Protein Skimmer

A protein skimmer, sometimes called a foam fractionator, is a very essential piece of equipment you need to have for your reef aquarium.

What does it do?

It removes organic compounds from your water before they have a chance to break down into waste material. Removing these compounds is a great way to keep your water parameters at ideal levels.

The graphic to the right is a picture of my new H&S A150-F2001 skimmer. It is well over rated for my new 90 gallon setup. From all the research I have done, it ranks with the top 2 or 3 skimmers you can buy. It's expensive but I consider this as one of the most important items for a reef aquarium

How do they work?

They works on a very basic principal. First they inject a large quantity of very small bubbles into a water column. These small bubbles offer an enormous air/water interface that protein molecules will cling to. The longer the bubbles stay in the water column, the more proteins it is able to attract. The bubbles rise in the water column until they reach the top where they flow over and into a collection cup. The bubbles burst and leave behind the residue that was attached to the bubbles. This cup is Then removed, emptied, cleaned and put back.

The name “protein skimmer” is a bit missleading. They actually remove a lot more than proteins from your water. Some of the other substances they remove are carbohydrates, fatty acids, fats, copper with proteins, detritus, some bacteria, as well as some solid particles such as wastes.

It’s easier just to say protein skimmers remove disolved organic compounds. If you read my page about cyanobacteria you would know why you want to remove these compounds.