Top 4 Protein Skimmers For Your Aquarium
Best Aquarium Filters of 2020
- Best In Sump Protein Skimmer: Reef Octopus Essence S-130 Protein Skimmer
- Best HOB Protein Skimmer: AquaMaxx HOB-1.5 Hang-On-Back Protein Skimmer
- Best In Tank Protein Skimmer: Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9001
- Best External Protein Skimmer: Reef Octopus Regal 150SSS Protein Skimmer
What is a protein skimmer?
A protein skimmer is a type of filter, and most fish keepers will call this a “redundant” but necessary piece of equipment on top of your base filter. A protein skimmer is simply a container that utilizes air, bubbles, and water to scoop up and breakdown unwanted food and fish waste from your fish tank in order to help keep your water at the appropriate levels for your fish tank set up. The protein skimmer will pump air into the aquarium, generating bubbles into your water column. these bubbles will gather up your unwanted “proteins” (fish poop, food, etc.), which turn into a “foam.” The foam will overflow into the container that you can empty every week or two, and should help cut down on the number of water changes that you have to do. Another additional benefit of a protein skimmer is the increased aid with gas exchange, which will keep your oxygen levels in peak shape.
Why do I need a protein skimmer for my fish tank?
If you want to keep SPS (short polyp) or LPS (long polyp) corals (both are fancy way of saying corals), we recommend that you include a Protein Skimmer in your set up. We aren’t saying that you can’t have a successful reef tank without a protein skimmer, but having one will greatly alleviate the effort you must put into your aquarium in most cases. Another main reason is redundancy, or a safety net for if your regular filter stops working. In a lot of tank set ups, if this were to happen and you don’t realize it quickly, your fish tanks condition can drastically deteriorate. Lastly, the bigger the tank you have, the more likely you will need a protein skimmer.
Factors To Consider for your Protein Skimmer
Types of Protein Skimmers
- Hang On Back – similar to the HOB filter. this type of protein skimmer is meant for tanks on the smaller side that require a protein skimmer (typically around 100 gallons or less) as well as fish tanks that are set up without a sump filter.
- In Tank – similar to a HOB Protein Skimmer, this In tank type of protein skimmer hangs on the fish tank, but instead of hanging outside the tank, hangs inside the tank. This type is also used in tanks that don’t have a sump set-up. Typically used in even smaller tanks than the HOB protein skimmer.
- External – This model connects your aquarium and your sump filter. It will stand alone, and can come in many ranges of prices.
- In Sump – these pair with your Sump system so you don’t have to have additional space or in some cases eyesores. The In Sump filter will sit inside of your Sump system. These are typically the most recommended types of protein skimmers.
Ohfishal’s Top 10 Protein Skimmers
Reef Octopus Essence S-130 Protein Skimmer
Utilizing its Aquatrance 1800s Skimmer Pump, this protein skimmer can handle a lightly stocked 160 gallon fish tank, a medium bio load of 120 gallons, or a lightly stocked 75 gallon aquarium. Noted for its simple design, including zero screws and a simple Twist and Lift connection comp, installation and maintenance is quick and easy. Consistently praised for being quiet due to a removable silencer collar, the Essence S-130 also comes with 16 step water level adjustment dial. Make sure you play around with the depth of the water, as this is one misstep that can cause the skimmer to be louder than needed. Made for in-sump use only, this protein skimmer should get acclimated and broken in quickly.
AquaMaxx HOB-1.5 Hang-On-Back Protein Skimmer
Boasting a large, easy to remove and easy to adjust collection cup, this new and improved AquaMaxx will get the job done in your fish tank. Pretty simple to install (reports of only taking 10 minutes), this protein skimmer should make a big difference and help clean your aquarium immediately. You can count on the AquaMaxx to quietly produce tons of protein bind-able bubbles that will turn into a solid foam that will fill up that collection cup. In fact, sometimes that’s one of the complaints about this system is it produces too many bubbles. Pretty simple to modify, you shouldn’t have any problem getting this protein skimmer to fit to your system.
Tunze Comline DOC Skimmer 9001
Utilizing a patented anti-over-foaming system, this protein skimmer is built with an intermediate chamber that prevents the skimmer from over foaming and handles performance. Producing smaller air bubbles and using a technique called “flash skimming”, the bubbles will quickly bind to the waste in your aquarium and turn to a foam that finds its way to the easy to use collection cup. It may take a little while to get rid of the MicroBubbles, but once you break this skimmer in, and use with the appropriate water levels, it should hum quietly and efficiently keep your tank free of pollutants.
Reef Octopus Regal 150SSS Protein Skimmer
Smaller than a traditional sump, this is a good option when you need a more powerful skimmer and can’t find one that works with your sump, or just want a more powerful skimmer in place of a sump, or just want a high power protein skimmer to complement your sump as well. This protein skimmer comes with the patented Reef Octopus Controllable DC 2500S Pinwheel Pump. Simply put, this lets you control the specific speeds of the motor with a remote control, which allows lets you produce the optimal air and water flow rates for your tank set up. If you don’t want to specify a speed, there’s also 5 preset speeds you can choose from. Sporting a 1 or 2 year warranty for most of its parts, there’s also the confidence of the buying the product backed by the Reef Octopus brand.
