Can a Skimmer be To BIG ??

C

Cappelli

Would it affect the tank if I put a 200+ gal euro reef skimmer on a 75 to 100 gal tank. More is better but could there be any negitaves? also what about a larger refuge?
rs180skimmernew1.jpg
alt="">
 
some one correct me if im wrong but that skimmer on a 100g would be perfect especially if u will have tangs. skimmer ratings are usually over rated anyways. now if u put one thats rated for 500g on a 50g u prob wont get the skimmate that u would expect the skimmer to get and think the skimmer isnt working right but really nothing wrong with it other then spending more then u need on the skimmer and large pumps to run it.

nothing wrong with a large fuge u just want water flow slower threw the fuge. there is really no rule on what size fuge per size of tank. some thing has got to be better then nothing
 
EuroReef is an excellent brand so they usually size correctly. I'd find something rated for a little smaller and you'll be happier. Bigger isn't always better as a bigger skimmer won't maintain a stable foam head constantly without enough waste.
 
Heard that you can turn the water yellow by taking out too many nutrients with too big of skimmer. Have not had that problem IME. You would probably have to skim very wet. Mine goes to work after fish goes poop then sits idle for a while. A smaller one obviously will take a bit longer to remove the waste if it ever does catch up.
 
It could yes... but in this case I don't think you'll have a problem. If you put that on a 50G, you would. More often what happens with a too large skimmer is that you end up not skimming at all because the tank won't produce enough junk to be skimmed and what is produced will be pulled out too fast. Or there won't be enough to build a head on the skimmer to pull out so what you end up with is skimmer neck sludge instead of a cup of skimmate.

You can pull too much out of tank though and if you don't replace it with food etc, you could end up with a tank without enough nutrients in the water for long enough for animals to use it. Too efficient of a skimmer is almost as bad as not enough skimmer.

I've never heard of the yellow water issue... though yellow water that I have heard of is the result of fish pee etc, running carbon pulls that out though.
 
I am currently running a Reeflo ORCA 250 on a 100 Gallon Display, with about 200 gallon total water volume.

It is rated for up to 800 gallons, and I have a couple of problems with it. It only collects well right after I feed, and the rest of the time just builds up on the neck.

It works fine, and as long as i feed enough, but it is wasting elecricity running the dart pump since it removes waste so fast, most of the time it isn't doing much.

I am however about to add another 100 gallon display and 75 gallon sump, so my water volume will be closer to 400 gallons and it should start to work better, but for now, its working ok. I have never has any problems per say, just wasted electricity, and I guess a bit of inconsistent collection as a result of not enough fish poo.

That skimmer you picked out should be fine, you only run into these problems when you have a WAY too big skimmer (as in 800g skimmer on a 100g tank, but i think 200g skimmer on a 100g tank is ok.)
 
once the neck dries out it will make the skimming be very inconsistent... plus it will wear out your pump by starting and stopping it all the time.
 
This is a very good question and I've been wondering the same. I have a 40 gal with 40 gal sump a total water vol of about 65 to 70 gal. My skimmer is an ASM G2 it skims good, but it changes at times its dark and thick and sometimes its light green and thin like its wet skimming. I would think with a lot of livestock this skimmer would be okay but now that you say that a skimmer can be to big I'm scared maybe its to big.
 
@Jay-Roc wrote:
This is a very good question and I've been wondering the same. I have a 40 gal with 40 gal sump a total water vol of about 65 to 70 gal. My skimmer is an ASM G2 it skims good said:
Your issue could also be caused by a fluctuating water level in the section your skimmer is located. A severly oversized skimmer is just not as efficient as one that is sized appropriately for your tank. Going by an advertised rating on a skimmer is not always a good way to choose a skimmer, tank bio-load is a better way to determine this. Higher rated skimmers such as bubbleking and euroreef, rate their skimmers true.....unlike some of the random skimmer manufacturers out there. I'm not saying you need to pay $1000 for a skimmer, but do take the time to research the skimmer you like and see what type of bioload other users think it can handles w/o issues. Your ASM G2 is rated up to 200G but I wouldn't personally put it on any thing larger than 100G, even with the gate valve/mesh mod. I would not think it that it is too big for your system even with a moderate bio-load. :D

Cheers,
Click to expand...
 
OK . I have been thinking about doing a gate valve mod to it. The skimmer is in my overflow chamber so the level is always the same. I don't know I'll mess with it a little bit and see If I can figure this thing out.

Thanks Jay-Roc
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top