What Are Hang on Back Protein Skimmers - And How Do They Work?

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 answering a simple question. What are hang on back protein skimmers for marine aquariums?

Hang On Back Equipment

This article is going to open up to a few specific topics related to hang on back protein skimmers. I, originally, wanted this to be one, all encompassing, article to cover the entire subject. However, it started to hit the 3,000 word mark, so I figured I would be better off switching to a few separate articles that can be a little more focused.

Simple Reefs was designed with the idea that we can help people who want to convert freshwater aquariums into marine aquariums. After all, I have done this myself, a number of times, and this is how I got into the hobby. Meaning I am pretty well placed to discuss the subject.

One thing we have to become very comfortable with if we want to convert a freshwater aquarium into a marine aquarium is hang on back equipment. After all, it is this type of equipment that offers us the most simple route to marine aquarium ownership. With this in mind, we need to turn our attention to hang on back protein skimmers. Before we get started, let’s have a quick protein skimmer recap.

A Quick Recap

If you have missed any of our previous articles on protein skimmers, feel free to click on the links below. We are aiming to get you fully clued up on what protein skimmers are and how they work. As well as telling you whether you need one in your aquarium and what are the pros and cons.

• 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?

If you have decided that a protein skimmer would be a good addition to your marine aquarium ownership journey. But you don’t think you can accommodate a typical, in sump, protein skimmer. Then this article was made with you in mind so read on.

Hang on Back Protein Skimmers

Protein skimmers are an important part of marine aquarium ownership. So much so that are continuing our in depth look at them. We recently covered a bunch of protein skimmers suitable for a range of different scenarios. Namely..

• Protein Skimmers for Aquariums with Sumps
• Protein Skimmers for Nano Aquariums with Sumps
• Protein Skimmers for All In One Aquariums
• Protein Skimmers for Aquariums with No Sump and Freshwater Conversions

One type of protein skimmer that appeared, in a few of those articles, was the kind that we are talking about in this article. Hang on Back Protein Skimmers. You may be wondering what a hang on back protein skimmer is.

Well, it is exactly what it sounds like. A hang on back protein skimmer is a type of skimmer designed to hang on the back of your aquarium rather than sit in the display, in a filtration chamber, or in the sump. They are made, specifically, for those of us who don’t have a sump.

My marine aquarium ownership journey started with a hang on back protein skimmer. I converted my late father’s old freshwater aquarium into a marine aquarium and hang on back equipment was exactly how I did it.

They come in all shapes and sizes for a variety of different tanks. Offering a convenient solution to the problem of incorporating a protein skimmer into a sumpless tank. Are they perfect? Not by any shot but they definitely serve a valuable purpose.

What Does a Hang on Back Protein Skimmer Do?

A hang on back protein skimmer does exactly what a normal protein skimmer does and serves the same process. It keeps your aquarium’s water cleaner by removing dissolved organics via a process known as foam fractionation. You can read all about it in our article on how protein skimmers work. It does all of this while hanging off the back of your aquarium.

Having no sump poses a big question for marine aquarium hobbyists. How can I add a protein skimmer to my setup? The idea of having to include a protein skimmer in your actual aquarium’s display section is rather unappealing. After all, protein skimmers are large, cumbersome, and not aesthetically pleasing. While you can take this approach, if you really don’t mind the way it looks, it isn’t ideal.

When it comes to converting a freshwater aquarium into a marine aquarium. The very best possible option we can go for is a hang on back protein skimmer. In fact, this is exactly what hang on back protein skimmers are designed for. Producers noticed a hole in the market in the shape of former fresh water aquarium owners wanting to make the switch without replacing all of their equipment.

Few freshwater aquariums utilise sumps so there needed to be an alternative that looked good, was practical, and was reasonably priced. Hang on Back Protein Skimmers were the solution. After all, the main challenge would be getting the water into the reaction chamber and returning it to the display. After you have dealt with these issues, the only thing to worry about is keeping the skimmer reasonably sized.

Hang on back protein skimmers opened the door to actual reef ownership for former freshwater enthusiasts. Meaning the demands of more delicate coral could be met in a much greater range of aquariums. But how do they work relative to standard protein skimmers?

How Do Hang on Back Protein Skimmers Work?

Hang on back protein skimmers, typically, work in much the same way as a protein skimmer designed to sit in your sump.

• They pull water into their reaction chamber from your aquarium.
• Air is introduced to the water through an air feed line.
• Bubbles are produced, either through the venturi effect or a needle wheel impeller chopping up the water.
• Bubbles form in the reaction chamber. Eventually rising and beginning to collect in the neck of the protein skimmer.
• Dissolved organics, like fat and proteins, in the water bind to the air in the bubbles thanks to their electrical polarity.
• The surface tension of the bubbles lifts the waste to the surface of the bubbles.
• The bubbles climb as a dirty foam known as skimmate, eventually ending up in the collection cup.
• The clean water is returned to the aquarium via a return pipe

It is how the first step of this process occurs that tends to differ when it comes to hang on back protein skimmers. Some will, simply, feature a pipe that sits in your display which is then connected to a pump which will pull the water through via a sort of siphon effect.

