It is the primary responsibility of every aquarium owner to keep their fish tank clean. There are many devices in the market to help you with this task. While some of them are essential for tank maintenance, others may be fancy gadgets or equipment for advanced users. A “protein skimmer” is one such device. So, do you need a protein skimmer?
You will need a protein skimmer for reef aquariums, where you need to maintain a very low nitrate level. However, it is not necessary for freshwater tanks and saltwater tanks with soft corals and low-maintenance fish. Protein skimmers clean a fish tank by removing organic proteins from the water.
Let’s take a closer look at protein skimmers now.
What Are Protein Skimmers?
A protein skimmer, also called a foam fractionator, is a device that strips the water of nitrogenous waste.
It eliminates waste products by injecting tiny bubbles into the water column that bind to organic protein waste.
Let us try to understand this in closer detail.
Fish and other aquatic organisms release waste products containing protein molecules into the surrounding water.
When these protein molecules mix with water, they form an oily slick that floats on the water surface.
Over time, this oily layer will build up and affect the water quality.
The biological medium in your filtration system will act on these proteins and break them down into nitrates.
Nitrates are not as harmful as ammonia or nitrites to fish. So, most fish will tolerate it for a while.
However, reef aquariums and saltwater tanks with sensitive fish are adversely affected by the slightest changes in nitrogen levels.
Hence, you will need a system that efficiently removes organic waste in such tanks.
Protein skimmers are suitable for this purpose.
How Do Protein Skimmers Work?
Protein-rich organic waste has a hydrophobic or water-repelling component and a hydrophilic or water-attracting component.
Protein skimmers manipulate the properties of this water-attracting and repelling components to remove the organic waste from an aquarium effectively.
Without getting into the technical details of how it works, here is how this equipment achieves the intended result.
A protein skimmer injects several thousands of tiny bubbles into the water. These bubbles bind to the organic waste and form foam.
It has a nasty dark color and must be removed before it breaks down and releases nitrogen into the water.
The foam overflows into the waste container in the skimmer.
There are many benefits to using a protein skimmer to remove organic contaminants from water.
Firstly, it cleans the tank of organic matter that attracts bacteria and disease-causing parasites.
Hence, it reduces the risk of infection for your fish and other aquatic pets.
Protein skimmers will also control algae growth by keeping the water clean.
By removing contaminants, they polish the water and allow light to pass through.
This proves beneficial for plant and coral growth in different aquarium settings.
Recommended Further Reading:
- Why Do Aquarium Plants Die? [9 Main Reasons]
- Why Does An Aquarium Have Blue Light? [Does It Benefit The Fish?]
- How To Stop Aquarium Plants From Dying? (11 Different Ways)
- New Tank Syndrome (Explained For Beginners)
Do You Need A Protein Skimmer In A Saltwater Tank?
It depends on the type of underwater creatures you keep in your saltwater tank and the bio-load of the tank.
If you have a lot of big fish, the water will get polluted very quickly with their feces and organic waste. This can trigger bacterial infections and other diseases. A protein skimmer will help you contain these issues and avoid related problems to a great extent.
However, if you have just a few fish, you may not need a protein skimmer.
Regular water changes should be enough to keep your tank clean and hygienic.
Now, if your tank contains corals or fish that are highly sensitive to nitrogen levels, they will be affected by the increase in nitrogen levels.
Such organisms will need nitrate levels to be below 10 ppm.
You will need a protein skimmer in such a setting to consistently maintain low nitrate levels.
Do You Need A Protein Skimmer In A Freshwater Tank?
Protein skimmers are not very useful in freshwater tanks because these devices do not work well in these settings.
Protein skimmers work by mixing air particles with water to create bubbles.
These bubbles bind to the protein waste to form a foam that flows into the waste container.
Freshwater does not foam as well as saltwater.
Hence, the protein skimmer will not be very effective as it cannot create a bubbling foam.
So, you can avoid buying this equipment for a freshwater tank.
A biological filter will be better than a protein skimmer in removing waste in a freshwater tank.
Do You Need A Protein Skimmer With A Canister Filter?
A protein skimmer does a good job of cleaning organic waste in an aquarium. So, its operation is like a filter.
But the main difference is that protein skimmers remove waste before it breaks down and releases toxins into the water.
Since both protein skimmers and filters perform similar functions, you do not need both devices at the same time. However, it would depend on your aquarium’s needs as well.
Using a protein skimmer with a canister filter in a fish tank will make your aquarium very clean.
This arrangement will prove useful if you have several fish in your tank and the bioload is very high.
Additional filtration is necessary for such tanks, and this combination will do the job well.
You will also benefit from using both the devices together when you have sensitive fish and corals in your tank.
Related Further Reading:
- Is Aquarium Salt Safe For Shrimp? [Ghost, Amano, Cherry, Etc.]
- How To Use Purigen? (Steps + Hob, Internal, Sponge Filters Etc.)
- Do Aquarium Plants Need Light? (5 Plants That Survive In Low Light)
- How To Clear A Cloudy Saltwater Tank? (6 Effective Ways)
Do You Need A Protein Skimmer For A Nano Tank?
Nano tanks have a very small footprint. These tanks consume small volumes of water, and weekly water changes are very important to maintain hygiene. When you regularly change the water, the tank remains clean and well-maintained. So, you can do without a protein skimmer.
Nonetheless, nano reefs are high maintenance because of their smaller size.
Any problem with the water can quickly escalate and affect the tank inhabitants.
Having a protein skimmer will allow you to keep a nano tank smoothly running.
So, if you have the budget and space to accommodate this equipment, consider adding it to the arrangement.
Look at your tank needs and available space to decide what is best for your setting.
Do You Need A Protein Skimmer For A Reef Tank?
You can successfully run a reef aquarium without a protein skimmer. However, there are certain benefits to adding this equipment to your tank.
Most corals are very sensitive to nitrate levels.
A protein skimmer can prove very useful in their tanks because it can maintain the water chemistry.
This device will tackle nutrient and waste removal and improve water quality.
By cleaning the water and making it safe, this device will help corals in reef aquariums to thrive and grow faster.
Interesting Further Reading:
- Is It Cruel To Keep Fish In A Tank, Bowl, Or Pond? [Ethical Setup]
- Is Aquarium Glass Tempered? [Why, How, And Benefits]
- Do Aquarium Plants Need Soil? [5 Plants That Don’t Need Soil]
Do You Need A Protein Skimmer For Anemones?
Anemones are delicate creatures that need special care.
They need extremely clean water, proper lighting, and good nutrition for survival.
Protein skimmers will help you create a habitat that enables anemones to thrive. Since they will maintain the water quality, you can avoid frequent water changes. By stripping the water of any organic waste, they maintain tank cleanliness and make it an inhabitable environment for these organisms.
Clean water also allows light to pass through and reach the substrate of the tank.
Hence, it is recommend to use a protein skimmer if you have anemones in your tank.
