Over-skimming

[Creetin]

just wana check wif e experts, if i were to over skim my tank like 4-5 times over, assuming a reef tank (5 fishes wif corals)...... like if u have a 2ft tank and u hook it up to beckett skimmer.....

will i be able to keep nitrates to less than 5?

assuming no DSB, just LR and sand.

[sunnymau]

i think this is possible as the arganic watse is being transport out before they are covert into nitrate and stuff. i m not a expert though

just my two cent

[weileong]

the sump turn over rate needs to be high enough so that the DOC are send into the sump which will then be skimmed out by the beckett.

Having a very powerful skimmer but low turn over wouldn't do much good too

[Creetin]

the sump turn over rate needs to be high enough so that the DOC are send into the sump which will then be skimmed out by the beckett.

Having a very powerful skimmer but low turn over wouldn't do much good too

how about a direct hookup from the skimmer to the tank? then it would just be based on the feeder pump right? the bigger the feeder pump the better?

[weileong]

then the return from the skimmer goes back to the main tank? Lots of bubbles for sure!

[typrobin]

i strongly believe the equation works this way

dissolved organic compound >> ammonia >> nitrite >> nitrate

therefore, if DOC is low the end product nitrate will be low too...

that's y matured tanks with powerful skimmers will have nitrate at a controlled level....ask roidan (the lazy master of a 6ft beauty), he didn't change his water for about 6mths or more and corals still doing well....

if i am wrong, pls correct me...thanks...

[Creetin]

then the return from the skimmer goes back to the main tank? Lots of bubbles for sure!

hmmmmmm. is there a way to filter e return so that there wont be any bubbles?

[Terryz_]

Is there anyway to know that you are overskimming liao...

[chrislwp]

Any idea how long will those waste product be converted to ammonia?

[patrick123]

I personally feel that overskim is better than underskim.

IMHO, even if you have a very powerful skimmer, you can only reduce the amount of DOC turning into ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate but no way to stop it completely. So over a period of time, your nitrate will still build up (eventhough at a slower rate if you use a powerful skimmer). So the only way to get rate of nitrate is to use DSB, change water, or Denitrator.

[weileong]

Not really if your sump turn over is high enough and your skimmer turn over is high enough you will be able to extract out the DOC before that had a chance to eventually convert to NO3.

The DSB should be able to take care of NO3 after it is matured.

So do you think you get a skimmer that is rated just nice for your tank volume then it is sufficient? Obviously this also depends on the LS you're keeping.

[Achilles Tang]

IMO, overskimming means you can feed a lot more to your tank and not worry about overpollution (excluding phosphates).

[Creetin]

it seems that it is indeed possible to battle nitrates by overskimming and LR. and i mean really overskim...

[Mellow]

it seems that it is indeed possible to battle nitrates by overskimming and LR. and i mean really overskim...

yup...i think this form of filtration is also known as berlin method which is pretty popular with the germans...just tonnes of LR and a ultra powerful skimmer

[Creetin]

then the return from the skimmer goes back to the main tank? Lots of bubbles for sure!

any solution for this, comrades?