Use a protein skimmer on a discus tank?

[CammieTime]

Saltwater tanks need to be super clean, as do discus tanks. Why not put a protein skimmer on a discus tank? Does anyone do this?

[pcsb23]

Not yet, but I'm looking into it :) http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/aquarium/v2skim-skimmers.asp

[philip69285]

I have been thinking about adding one but I was curious to this as well.

[Ed13]

Why not? Because on a discus tank it would at most aid in adding a little oxygen;). It wouldn't work as in a saltwater tank as there is not enough surface tension on the bubbles to cause the friccion that attaches the dissolved organic compounds, oils etc to the bubbles.

No feasible way to the average hobbyist to this in a fresh water aquarium. And if you can create tension bubbles on fresh water, you wouldn't want discus in that water!
Sorry, you'll still need to do those water changes.;)

[Wahter]

Saltwater tanks need to be super clean, as do discus tanks. Why not put a protein skimmer on a discus tank? Does anyone do this?

I believe it's because discus don't live in salt water! :)

Most of the protein skimmers out there work only on saltwater. They work on the water foaming up - more easily formed in saltwater.

You can do a google search on this - there ARE some protein skimmers for freshwater, but not as common as the salt water type.

HTH,



Walter

[Graham]

I agree with Ed...while there are FF out there for freshwater they work very poorly in comparsion to a marine one. The bubble size of 0.5mm is hard to achive let alone the lower pH's all affect how well they work.

[pcsb23]

May I suggest you check the specs out on the link posted. You may, just may, be surprised ;)

[Graham]

Paul I see Tropical MARINE center and a skimmer for an aquarium. Did I miss where it states designed for freshwater.

There are freshwater units out there that incorporate venturis...there's even one made for a pond by Fenbi sp? in Europe...again with mixed results

[Ed13]

May I suggest you check the specs out on the link posted. You may, just may, be surprised ;)
I did Paul, and I wasn't surprised;) Looks like a regular venturi driven Foam fractionator.
I pretty sure there is no way a normal venturi driven protein skimmer will work on freshwater.

Sorry Paul, you may contact the manufacturer to verify.

[pcsb23]

Paul I see Tropical MARINE center and a skimmer for an aquarium. Did I miss where it states designed for freshwater.

There are freshwater units out there that incorporate venturis...there's even one made for a pond by Fenbi sp? in Europe...again with mixed resultsoops wrong link :o TMC are Tropic Marine Centre but do a wide range of freshwater products including some discus oriented ones ... try this one http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/pond/sander-freshskim.asp and this one http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/pond/schuran-jetskim.asp

[Graham]

The 2nd one with venturi/O3 might be worth a try if it was cheap enough but the airstone one a waste of $$.

FF hasn't caught on in freshwater for a reason..............

[Ed13]

oops wrong link :o TMC are Tropic Marine Centre but do a wide range of freshwater products including some discus oriented ones ... try this one http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/pond/sander-freshskim.asp and this one http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/pond/schuran-jetskim.asp
From the first link:
"Sander Freshskim freshwater skimmers are specially developed and tested for Koi ponds and other freshwater applications making them the ideal skimmer for a freshwater pond/tank"

I still say,

if you can create tension bubbles on fresh water, you wouldn't want discus in that water!

The density of the scum rich Koi water is what it allows it to somewhat work, unless it's a good Koi keeper and keeps up with water quality ;) like G
For what is worth, Foam fractionators where developed after bubbles where injected into waste water at water treatment plants(filthy water;)) and the effluent water was clearer.

On the second link the Shuran Jetskim 150 PS lists an Eheim 1260, while this is a REALLY GOOD pump often used in the best Protein skimmers, there is no way it pull enough air to create enough surface tension in Freshwater, if so I say

if you can create tension bubbles on fresh water, you wouldn't want discus in that water!


I have no clue what the other pump is but...
if you can create tension bubbles on fresh water, you wouldn't want discus in that water!
:D

But, you could purchase it and do a review on it;)...I'd be interested in one if it works:D

[Don Trinko]

One of the books I read said that the specific gravity of fresh water makes a typical salt water protein skimmer pretty much worthless in fresh water.
Don t.

[pcsb23]

But, you could purchase it and do a review on it;)...I'd be interested in one if it works:DThe schuran is the one I'm looking at. I used skimmers onmy reef setups, my reasoning is that if I can add a skimmer, and yes G I'm think about O3 too, I can stock heavier when I need to. Now that my good lady wants a tank of discus that is reducing my "Overflow" capacity some. If the skimmer increase the water quality, even by a small amount, it will be a worthwhile investment. Mind you they are around £450 so.....

[KDodds]

Protein skimmers work because of the film that forms between water air. This film much more readily forms in water that contains more solids, harder water. Substances that are attracted to this film (note the scum that accumulates at your tank's water surface) can then be removed as the film (in the form of bubbles in the skimmer body) rises up the neck of the skimmer and overflows into a collection cup. Because fresh water aquaria contain less TDS than salt water, protein skimmers work very poorly, if at all. In a Discus tank, kept more or less where Discus like it (i.e. soft water), you're talking about the worst possible performance you can get out of a skimmer. I've tried on ARLC tanks, kept at Malawi or Tanganyika levels, and got at least some skimmate, but on conventional community tanks or softer water, the removal is not going to be enough (or it will be far too wet) to be cost effective. Better to just do a water change, it will be more effective and cheaper.

[Singularity96]

Hi

why not look into an algea scrubber rather than a skimmer ? Many reefers are removing their skimmers and just run a screen, and it seems to work just aswell in Fresh water....

here is a link to one setup recently for a discus growout tank :)

http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?t=239

[CammieTime]

These protein skimmer opinions are 8 years old - does all of this still apply for 2017? Have they invented good working freshwater protein skimmers?

[Akili]

These protein skimmer opinions are 8 years old - does all of this still apply for 2017? Have they invented good working freshwater protein skimmers?Simple answer is "No" using a protein skimmer in freshwater is of no benefit ............... read this for reasons ..............http://aquariumfish.net/pages/protein_skimmer.htm

[Neptune]

These protein skimmer opinions are 8 years old - does all of this still apply for 2017? Have they invented good working freshwater protein skimmers?

Chemistry of water has not changed in the last couple years!:sorry:

[Hart24601]

There are a few people that use skimmers on freshwater still although the results are just "eh" at best. Talking with some at monster fish keepers it seems that the very old style downdraft skimmers are the best as you just can produce smaller bubbles very well in FW than with any other skimmer technology. Downdraft skimmers are not used in salt water for quite a long time, you need a very powerful pump that sprays down on bioballs or a similar media to produce the bubbles and they also need to be very tall, generally 5ft or more. For about two decades now there have been more compact and efficient ways to make skimmer in saltwater, but they fall short in FW.

That being said for the size, energy and still inferior results vs saltwater I am surprised I found anyone that runs them at all anymore.

[Brownlio]

I have never tried it myself but i have heard of people doing it. I currently use a in sump protein skimmer (https://fishboxpro.com/best-protein-skimmer-reviews/) for my reef tank, you can use this for your discus tank. I must say it is more useful than discus tank.