Which Protein Skimmer Should You Buy?
Which Aquarium Protein Skimmer Should I Buy?
When purchasing a protein skimmer, the main considerations are the size of your tank and where you're going to put the protein skimmer. Choosing a protein skimmer that is slightly larger than necessary is better than choosing one that is slightly smaller than necessary; most reef-keeping experts agree that it is difficult to overskim an aquarium.
There are hang-on protein skimmers that sit on the back of the tank and in-sump protein skimmers that sit in the sump. While there are numerous hang-on and in-sump protein skimmers, in-tank protein skimmers are relatively new.
Usually, aquarists with a sump will place their protein skimmer in their sump, and those without a sump will hang their protein skimmer on the back of the tank.
We've grouped the aquarium protein skimmers by size:
We've also grouped aquarium protein skimmers by how they are hooked up.
When buying a protein skimmer, keep in mind that the tank size ratings stated by manufacturers are highly subjective. It's very difficult to determine exactly how much protein skimming is necessary for any given tank—and there really is no correct answer.
Different Types of Protein Skimmers
In-sump protein skimmers are the most popular and come in several different styles, each with distinct advantages.
External pump skimmers, such as the
Reef Octopus INT Skimmers, sit in the sump with the pump outside the skimmer body. This allows more room in the skimmer body for air and water mixing, leading to superior performance and easy removal of the pump for cleaning.
Space-saving protein skimmers, such as the
Reef Octopus S Skimmers and
IceCap Skimmers, sit in the sump but have the pump located inside of the skimmer body. Locating the pump in the body allows the skimmer to fit in small spaces. However, this design reduces performance and makes removing the pump for maintenance more difficult.
Recirculation protein skimmers, such as the
Reef Octopus EXT Skimmers, can sit inside a sump or next to a sump. External skimmers use a recirculation pump outside the skimmer body to generate bubbles and require an additional feed pump to supply water. This design yields the best performance among the skimmer designs because the bubble-producing pump performs better when recirculating alone. Recirculation skimmers are also popular for situations where the skimmer needs to be placed next to a sump rather than inside it. The biggest disadvantage of this design is its larger footprint and higher price compared to other designs.
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