The popularity of aquariums is growing at a fast pace. It has become the best place to relax with friends and family and to watch marine wildlife. This has increased the demand for different types of aquariums. One of these is protein skimmers.
Protein skimmers are used in saltwater aquariums to remove organic waste from water. Protein skimming is not recommended for freshwater aquariums as the process can cause damage to some forms of delicate plants and even fish. Protein skimming is used when there is a high level of algae in aquariums and it becomes difficult to remove all the waste. In such cases a protein skimmer is the best solution.
There are two types of protein skimmers. One is the downdraft skimmer design and the other is the high pressure downdraft design. The downdraft design is best suited for shallow water environments as it is less efficient than the high pressure one. A small pump is required for the protein skimmer design.
The high pressure protein skimmer, on the other hand is very effective in the case of larger aquariums. The high pressure pump makes use of a pumping system and an air compressor to create large volumes of water. This forces the water through the filter to remove the waste. The pump requires a larger power source and it has to be placed directly in front of the filter in order to work effectively. In reef aquariums, this is usually done in a separate room.
In a home aquarium setup, protein skimmers can be installed directly to the aquarium water line or in between the filter and pump. This is usually done to prevent debris from entering the pump. Powerheads are used to drive the pumps and air compressors. Protein skimmers can also be installed in the reef aquariums. Reef octopus protein skimmers are designed for the marine environment and are very effective at removing organic waste from the aquarium water.
Biological filtration methods include carbon filtration, ion exchange, and biological carbon filtration. Carbon filtration is often referred to as a self cleaning system because it actually self cleans. It relies on the concept that different kinds of molecules have different surfaces and different ways of being consumed. The removal of surface contaminants allows molecules to escape into the atmosphere. These escape molecules are then collected by the biocontrol component of the filtration system.
A protein skimmer attached to a water pump is therefore necessary in most aquariums. The pump must be able to efficiently push the volumes of water produced by the aquarium. The protein skimmer removes organic compounds and other waste particles from the aquarium water. Protein skimmers are often combined with a vacuum or powerhead to remove organic compounds from large systems.
Foam fractionators can be used to improve water quality by preventing the build-up of organic molecules in aquariums. There are two different types of fractionators, solid and liquid. A solid fractionator slows the rate at which compounds are turned into foam. In addition, some fractionators will also pull small amounts of organic compound molecules through the membrane. In aquariums where the water quality is good, this will allow for better circulation of nutrient compounds throughout the aquarium system.
One type of protein skimmer is the venturi. These aquarium pumps utilize air stone protein skimmers to push bubbles through the water stream. When the bubbles reach the upper ends of the aquarium tube, they rise to the level of the air stone, where they are pushed into the airflow. The bubbles travel down the tube, past biological filters, and through the water column before exiting the aquarium.
For some aquariums, mechanical filtration media will not work as well. This is when the use of biological filtration systems will be needed. Some biological filtration systems use a pump and have a waste material compartment in which the waste material is captured and transported.
Aquarium owners who do not wish to use a pump will instead choose to use skimming techniques in which a mechanical filter is used to pull up aquarium water through skimmate channels. Aquarium skimmate channels should contain molecules with high surface areas; these can include both organic and inorganic molecules such as amino acids, glycosyl esters, nannic acid, and trace elements. All aquarium skimmate channels should have equal surface areas.
