# protein skimmer on a PLANTED TANK? what????



## tetra10 (Aug 5, 2012)

what would happen if you hooked up a protein skimmer to a non saltwater tank? I came upon this idea when researching on salt water tanks out of curiosity. what would happen? why won't it work on a planted tank? any comment is appreciated

-tetra10


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## jbrady33 (Jun 7, 2012)

I don't think it would foam enough to 'skim' anything, if you were injecting co2 it would probably work against you (driving out the extra co2 you added, putting you back to atmospheric levels)

Your tank would be well oxygenated though!


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## mach_six (Sep 12, 2005)

the idea can work but I don't think it'll be anywhere efficient or useful on saltwater tanks. 

I had an Eheim Pro 3 pointed towards the surface on a 90G and it would bubble in areas of the tank and the food particles collected on to side of the tank to thick sludge near the surface. I didn't do it intentionally but just noticed that.

It would only work if your tank was dirty.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

it'll work to a small degree. add a bubble stone to a corner and watch the gunk that builds up on the rim

a protein skimmer will have the same effect.. but its not gonna be a huge frothy foam. u'll need lots of bubbles that pop really had to get the gunk into the collection cup


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## Cambrian Creature (Oct 28, 2011)

From what I have read on the internet protein skimmers (also called foam fractionators) made for saltwater aquariums are not powerful enough for freshwater aquariums to be effective at removing DOCs (dissolved organic compounds). Unless the water is loaded with minerals / salts it might not work. At most a protein skimmer would be nothing more than a fancy aerator. 

However, foam fractionators are used on ponds but are designed differently and the mass produced ones are not cheap. 






A DIY version is cheaper but you still need a pump with a lot of head.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwmbzXHQMI8


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

Talk about back from the dead.


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## Bananableps (Nov 6, 2013)

Cambrian Creature said:


> From what I have read on the internet protein skimmers (also called foam fractionators) made for saltwater aquariums are not powerful enough for freshwater aquariums to be effective at removing DOCs (dissolved organic compounds).


Also worth noting that DOC more commonly refers to Dissolved Organic _Carbon_, something many planted tank owners would like to keep. I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to saltwater tanks, but I believe tanks containing macro algae generally do not use protein skimmers - I'm not sure if that has anything to do with DOC though.


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## RyRob (May 30, 2015)

Protein skimmers like you see on marine tanks work they way they do because of the salinty and specific gravity of the salt water. Something freshwater tanks don’t have. Hooking a protein skimmer to a freshwater water tank is 100% pointless because the molecular structure of the water needed to function is different and will not creata the desired foam fractionation that removes dissolved organics. 

Having bubbles in the tank doesn’t matter no matter how much you have. The pin wheel (or lime wood stone in cheaper skimmers) is what produces the foam fractionation. However, like I said, the foam fractionation depends on the salinty and specific gravity of the saltwater, not the freshwater (since there is no salinty or specific gravity). 

For freshwater, the absolute best way to remove dissolved organics (aside from a proper water change schedual from the start) is to run an external reactor (or a small canister filter) with some Rox 0.8 carbon. The second best and most practical for most hobbiests would be to throw a bag or two of Seachem Purigen in your filter (depending on tank size and amount of dissolved organics).


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## AbbeysDad (Apr 13, 2016)

Without question, a protein skimmer does not work in FW for the water density issue mentioned.
However, I'm seeing a near alternative. My weekly maintenance includes cleaning the glass, servicing one of two filters, and the 30%~ water change. (I have sand in my heavily planted tank so I don't stir the substrate, leaving this for the Malaysian Trumpet Snails.)

Following the above, I run a Marineland Magnum Internal Polishing Filter (micron cartridge charged with 1/2 cup of diatomaceous earth). I let it run for several hours. The resulting water is incredibly crystal clear...much more so than I ever saw with Purigen.

Note: Just a hobbyist here with no affiliation with Marineland.
I should also note that I feed high quality food that results in less fish waste...which means lower DOC's.


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## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

Protein were used in fresh water a couple decades ago.. Yea I am that old !
The reason they worked was the use of lime wood air stones and high volume air pumps along with injecting ozone.
These set ups were used primarily by discus breeders/keepers I believe .
The 'venturi' type skimmers used today do not work in freshwater due to not enough bubbles that are dry and charged by the ozone.
Here is a link on ozone use in aquariums..


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## mikluha (Dec 4, 2015)

Won't work in freshwater, unless water contains as much organics as beer.
I used old skimmer to inject ozon long time ago in large cichlid tank. Worked really well.


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