Let's talk about bio load.

[reefwars]

Sure Says the guy who's never owned a dc skimmer lol

fwiw dc skimmers are actually cheap for what they are rated to , more so than a lot of the more common AC brand names.


Remember the article on skimmers and how much they actually removed , (less than %20 if i remember correctly ) I believe the reef octopus performed one of the worst yet still a go to skimmer for a lot reefers.So I'm not sure on how good a job our current technology actually is.

Back to the bac.....


While there are bacteria that can and can't be skimmed (see article) the ones that we want are indeed skimmed out ......those rock and surface clinging bacteria everyone speaks of.

But how are they skimmed if they only attach to rock?

[reefwars]

My only beef with dc skimmers and dc pumps all together is the crappy lifeline and cheap parts they can have.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by reefwars

Sure Says the guy who's never owned a dc skimmer lol

Fair enough, but I don't conceptualize the point. Seems odd to want a controllable pump that I don't want to change. Just start with the right sized pump and go.

But, I've been known to be wrong before. Not often, but it happens

I just have no interest in fiddling with things, I want to plug it in and be done with it.

[reefwars]

I do like the idea of the controllable pumps , as I found it very handy to fine tune a good head as well the slow start is a nice feature, but there are also things I don't like either ,so I didn't go dc for my new skimmer either I went the other way.

I def agree get something adequate from the start regardless of the name or style.

One feature that is a must have for me on most any skimmer is a large cup , I hate small cups

[mikellini]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Fair enough, but I don't conceptualize the point. Seems odd to want a controllable pump that I don't want to change. Just start with the right sized pump and go.

But, I've been known to be wrong before. Not often, but it happens

I just have no interest in fiddling with things, I want to plug it in and be done with it.

Chances are, you won't change the pump speed after initial setup as long as your bioload doesn't change. However, the advantage is in that initial tuning, being able to set it perfectly to your bioload. Easier than trying to exactly match a skimmer/pump to your bioload based on manufacturer's recommendations, no?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by mikellini

no?

No I find that the water height and air intake are enough to perfectly tune for my needs, so I'd rather not buy a DC pump. More complicated, more stuff to break.

[mikellini]

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