Fair enough. AC pumps are pretty much a known commodity too, you can generally size a skimmer based on the wattage/output of the pump

I plan the tank based on swimming room, and I think that has a lot to do with the bioload. The detritus needs to be extracted. The more fish you have laying waste, the more problems you could have.

If you were locked in a small room with a lot of people, that place is going to stink and cause you problems. Locked in a large room with a couple people, you're going to have a better time and waste management won't be an issue. If you are locked in a big room with a lot of people, but have a better waste removal solution, you will be a lot happier and only worry about that one dude who keeps eye balling your girl, as opposed to the carpets festering, and causing an ebola outbreak.

Double the skimmer for the tank size (400g on a 200g system) - carbon, gfo, waterchanges, rodi, and only feed the good stuff once a week (mysis, blood worms, etc.), flake once a day and nori once every other day.

I think as long as the system has good turn over, with proper flow to allow small particles and detritus to be caught up into the sump, then the rest is maintenance.

I had an understocked tank and fed three times a day, I had algae and high nutrients with an underpowered skimmer. So now I have an overstocked tank, feed less and skim more, and have no algae, no problems and perfect parameters. I also stopped dosing the unecessaries like reef roids, and other filter feeding material and now maintain better water quality.

Did you get your new skimmer Brad?:question: what are you getting if not
Barb

I have pumps coming in this week for the various bubble kings, I'll play with those for a while and see what I like. I might run dual BK 160s, maybe a 200. I have an Omega 150 and a Super Reef Octopus here to test. So not sure yet what I'll end up with.

I think it does address the question. Your question was how do you know if your tank has light, med, or high bioload: "How do we measure that? I mean, quantitatively, what's a medium bio load? Or heavy? Or medium light? "

So with a DO meter, measure your DO first thing in the morning before there is any light when DO is at its lowest levels. If DO is at 50% or less, you have a high bioload. If DO is 50-75%, you have medium bioload. If DO is 75%+, you have light bioload.

$150 is cheaper than many protein skimmers. Or rent one from a lab: http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&...2hTWDbiE64d4zQ

If your question was how to interpret a manufacturer's recommendation as to whether the skimmer is good enough for your bioload (once you've measured what it is), then nothing can of course resolve that since that is the manufacturer's recommendation. That is just up to the customer to trust the manufacturer and is simply a trust issue.