# Surface skimmer or not?



## TropTrea

Years ago I was into planted tanks and never heard of anyone using surface skimming on planted tanks. Actualy I remember a few people suggesting against it. Well I'm converting a 120 gallon Reef to a planted tanks and was initially planning on removing the surface skimmer. But now I read several posts where people are adding it in. So now I'm at a loss. Should I keep it with a small sump than I use now or not?

Comments pro and con greatly appreciated.


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## rjordan393

If you allow a film to build up on the surface, it interferes with the exchange of oxygen. I use a surface skimmer because I keep the water surface as calm as possible so as not to drive off the carbon dioxide during the day. But when the lights go out, I have a small power head that goes on to create surface movement to provide extra oxygen to the plants. I think the need for a nighttime power head is dependent on how many plants are in the aquarium. if you want your tank to look like the Amazon, then it should provide enough oxygen to satisfy the plants demands. But if you want your tank to be lightly planted, then I would recommend a surface skimmer and a small power head to operate after lights out.
Not much is said on this forum about oxygen depletion which can be caused by too many fish, biological filtration and the breakdown of organics. The plants have to compete to get their share and they will suffer if they do not. How each aquarist sets up their equipment and the type determines whether or not aeration of the water at night is needed.


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## totziens

I don't use surface skimmer but I have tried using them. I was unhappy with my surface skimmers because all of them didn't work properly. I got annoyed of them after a while.

Some of my tanks are using HOB filters that disturb the water surface, so the water surface does not need to be skimmed. I know I am losing CO2 but as long as the plants are growing, I am not complaining.

Those tanks that I am not using HOB filters, I use Lily pipe to act as surface skimmer. Yes, it has some water surface disturbance but again I am not too particular about losing CO2. Lily pipe is widely used in my country for those who hate the looks of surface skimmer or tanks that surface skimmers cannot fit in.


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## Cavan Allen

Even if you can't really see it, there is a thin layer of scum interfering with proper gas exchange. Absolutely, do it. Your fish will have more oxygen, your filter will have more oxygen, you will have better light penetration, and you can safely turn up the co2 without worrying about gassing anything. It's one of the best things you can do for your tank. Only real downside is that you WILL have to turn your co2 up to compensate during daylight hours.


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## TropTrea

Cavan Allen said:


> Even if you can't really see it, there is a thin layer of scum interfering with proper gas exchange. Absolutely, do it. Your fish will have more oxygen, your filter will have more oxygen, you will have better light penetration, and you can safely turn up the co2 without worrying about gassing anything. It's one of the best things you can do for your tank. Only real downside is that you WILL have to turn your co2 up to compensate during daylight hours.


I'm hoping on controlling my CO2 with a pH controller so there should not be an issue with turning it up or down that should be automatic.

Brings back memories of my first CO2 tank it was a custom tank 84" inches ling, 13 inches front to back and 30" tall. the third day I had the CO2 set up I was called out of two for two weeks. When I returned the only fish alive were chocolate and liquorish gourames. My pH had dropped considerably under 6 with 6.8 having been my target when I set the CO2 up. The plants all looked extremely healthy though.


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## totziens

I've forgotten to mention that Lily pipe does not necessary cause water surface disturbance if you keep replacing evaporated water. It will form a vortex on the water surface sucking up everything that is floating on the water.


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## TropTrea

Well my present surface skimmer return is running about 240 gallons per hour. I would definitely have to cut this level down. One of the reason my wife would like that reef go in the sun room is the noise from the skimmer running through the pipes to the basement.


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## rjordan393

I have a 350 gph magnum canister filter on a 75 gallon tank and I have no noise. I guess the difference is that your water is going down into your basement and is sucking in air as it goes. That distance in drop will definitely pull in air and cause the noise. I assume you have a sump in the basement. Some fishkeepers have this arrangement too and you need to contact them to see if they solved the noise problem. The only thing I can suggest is to install a vent in the line just before the water enters the sump and make it tall enough so that water does not splash out of it.
Just so we are on the same page; we are talking about a surface skimmer and not an overflow box because some fishkeepers have called overflow boxes, skimmers.


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## TropTrea

yes it is an over flow box that is piped to a bulkhead in the bottom of the back of the tank. The tank had a tempered bottom so it could not be drilled. With a bottom hole I could have easily used a muffler system on it. But with the back hole I'd have to too large of overflow box to add a muffler into it. The return piping is 1 1/2"


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## rjordan393

I had a hunch that it was an overflow box. It through me off and maybe others. There are two types; external and internal. A surface skimmer is completely different.
The only suggestions I can give is to post some pictures of your overflow and also your basement return setup and maybe someone will have an answer to your noise problem.
Many years ago, I had a reef for 10 years and a man named "Durso" invented a standpipe and I believe it was for an internal overflow. It will stop or lower the noise to acceptable levels. Do a search on the "Durso Standpipe" and see if that will work for you.


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## totziens

This was the surface skimmer I meant:






This was the Lily pipe I meant. You may notice the vortex here:






Those are not my video clips by the way.


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