protein skimmer

[kirtis]

as many of you know i have a 30 gallon saltwater tank with a snowflake moray eel in it , petstore says i don't neeed a prtein skimmer and alot of people on the net do ,,,,, DO YOU THINK I NEED ONE < as i told you i am new, so what exactly is a protein skimmer,,,,, I may buy one off ebay if it is necessary ,, if any of you have time and kind find me a good one one ebay for my 30 gallon tank iwould appreciate it , lata everyone

 

[mtellin]

for that size tank i think a bakpak or maybe a prizm with the 18 blade impeller would be a good choice

Mike

 

[kirtis]

ok can you tell me what it actuall does , i mean so i do need one right??????? how much do these usually costs, is there any harm as far as hurin my fihs to buy one off of ebay ???


thanks and please respond

 

[Rich-n-poor]

A protien skimmer alsoo known as a foamm fractionator works by removing waste from the tank before it breaks down into ammonia. it works in the following way :

As waste break down they become protiens

A protien skimmer removes these by producing a large amount of bubbles insode a colume to which these protiens adhere

the bubbles rise through the water column and into a collection cup and are removed from the tank before they break down into substances toxic to fish

this provides the following advantages:

first it decreases the amount of watse you system must process by removing it before it breaks down

second it provides a saftey margin against overfeeding and something dieing in your tank as the skimmer should remove the excess waste

On a small tank they are indespensible IMO a prizm skimmer cost $99 retail at my LFS and a bak pac 2 r is $169 retail at the same store but you can get them cheaper online with several retailers offering either free shipping or a livestaock credit with purchase

HTH

_________________
Mercedes Benz W123

 

[31-2c]

Kirtis

Welcome to the hobby!

It sounds to me like you jumped in head first without knowing much about what you are doing.

I would suggest getting some reading materials and do some research. If you keep going on blind luck, you eventually will suffer a major setback and probably lose all of your fish.

A point to remember is, no matter how nice the people at the LFS are, and how willing they are to answer your questions, they still are only after making money. MOST LFS will sell you anything even if they know it will never survive in a small tank. I say most because there are a very few that care about the fish they sell, rather than how much money they can make.

Most people would agree that you do need a protein skimmer and everyone would agree that this is not the spot to try and save money. Buy the best protein skimmer you can afford.

I know you are excited about keeping these wonderful creatures, but you will only be hurting them if you go to fast.

Take your time, do alot of research, and keep asking questions if you do not understand something.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[mark h]

kirtis,

a cpr backpack or a precision marine hot1 would be ideal for your tank

here are a few links that sell protein skimmers
www.premiumaquatics.com
www.championlighting.com
www.reeffanatic.com
www.marinedepot.com