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Adam Blundell 
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Joined: June 24 2002
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 Topic: Overskimming and Redundancy thoughts
Posted: March 02 2011 at 5:19pm |
Okay so this is a little abstract and advanced, but hopefully we'll get some comments.
I've always been one to say that you can't overskim. It just isn't possible. And on my last tank as some of you may remember I had a whopping 5 skimmers running on it. Anyway I've been wondering lately about the point of diminishing returns. If I had 10 skimmers, and removed one and went to 9 skimmers, I don't think it would make much of a difference. Now if I went from 10 skimmers and 0 phosphate reactors and swapped out a skimmer and then had 9 skimmers and 1 phosphate reactor that would almost certainly be better. What if I ran 5 skimmers and 5 phosban reactors?
My main thought on this is that for most items of filtration, the skimmer is the only thing I run in redundancy. Rarely do I have (or ever see) a tank with two uv sterilizers, or two phosban reactors, or two ozone units. But would it be helpful to have two or more of those items?
Adam ps- just this week I decided to take out my second skimmer on my tank.... but I'll be running two uv sterilizers on it
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tileman
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Posted: March 02 2011 at 6:02pm |
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I think it all depends on what you want as for quality of water. There is always nutrients being added to your tank. I think 10 skimmers is way overboard. But if all 10 are pulling gunk out of the watercolumn, well then 10 is good. But if 1 phosphate reactor has your phosphates reading zero why would you need more? Same with ozone. If you have a big enough reactor to keep your orp up, then why would you run 2? If 1 isn't enough to keep your perameters where you want them, then add another.
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335G Reef
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tileman
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Posted: March 02 2011 at 6:11pm |
With all of my fish and all the feeding I do. My skimmer works pretty hard. I cleaned my skimmer and changed out my media in my Bio-denitrator yesterday. And this is how much gunk has been produced in less than 24 hrs.
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335G Reef
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http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/2/aquarium
ReefKeepers TOTM Feb. 2012
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tcfab
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Posted: March 02 2011 at 8:48pm |
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Is there a reason you run multiple skimmers? Are the ones you are running not rated for the size tank you have? What type of skimmers are they?
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Adam Blundell
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Posted: March 02 2011 at 9:07pm |
In my last tank I ran the skimmers in the stand in the sump. So I was limited on height. I couldn't have a massive skimmer... so I had many. Plus you can get them so cheap if you just keep watching this board. (I have three ASM skimmers in my garage right now)
And for me having my skimmer go down was scary. Imagine if Brad's skimmer went down for a few days. So I liked the idea of super skimming (plus I feed a lot of food to my fish).
Adam
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Mark Peterson
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Joined: June 19 2002
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Posted: March 02 2011 at 10:06pm |
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Both of you, Adam and Brad, have so many fish, I too would be worried if even one gadget went down for repair.
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The Kid
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Posted: March 10 2011 at 6:36am |
I am no expert I don't know if you can overskim. Seems like this would be a good article on the rate of diminishing return, in terms of costs, ie elecricity, time, cost of equipment and maintenance of equipment and additives to replace what was taken out., vs the amount of junk removed and its supposed benifits to the system. That being said I wish I had a back up skimmer in the garage. And a sump big enough for 5 skimmers 
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