27th Nov 2009
Fish Tank Protein Skimmer
With all the rewards fish keeping brings, the aquarium care and maintenance involved in the hobby could quite be challenging. Keeping your tank water clean and safe is of absolute importance in ensuring your fishes’ health. Fortunately, different equipments that could assist you on this task are made available in the market. Most popularly utilized in many home aquariums are the water filters and aeration systems. As manufacturers constantly bring in improvements, the development of the fish tank protein skimmer is somewhat a breakthrough for many aquarium owners.
Protein skimmers function by dissolving biological wastes present in the water before they could breakdown to harmful chemicals. These chemicals, especially nitrites, could be very detrimental to your fishes once dissolved in your tank water. Also considered as a chemical filtration method, this equipment functions by forcing bubbles into a column of water in your tank. The air bubbles attract tiny proteins and waste particles and bring them up to the water surface as a foam which are then skimmed into a collection cup. Since mechanical filters commonly present in most aquariums only work for large particles, the essentiality of protein skimmers is better recognized.
As this equipment work best in high pH and saline environments, protein skimmers are mostly used in saltwater aquariums. Venturi skimmers, needle wheel or pin wheel protein skimmers, air-driven or counter-current protein skimmers, sump-type protein skimmers, downdraft skimmers, internal protein skimmers and the external hang-on protein skimmers are among the many forms of this equipment. Though skimmers could vary in brands, size and sophistication, they demonstrate quite the same objective of removing chemical wastes and bi-products from the water by foaming mechanism and collecting and disposing cycles.
Apart from ridding off water from organic wastes and harmful residue, a fish tank protein skimmer could also remove toxins given off by your decorative corals or aquarium invertebrates. It also greatly reduces your tank filter’s workload as it functions mainly to clear up the water. The mechanism’s way of preventing algae build up is an added benefit. Probably the most advantage from the bubbles it produces, the equipment also helps increase oxygen content in your tank water. This equipment is easy to purchase from many aquatic supply stores and reputable online stores for reasonable prices. The many benefits of a protein skimmer prove that adding one in your home aquarium is definitely a smart move in keeping your fishes healthy.
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