Red Sea RSK 300 Reefer
Growing in popularity, this In Sump skimmer has been getting more and more rave reviews. With a bio-load range from 75 gallons (Heavy) to 225 gallons (Light), this skimmer can get the job done in multiple ways. The flexibile RSK 300 is made assemble 3 different ways out of the box, letting you fit it to the needs of your sump. One of the main concerns of fish keepers everywhere, noise level, is also not a worry with the RSK 300, as it utilizes rubber connectors that soften the motors vibrations as well as a pretty large air intake silencer. You can look through the view window to easily tell when it’s time to empty the collection cup. A little more of an upfront investment, but well worth it.
Bubble Magnus BM-Curve 5 Protein Skimmer
You will get your moneys worth out of this skimmer. It might take a while to break in, but once the Bubble Magnus gets going, it will keep your saltwater tank of up to 140 crystal clean. Equipped with an air silencer that keeps this skimmer skimming silently and a warranty of 1 year on most of the parts, you can feel confident you won’t be installing a noise machine in your fish tank. The simple design and quick-release collection cup also makes it easy to clean, which is good because you will need to clean it out often. It’s small footprint makes the BM-Curve 5 compatible with even the smallest of sumps, and it has a couple of ways you assemble it to fit with multiple set ups. If you’re going to choose this skimmer though, we recommend you know what you are doing, as we’ve had multiple reports of the customer service being difficult to reach.
SCA-302 Protein Skimmer
This In Sump protein skimmer is compatible with heavy bio load tanks up to 180 gallons, making it one of the most powerful skimmers on this list. The SCA-302 comes with a standard oversized collection cup, which for the relatively smaller size of the skimmer itself is really nice. One drawback, the cup can be a little more difficult than some other skimmers to remove. Because of the smaller size of the skimmer, the SCA-302 should be compatible with most sump set ups. You need to make sure you tinker with the settings, or else you could have a minor issue with micro-bubbles. That said, with the correct settings for your tank and the silencer that is built into the SCA-302, this protein skimmer should be a good fit for most larger saltwater aquariums. Also, SCA has a great reputation for standing by its product, so if you have any issues, you should be able get support from their team and get them resolved!
IOAOI Protein Skimmer
Another In Sump only skimmer, the IOAOI can work with heavy bio load tanks up to 150 gallons and light bio load tanks up to 200 gallons. Using a unique and patented needle shaped diversion plate, the IOAOI prides itself on the high quality bubbles that it produces relative to other skimmers. You may need some help if you need to follow the instructions, but once you get this skimmer assembled with a few days of warm up time, the 20 gears in the pump will let you find the optimal setting for your tank. Furthermore, you’ll be able to do this with your LED controller that comes with the skimmer from anywhere in the comfort of your home.
Reef Octopus Classic 100-HOB Protein Skimmer
Easy to set up, easy to disassemble and clean, the Reef Octopus Classic 100-HOB Protein Skimmer is a great choice for tanks up to 75 gallons, and heavier bio load tanks up to 50 gallons. A pretty good choice for beginner fish keepers, this skimmer will quietly skim your tank and remove the pollutants thanks to the Aquatrance pinwheel pump that will produce bubbles without produces micro bubbles, and then flow that foam into its large collection cup. Priced competitively compared to other similar pumps, it’s a good investment for your first saltwater tank or your 5th.
Simplicity 540 DC Protein Skimmer
Probably the strongest skimmer on this list, the Simplicity 540 DC Protein Skimmer will work in heavy bio load tanks up to 270 gallons, and light bio load tanks up to 540 gallons – that’s a big tank! Coming equipped with a 2 year warranty on some parts and a 1 year warranty on others, you’ll need a little more space for this skimmer as its a little larger than most in order to produce all of that power. Another skimmer with an adjustable pump speed, make sure you find the setting that works for you. Another bonus – you can put together and take this skimmer apart without any tools!
Frequently Asked Questions about Protein Skimmers
If you have a freshwater aquarium, no. If you have a saltwater aquarium, no you also don’t have to have one, but we recommend it for most saltwater set ups, especially those with live corals.
This will depend on the size of your aquarium and whether or not you have or plan to have a sump set up. If you have a smaller tank and no sump set up, you will need a HOB or In-Tank protein skimmer. If you have a sump set up, it depends on your preference between an In-Sump and an External protein skimmer.
Simply put, they remove nitrates and keep your fish tanks oxygen levels in the right place. They do this by creating air flow, and subsequently bubbles. These bubbles bind with the nitrates, and are siphoned up as foam that can be disposed of.
To implement a protein skimmer into your fish tank set up or not, that is the question! Hopefully this article has helped provide you with information on scenarios for when a protein skimmer is needed and what type is best for certain scenarios, as well as some options for the best protein skimmer for your tank.
