To Skim or Not to Skim

[fishdude]

<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've had tanks with and without protein skimmers but I'd like hear what the folks on the ARC do. If you have a protein skimmer do you run it 24/7?</span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">When doing some research I found this video that is making me question my set up.</span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">

 

[acroholic]

Skim 24/7.

 

[dawgface]

24/7 as heavy as I possible can.

 

[heathlindner25]

dawgface;952395 wrote: 24/7 as heavy as i possible can.

+1

 

[snowmansnow]

Its a no brainer for me. it removes gunk

skim

 

[dawgface]

Fishdude;952364 wrote: <span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">I've had tanks with and without protein skimmers but I'd like hear what the folks on the ARC do. If you have a protein skimmer do you run it 24/7?</span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana"> </span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">When doing some research I found this video that is making me question my set up.</span></span>
<span style="color: black"><span style="font-family: Verdana">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iSW_GPP9ac&list=UUtbSE_K6cEbouPHoKB5oMTA"><span style="color: #0000ff">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iSW_GPP9ac&list=UUtbSE_K6cEbouPHoKB5oMTA</span></a></span></span>[/QUOTE]

Dear gawd how have you managed to watch this! For 5 mins straight he drones on and on and on about basically nothing. What he's so far discussed he could and should have covered within 45 secs...

Alright, back to the video.....:doh:

 

[qasimja]

i just skipped some he does drag the video on longer then needed lol

 

[jdavid]

75% of the time I skim all the time.

Seriously though, who cuts off their skimmer, and why?

 

[shanepike]

In 2+ years, I've never run a skimmer in any of my tanks. Never ran into any issues that made me think I needed to. Not saying it's right; just what I did

 

[kirkwood]

just keep skimming....

 

[wineman]

Why would you not skim????? I don't want what ever that "stuff" is in the skimmer cup in my tank.

 

[dawgface]

Alright, I knew something was fishy here. Leng Sy is a creator or at the very least a strong backer of the proven bogus product and claims of Miracle Mud. If you sift threw his other youtube videos you'll see another "controlled" experiment where he is testing other like substances against Miracle Mud.

http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/products/marine/miraclemud/miracle-mud/">http://www.ecosystemaquarium.com/products/marine/miraclemud/miracle-mud/</a>

Excerpt of Miracle Mud-
[QUOTE=]A protein skimmer is NOT required when using Miracle Mud! Using Miracle Mud as refugium substrate**, as described in the EcoSystem Method, makes a protein skimmer unnecessary, as can be seen in the reef aquarium pictured above.
**EcoSystem Method vs. Refugium: By definition, a refugium is a separate compartment connected to the main aquarium filtration system, in which plants and micro-organisms can grow and reproduce. It is not a stand-alone filtration unit. In the typical reef setup, whether or not you include substrate in the refugium is not important, if your goal is to simply create a microscopic reef food web for your reef aquarium inhabitants. However, the refugium is just one component of the entire EcoSystem Miracle Mud Method, in which Miracle Mud substrate is a key element that makes the EcoSystem Method extremely unique, simple and user-friendly. The EcoSystem Miracle Mud Method is the only comprehensive, stand-alone filtration system unit in the world!
[/QUOTE]

I call extremely bias and clearly a strong conflict of interest of all these videos. Furthermore, just another reason to not like him.

 

[dawgface]

Correction, Leng Sy is the creator.

Miracle Mud® is the original refugium mud substrate developed by Leng Sy in late 1989.

 

[hnguyen]

I've been skimming since day one after seeing and smelling the crap my skimmer pulls out. I don't think I can even imagine not skimming, and that's with twice weekly water changes. So how does all that stuff get removed without skimming?

 

[dawgface]

Leng would have you believe through Miracle Mud.

You can however run a very successful tank without a skimmer. Your primary problem obviously is exporting that waste that a skimmer would have done for you. Heavy water changes with a much more thorough in tank direct maintenance is required to make up for the skimmer.

Miracle Mud not being a requirement or frankly helpful at all. Infact studies done on the composition of Miracle Mud show an alarming high silica count. So much to the opposite of helpful if you choose to try the so called Miracle Mud.