Throwing all that skimmer waste into the fuge

sikpupy · 07-16-2008, 05:34 AM

With the theory "what goes in the tank, stays in the tank" I was wondering.... If we tanke out the skimmer goo and remove it, doesnt that upset the biological circle of life? According to people like Tangster, which I dont question, and, supporting his theory, the skimmer goo should be recycled, somehow.

mr40g · 07-16-2008, 05:44 AM

I don't know for sure but my idear on the skimming is to remove excess protien from the system as to creat a buffer zone and a cleaner environment for your fish and corals since you dont have a huge ocean of water and current to spread it and move all that waste and food away.

It would also seem to me that if you wanted to recylce the skimmer goo, why not just not run a skimmer. Let it naturally get caught into the fuge and live rock and sand. ......

prob not a good idear.

I know ive been running without a skimmer for a month due to a fuge project that im working on that has been placed to the side due to crazy work schedule that just came up.
I can notice the diff of the system without it. just been doing lots of spot cleaning and water changes. I would not attempt this!

I'm no brain by anymeans and this is just my take on the idear. maybe someone else can chime in on this.

ShrimpSkin · 07-16-2008, 05:51 AM

As stated above if that's what you want to do just don't run a skimmer. Replace it with a couple of air stones. But I don't think its a good idea.

phoenixhieghts · 07-16-2008, 05:53 AM

To me that sounds pointless - why skim it out if your just gonna throw it back in?
it kinda makes no sense.

I know tangster uses crap from the sump to feed his coral - is that what you mean?

sikpupy · 07-16-2008, 05:56 AM

well, skimmer goo, except for hard metals and such, I would think is part of the real world cycle, or, theoreticly should be. I would think that it would HAVE to be recycled in the tank to keep a balance. My only question would be how much sludge could a fuge break down in time without a build up of goo and over flowing with it.

Hmmm, also, looking at the tank as a whole, with fish in it that have a full belly, as a starting point, and, everything balanced out at that time, we could say were at a 0 or even balance. Hence, adding more food to the equasion, something would then have to be removed......via skimmer?

I am looking at it at both sides, but, I am not a scientist, thats why I am bringing it up

. Not really trying to sound stupid, honest, lol.

skimming would keep the tank clean from floating poop clouding up the tank. Put it in a nice safe quiet place to decompose and the cycle (fish poop cycle) is still in place. Also, I dont think the fuge can catch enough stuff as slow as it goes. The skimmer would also be a second trap, or, the primary trap, whichever way you wanted to look at it.

Should also keep the nutrients in place. Again, all hypothetical theories.

MaMoL · 07-16-2008, 06:38 AM

In the real world, or i guess on a reef i should say, the amount of water, circulation and actual life forms are far greater than what we can have in our home systems. Many more organisms on a reef are working to filter the water and break down waste compounds.

Protein skimmer remove compounds before they have a chance to break down into nitrates, phosphates, etc. and reducing the overall quality of the water.

Imo it is not beneficial to add compounds back into the water that will degrade its quality.

phoenixhieghts · 07-16-2008, 06:46 AM

don't forget the sheer velocity of the ocean dilutes all harmful compunds to a bear minimum - if not untraceable

Jason McKenzie · 07-16-2008, 07:28 AM

Not a good Idea.
First in an aquarium we always create more waste through feeding then in the real world.
The ocean has far more mechanisms in place to deal with organic matter
The water volume is constant in a tank unlike in the ocean
The ocean actually does skim through wave action (foam on the beach)
A skimmer is in fact mimicking the ocean on a small scale. Dumping your skimmate into your fug will kill the algae in your fug

J

omard · 07-16-2008, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason McKenzie

Not a good Idea.
First in an aquarium we always create more waste through feeding then in the real world.
The ocean has far more mechanisms in place to deal with organic matter
The water volume is constant in a tank unlike in the ocean
The ocean actually does skim through wave action (foam on the beach)
A skimmer is in fact mimicking the ocean on a small scale. Dumping your skimmate into your fug will kill the algae in your fug

J

Agree with "J"

We spend lots of effort and $$ to get that waste out of water column. Why would you want to dump back in system.

Fuge will help get rid of stuff skimmer does not catch.

Don't do it.

sostoudt · 07-16-2008, 08:21 AM

the problem is that you feed your fish and so there is continually more stuff building up in the system. trust me in a normal reef aquarium skimmers are for the best. now i would be interested to see some one who creates a closed system aquarium meaning takes nothing and adds nothing in after the initial setup.
but i may be wrong about the skimmate why dont you drink a little and see how you feel lol. since are bodies can process more chemicals then the fishes if you get sick then the fish definitely will.

does anybody have any links for closed system tanks?