Rosco's Reefs December 2, 2012 Share December 2, 2012 How does one size a skimmer based on total aquarium volume? I have a friend with a 300 gallon tank, no skimmer, and I want him to get one. How is this math calculated? Is it just gallons per hour thru the skimmer? What happens if the skimmer is smaller than would really be best? Is it just a function of dealing effectively with the skimmate? The man is not going to buy one of these behemoth, very expensive. models but needs something. Please advise. Thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridetheducati December 3, 2012 Share December 3, 2012 What kind of animals does he plan to keep? Is water quality a critical element? Consider short and long term goals. The skimmer is the corner stone of a reef, not a place to cut corners. However, skimmers are one of many facets of the reefkeeping methodology. Any current and widely available skimmer that is rated from 250g - 400g will improve water quality assuming total system volume is ~300g. Manufactures have done a reasonable job with tank ratings. Years ago, the mantra was double the tank volume, not so much today. A skimmer too small may not be able to keep up with dissolved organics, thus, more water changes maybe required. A skimmer that is grossly overrated will not be efficient. Get the best skimmer for your/his budget. Does he have a budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind December 3, 2012 Share December 3, 2012 I think most of the ratings are just suggestions for the size of the tank, not really system volume, but they are probably based off of an average sump for that size tank. Some skimmers will have a range and that covers what you plan to load it up with. So the lower size rating is for a heavy bio-load and the higher gallon rating is for a lightly stocked tank. What brand were you looking into getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef December 3, 2012 Share December 3, 2012 I had an ASM G1X on my 150g... and i LOVED it... not really expensive for its size... so maybe have him look into a G4 or G4+...$400 ish but well worth it and much cheaper than some others out there... but then again if hes not been using one this whole time what is his regimen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind December 3, 2012 Share December 3, 2012 Nothing hurts by getting a smaller skimmer, heck an old air stone skimmer is better than no skimmer at all. It will at least pull some stuff out of the tank before it can foul it. Has he seen or smelled what your skimmer removes from your tank? Then he might understand the need to get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosco's Reefs December 3, 2012 Author Share December 3, 2012 I think most of the ratings are just suggestions for the size of the tank, not really system volume, but they are probably based off of an average sump for that size tank. Some skimmers will have a range and that covers what you plan to load it up with. So the lower size rating is for a heavy bio-load and the higher gallon rating is for a lightly stocked tank. What brand were you looking into getting? He is a fish only kinda guy. I haven't selected any brand or model. I like the Avast stuff with Skimmate accessories, mainly because they are a sponsor plus I will be maintaining it and cannot clean out the bucket as often as if it were my tank. I've also heard good things about other skimmers so thanks for the advice. It is a relief to know that some skimmer (even smaller) is better than no skimmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw December 4, 2012 Share December 4, 2012 I just put a CS-1 on my 210g about 2 months ago. I'm amazed at what it is pulling out. It may be a tad undersized for the tank, but I have a Davy Jones so the doo doo has somewhere to go. I'm very happy with the noise (or lack of) and it's performance. For the 300g I would go with the CS-2. Avast makes stuff that performs well and there really is something to be said for local support........and their customer service is top notch. Also, I've had the big name skimmers and they work great..........but when something goes wrong, it can be expensive as H-E-double hockey sticks to make it right. Not so with the Avast stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore December 5, 2012 Share December 5, 2012 How does one size a skimmer based on total aquarium volume? I have a friend with a 300 gallon tank, no skimmer, and I want him to get one. How is this math calculated? Is it just gallons per hour thru the skimmer? What happens if the skimmer is smaller than would really be best? Is it just a function of dealing effectively with the skimmate? The man is not going to buy one of these behemoth, very expensive. models but needs something. Please advise. Thx I use Escobal's formula for skimmer contact time. The rule is roughly .75x/hr of water throughput, where x=total system volume. So our 200 gallon rating for the CS1 assumes about 150gph through the skimmer. Ideally you would have a 2 minute dwell time in the skimmer body for optimium contact of bubbles with organics-laden water. 150gph = 2.5gpm, or roughly a 5 gallon skimmer body volume. The CS1 isn't quite that big, as realistic space constraints do factor in. Also, more efficient pumps capable of producing more and finer bubbles help offset the chamber size. In short, adding even an "undersized" CS1 on a 300 gallon system will help a whole lot compared to no skimmer, since budget is a factor. You could increase throughput to 225gph on the CS1 without a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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