My 3ft Planted Tank Options

[LASERGUY]

Hi, this is one of my 3ft planted tank.

[RBT]

Hi Bro LASERGUY,
Just a question.Do you use surface skimmer?

Cheers

[LASERGUY]

Hi Bro LASERGUY,
Just a question.Do you use surface skimmer?

Cheers

No, normally I use oil/protein remover by AZOO to breakdown the oily-looking stuff on the surface....however, yet to apply on this tank as it is still in the initial stage.
Any particular reason for asking this question ?

[RBT]

No, normally I use oil/protein remover by AZOO to breakdown the oily-looking stuff on the surface....however, yet to apply on this tank as it is still in the initial stage.
Any particular reason for asking this question ?

Yup,was told that plants produce oil(some sort).That we need surface skimmers to remove it.

Since you have used AZOO oil/protein remover I've got a couple of questions for you.

1.How long have you been using these products?
2.And if you would use these products in the long run?(would there be foreseeable problems?i.e using chemical to break down oil/protein.)

Thanks n Cheers

[LASERGUY]

Yup,was told that plants produce oil(some sort).That we need surface skimmers to remove it.

Since you have used AZOO oil/protein remover I've got a couple of questions for you.

1.How long have you been using these products?
2.And if you would use these products in the long run?(would there be foreseeable problems?i.e using chemical to break down oil/protein.)

Thanks n Cheers

To answer your questions:
1. A couple of years.
2. So far no problem but bear in mind that only use it when necessary and not in periodical sense.

The reason why these oily substances gathered on the surface is because for planted tank, we will like to minimise surface movement to prevent unnecessary loss of CO2 which resulted in the above. The function of surface skimmer mainly provide a way to collect these oily substances into the filter. Another cheap way of getting rid of these is placed an oil absorbing paper on the surface for a while, then disposed it after that, this will also reduce some of these oily stuff.

[RBT]

To answer your questions:
1.  A couple of years.
2.  So far no problem but bear in mind that only use it when necessary and not in periodical sense.

The reason why these oily substances gathered on the surface is because for planted tank, we will like to minimise surface movement to prevent unnecessary loss of CO2 which resulted in the above. The function of surface skimmer mainly provide a way to collect these oily substances into the filter. Another cheap way of getting rid of these is placed an oil absorbing paper on the surface for a while, then disposed it after that, this will also reduce some of these oily stuff.

Thanks for the reply.
Would be OK to use the protein skimmer then.?
Cheers.

[LASERGUY]

Thanks for the reply.
Would be OK to use the protein skimmer then.?
Cheers.

Are we tuned in the same frequency ?
Not being longwinded, to clarify again, surface skimmer used in planted tank and protein skimmer used in marine tank are different thing altogether.
Surface skimmer provides an inlet for the filter at the surface, so that those oily substance can be filtered away.
For protein skimmer used in marine tank, uses air bubbles to propell salt water up to a chamber where excessive protein will be collected.