious that freshwater doesn't foam the way
> sal****er does, just the same, I thought I'd pose the question.......

It will not work. Fresh water is not viscid enough; it does not hold on to
micro bubbles or foam the way salt water does for protein skimming to work.

It might work if you added something oily like Melafix to the water, but it
would stop working the second the protein skimmer skimmed all the Melafix
out. You could probably pour the skimmed Melafix straight back into the
bottle because that's really all that would be there.

[dc]

Lone_Gunner > wrote in
:

> As if people that keep sal****er do not do water changes? Pretty well
> bet sal****er keepers do far more water changes with or without a
> simmer than freshwater keepers ever thought of. Just one more
> assumption eh Carolyn?

It really depends on your setup. If you have a really good denitrafying
system going most reef keepers will neglect their water changes terribly
and cover their bases with supplements.

[Koi-Lo]

"dc" > wrote in message
...
>
> It really depends on your setup. If you have a really good denitrafying
> system going most reef keepers will neglect their water changes terribly
> and cover their bases with supplements.
=======================
Which is what my old roomie did. I never remember her doing any water
changes on her 55g salt water tank. She'd put some kind of beads (I can't
recall the name) in a bag in her Heim filter she claimed removed all the
impurities. She'd top the tank with distilled water.

When she moved I inherited the tank and stand but she sold the other
equipment. I have GF in it now. :-)
--
Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö> ~~~~ }<((((({*>

[[email protected]]

Thanks for the input, folks, I appreciate it. You pretty much
confirmed my suspicion that a skimmer would not be useful in
freshwater.

Thanks again,

Greg

[dc]

wrote in news:1150325893.079471.162490
@r2g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

>
> Thanks for the input, folks, I appreciate it. You pretty much
> confirmed my suspicion that a skimmer would not be useful in
> freshwater.

Good quality, fresh active carbon basically fulfils the role of a skimmer
in a fresh water tank by trapping wastes before they have a chance to
breakdown in the water table. Some people use carbon or similar chemical
sponges in very small salt water reef tanks where skimmer use is not
practical.

Be aware that carbon will strip minerals and nutrients from your water that
plants require and it will remove any medication, tonics, or slime coat
replacers you may be using as well. It is also only good for 30 days or so
before you have to throw it out in average circumstances, much less in high
waste situations.

I never use active carbon in my fresh water tanks unless there is something
in particular I want to remove from the water.

[Lone Gunner]

Yes, but Aquatic Eco Syystems still states that under the right
conditions a protein skimmer can be used in a fresh water setup and
they do make specific skimmers for fresh water use. They are advancing
all the time in concepts for making a protein skimmer work in fresh
water....and even though they do have some that work fine, they are
kind of cost prohibitive for most.

On Wed, 14 Jun 2006 19:06:16 -0500, dc > wrote:

wrote in news:1150325893.079471.162490
:
>
>>
>> Thanks for the input, folks, I appreciate it. You pretty much
>> confirmed my suspicion that a skimmer would not be useful in
>> freshwater.
>
>Good quality, fresh active carbon basically fulfils the role of a skimmer
>in a fresh water tank by trapping wastes before they have a chance to
>breakdown in the water table. Some people use carbon or similar chemical
>sponges in very small salt water reef tanks where skimmer use is not
>practical.
>
>Be aware that carbon will strip minerals and nutrients from your water that
>plants require and it will remove any medication, tonics, or slime coat
>replacers you may be using as well. It is also only good for 30 days or so
>before you have to throw it out in average circumstances, much less in high
>waste situations.
>
>I never use active carbon in my fresh water tanks unless there is something
>in particular I want to remove from the water.


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