There’s a lot of discussion about whether or not you can use a protein skimmer for your freshwater tank. The answer is undoubted yes; you can use it for your freshwater tank, but the purpose won’t be serving as good as it is. The primary mechanisms that make protein skimmers useful in saltwater tanks aren’t as effective in freshwater.
The fundamental explanation for this is that protein skimmers create foams of bubbles that lift waste from the water to the surface, but these bubbles are missing in the freshwater tank. This is why the procedure in a freshwater tank will be different. The skimmer will be less effective because freshwater does not froth as quickly as saltwater.
However, this does not stop you from using one for your tank. Let’s look at how a protein skimmer can be used in a freshwater aquarium.
Things About Protein Skimmer
A protein skimmer can be used in any aquarium, regardless of its size, shape, or kind of protein skimmer. However, the major worry is whether it will be helpful in each case. When you have a saltwater aquarium, a protein skimmer is usually one of the most critical pieces of equipment to have.
It’s a device that removes organic wastes like fish feces, protein compounds, and additives from saltwater aquariums. Another significant advantage of using a protein skimmer is that it enhances oxygenation by removing organic materials from your aquarium. A protein skimmer, in other terms, guarantees that your fish have enough oxygen.
How to Use a Protein Skimmer in Your Freshwater Tank?
Freshwater aquariums may not be able to effectively utilize a protein skimmer because freshwater does not produce foams or bubbles as well as saltwater, which is the primary reason for using a skimmer.
But, aside from this aspect, a protein skimmer can accomplish a lot more, and you can truly benefit from one in your freshwater tank.
Keep Good Aeration
Apart from filtering out the organic wastes, a protein skimmer can oxygenate your tank water. It has an excellent mechanism for gas changing procedures. When your fish consumes oxygen, there must be a way to refill it as well.
By assisting in shifting the water surface over, a protein skimmer can considerably help in required gas exchange.
A Solution for Waste Problem
Every day, you pollute the tank water with additives and even food residues when you want to nourish and feed your small aquatic habitat. Those tiny animals can be like a stubborn human baby who refuses to finish the meal and leaves a trail of messes for you to clean up. The result is a filthy tank filled with trash.
Moreover, your fish do not take up a lot of the foodstuff you offer them, and the leftovers are decomposed by bacteria and other germs in the tank.
A protein skimmer can help you accomplish your duty while preserving cleanliness is concerned. As we all know, a skimmer is designed to gather organic molecules; therefore, it can help you out a lot.
Good Alternative for Water Change
When you change the water in your aquarium, food particles and denser pollutants might become trapped at the bottom to be decomposed later. That is to say; the job isn’t done entirely efficiently. But if you use a protein skimmer to do it, it can remove molecular-sized particles and decompose more enormous wastes.
Instead of the water changing method, a protein skimmer successfully removes compounds from the water and leaves minimal residue.
Even the tiniest particles that cannot be taken out with a more robust filtration system will be broken and extracted with the help of a protein skimmer.
And if most of your tank animals are used to living in a river or pond water, it might be a great help for them. A skimmer may assist them by reducing the contamination of water.
The Protein skimmer be used in a freshwater tank
Other Benefits
A protein skimmer can control the phosphate level in your aquarium, reducing the spread of aggressive nuisance algae. It is also useful for absorbing biological poisons emitted by corals, algae, and others. The pH level of the water can be maintained through a skimmer by minimizing the release and growth of carbon dioxide in the water.
What’s the Decision?
Having a protein skimmer for your freshwater aquarium might not be necessary. Some people think it’s a waste to have one for your freshwater aquarium as there isn’t much work to do. Still, it may help you maintain a healthy oxygen level and other factors discussed above.
In the end, it’s your decision, and as explained previously, it can be convenient in various situations. So, while it may be unneeded, it will not be a waste. The truth is that if you need a reliable system of fertilizer control, then a protein skimmer happens to be one of those techniques, and it’s indeed a good one!
