The Benefits of a Hang on Back Protein Skimmer - Looking at the Pros
Welcome to Simple Reefs. This is a brand new website dedicated to taking the complexity out of Marine Aquarium Ownership. Our goal is to show you how you can own your very own slice of the ocean without spending a fortune. As well as giving you tons of easy to digest information on all things marine. Today we are going to be looking at the benefits of a hang on back protein skimmer.
If you have found yourself here, there is a good chance you are thinking about adding a hang on back protein skimmer to your aquarium. Perhaps you have a freshwater conversion or, maybe, you have an all in one aquarium? Either way, you are in the right place.
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As I mentioned in our opening article about hang on back protein skimmers. I actually started my marine aquarium ownership journey using a hang on back protein skimmer (Bubble Magus E3) so I feel I am pretty well qualified to talk about them. With that being said, first, let’s quickly catch up on what you might have missed when it comes to protein skimmers.
A Quick Recap
If you have missed any of our previous articles on protein skimmers, you might want to take a little while to catch up. We have gone into depth on them in a whole range of different ways.
- What is a protein skimmer and what do they do?
- How does a protein skimmer work?
- What are the benefits of a protein skimmer?
- What are the downsides of a protein skimmer?
- Do you need a protein skimmer in your marine aquarium?
This article follows on from our first article on hang on back protein skimmers where we explain what they are and how they work. You may want to check that out before we begin. After all, you need to make sure they are the right option for you before we start talking about the benefits.
In this article, we aren’t going to be going quite as in depth on the general benefits of a protein skimmer like we did in the articles listed above. Instead, we are taking a look at the specific benefits of a hang on back protein skimmer. As in, the things that separate this type of protein skimmer from others.
You can expect a hang on back protein skimmer to have all the usual pros and cons of standard skimmers but there are a few things that are very specific to hang on back equipment that we will be talking about here.
The Benefits of a Hang on Back Protein Skimmer
A few of the benefits of a hang on back protein skimmer are quite obvious. After all, they allow you to accommodate a protein skimmer in a whole bunch of aquarium setups that, otherwise, would be out of luck. The fact that they can help you avoid keeping a protein skimmer in your display is a massive perk, on its own.
Other hang on back protein skimmer benefits are not quite as obvious as you may think. In fact, I would go as far as to say that some of the benefits sound a little silly when you say them out loud but I found these things noteworthy whenever I have used a hang on back protein skimmer. Let’s take a look.
- It’s a simple solution for freshwater aquarium conversions
- Easy to install
- Saves space and can be very versatile
- Very portable
- Can be quite affordable
- Very quiet
- Leads to much cleaner water and reduces water change frequency
- Stabilises PH and introduces oxygen into the water
- Can save you money buying a new aquarium
- Enables the recycling of an old tank
- Enable the reuse of freshwater equipment
- The collection cup being visible makes it easier to keep dialled in
- An interesting talking point for visitors
Some of these these pros are very obvious. Namely the much cleaner water, reduced water change frequency, introduction of oxygen into the water and stabilised PH levels. After all, these are all the benefits of owning a protein skimmer that we discussed in this article right here. These are the reasons you are buying a protein skimmer so, to be honest, they go without saying.
Hang on Back protein skimmers do the job, almost, as efficiently as an actual in sump protein skimmer. So, all of the benefits you would expect to see from an in sump skimmer you should see from a hang on back protein skimmer. Just in a more convenient and accommodating form factor when it comes to sumpless aquariums.
A Few Specific Benefits
The ease of install is something that doesn’t get talked about enough. After all, it doesn’t get much more simple than hanging the protein skimmer off the back of your aquarium and plugging it in. Hang on back protein skimmers can be less hassle than in sump options, in that regard. There’s no need to find the correct water height in the sump or the perfect position to remove the cup etc. Just hang it on the back and go.
The space saving element is another similar benefit, as is the versatility and cost. If you already have some space behind your aquarium for other hang on back equipment. Finding space for your skimmer won’t be a big problem. You could even hang it on the side if you had to.
The portability of hang on back protein skimmers deserves mention. If you have multiple aquariums, having a protein skimmer that can be switched between them as and when needed is incredibly handy. Particularly if you are curing live rock and need an easy form of waste removal.
Hang on back protein skimmers can be used in all different kinds of aquariums and can, actually, be even more reasonably priced than in tank simmers. Particularly for nano aquariums. A hang on back protein skimmer for a nano aquarium might be the easiest and most economical solution of all. I have found hang on back skimmers to be very quiet, for the most part, as well.
Freshwater Aquarium Conversion Benefits
There are a few points, here, that are a little more nuanced to freshwater aquarium conversions. This, in fact, is where hang on back protein skimmers shine. I would, actually, go as far as to say they are one of the most important pieces of equipment when looking to convert your freshwater aquarium into a marine aquarium.
For example, say you are looking to make the switch to marine aquarium ownership because you want to keep some saltwater fish and coral. You have a freshwater aquarium, a decent heater, a hang on back filter or canister filter, and some other equipment. You realise that a protein skimmer would be a huge benefit but don’t have a sump.
If it wasn’t for the option of purchasing a hang on back protein skimmer. All of that equipment, and that aquarium, would go to waste as you would have to start again. The fact that hang on back protein skimmers are a thing enables you to simply reuse that freshwater gear while converting your tank.
This will, also, save you a bunch of money in both the short and long term. A hang on back protein skimmer might be the one thing you need to really open up the world of reef ownership to you. A fact which has to be classed as a very significant benefit.
A Few More Obscure Benefits
The last two points are a little more obscure but allow me to explain. I used a hang on back protein skimmer, in a freshwater conversion, for a decent amount of time. It was never easier for me to make sure my protein skimmer was well dialled in than when I could see the collection cup all the time. I knew when to empty it, I knew when it needed tuning to produce more skimmate, and I knew when it was skimming too wet.
Now that my protein skimmer, on my main aquarium, is buried in a sump. It gets far less attention and I frequently neglect to check that it is well dialled in. I have a bit of a tendency to trip up when it comes to the “out of sight, out of mind” thing. The other protein skimmers that I can see are always dialled in and skimming fantastically.
The last benefit might sound ridiculous but, believe me, you will enjoy answering questions about it when people visit and observe your tank. Everyone is always interested in this horrible, brown, foamy, liquid sitting in a cup over your tank. It makes for a great point of discussion for anyone who actually enjoys getting into the technical side of the hobby.
On To The Downsides and Cons
Those are the benefits of owning a hang on back protein skimmer. Naturally, we have talked about the pros so now we have to talk about the cons of hang on back protein skimmers. That’s coming up tomorrow so be sure to take a look at that article. Thanks for reading and spending your time with Simple Reefs.
