Four Tips for Buying Aquarium Protein Skimmers

Aquarium protein skimmers will remove protein and other organic compounds before they turn into harmful ammonia or nitrite compounds. If you want to buy one of these skimmers, you will need to consider a few things beforehand. Some of these include type, mount, and maintenance. This article will give you a few tips for buying aquarium protein skimmers.

Type

One of the first things to consider when buying aquarium protein skimmers is the type. The three types include venturi, counter current, and turbo. Each of these aquarium protein skimmers are efficient when used correctly. However, counter current designs are only suitable for use in small aquariums. This is due to the fact that these aquarium protein skimmers depend on the height of the water column they produce to remove organic compounds from the water.

Mount

One of the next things to consider when buying aquarium protein skimmers is how they're mounted. One of the easiest and cheapest ways to use a skimmer is to mounted it in the sump pump. However, you will need to have a wet/dry filter. If you don't have one of these filters, you will need to use aquarium protein skimmers that hang on the inside or outside of the tank. These skimmers take up more space than other designs.

Maintenance

You will also need to think about maintenance when buying aquarium protein skimmers. You will have to empty the collection cup periodically in order to prevent it from overflowing and contaminating the water in the aquarium. You won't have to do this as often if you choose aquarium protein skimmers that have larger collection cups. If you decide to buy a counter current skimmer, you should know that you will have to replace the airstone frequently. You will need to clean the Venturi valve periodically also.

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