Sometimes you have to get this going by sucking through the air intake line which can be a bit on the gross side of life. I can’t count how much saltwater ended up in my mouth from doing this. Others actually require you to have a small water pump sitting in your display to pull the water in.

The idea is that the amount of equipment on show, in your display, will be minimal and not obstructive to your view. With the majority of the protein skimmer sitting behind your display, hanging off the side or back via a clip.

The only major part of the skimmer that might be visible is the collection cup. It’s not an ideal solution but it is the best option if you don’t want a sump, don’t have a sump, or don’t want to drill your aquarium to include one. It is far preferential to having a protein skimmer sitting in your display.

How Many Types Of Hang on Back Protein Skimmer Are There?

This is, really, a how long is a piece of string, sort of question. There are a lot of different hang on back protein skimmers made by a bunch of different, well regarded, marine aquarium equipment manufacturers. There are also a few cheaper brands from less well known companies. A few examples of hang on back protein skimmers are.

• Bubble Magus BM-QQ1
• Bubble Magus BM-QQ3
• Aqua One NanoSkim 90
• IceCap Nano 50 HOB
• Bubble Magus E3 and Q3 series
• Aqua Medic Evo 1001
• The Skimz SH2
• Reef Octopus Classic NS80-Nano
• Reef Octopus Classic 90-HOB
• Reef Octopus Classic 100-HOB
• Reef Octopus Classic 1000
• AquaReady Bullet 1 HOB
• AquaReady Bullet 2 HOB
• AquaReady HOB-1.5
• Deltec MCE600 HOB
• Red Dragon Hang on Back (Ali Express)
• Boyu Hang on Back (Ali Express)
• Red Starfish Hang on Back (Ali Express)

Some of these hang on back protein skimmers cost less than £40. Others retail closer to £300. A few go a fair bit over that amount. Some are more compact and designed for aquariums with minimal space to the rear. Others are quite bulky. The one thing they share in common is that they are all designed for aquariums that are, frankly, not that large. Which brings me onto my next point.

What Aquariums Are Hang on Back Protein Skimmers Suitable For?

Hang on back protein skimmers are more suited towards moderate to small sized aquariums. Due to the nature of hang on back protein skimmers, they are, generally, less efficient. Meaning the size required to process a large capacity of water with a decent bioload would be unwieldy and cumbersome.

For example, the hang on back protein skimmer I had in my 260 litre freshwater conversion was bigger, overall, than the protein skimmer I have now which can process over 700 litres of water. It would take a huge amount of space behind your aquarium to accommodate something that was capable of dealing with an aquarium of, say, 800 litres.

The Reef Octopus Classic 2000-HOB is a very compact hang on back protein skimmer that seems to have one of the higher capacities but skill caps out at the 450 litre range for an aquarium with a medium bioload. Past this sort of capacity, things begin to get much larger and much more expensive.

The smaller the aquarium, the more hang on back protein skimmer options you will have and the better they will work. As things start to jump in size, it may be infinitely more economical to change to a completely different aquarium with a sump.

What Should I Consider When Choosing a Hang on Back Protein Skimmer?

There are two things you absolutely have to consider when choosing a hang on back protein skimmer and a couple of things that you will definitely want to keep in mind. The two main things are the amount of water in your aquarium and the bioload of your aquarium.

The amount of water in your aquarium is an obvious one, right? Protein skimmers, including hang on back protein skimmers, are rated for a certain amount of water that they can comfortably process. You need to make sure you are purchasing a protein skimmer that can handle the water capacity of your aquarium.

Your bioload is another important factor in your decision. This is, basically, how many fish you have in your aquarium. Fish eat and poop which produces waste, contributing to your aquarium’s biological load. The more fish you have, the more bioload, the more waste there is to remove and the harder the protein skimmer will have to work.

Most aquariums have a medium to heavy bioload. If you have more than a few fish, you should purchase a protein skimmer that is a little larger than your aquarium’s water capacity to make sure it can process all of that waste. For example, if you have a 260 litre aquarium with a decent number of fish. Purchase a protein skimmer with a capacity of 250 litres to 500 litres to make sure you have some leeway.

You are also going to want to consider how much space you have behind your aquarium. Hang on back protein skimmers can take up a lot of space so get your tape measure out and make sure you can accommodate it. You need room to remove the collection cup and easy access to take the protein skimmer off of your aquarium to clean it. You also want access to the floor to mop up potential spills.

What are the Pros and Cons of Hang on Back Protein Skimmers?

This is where I decided it would be best to split this article off into a few different posts. After all, there are a decent number of pros to using a hang on back protein skimmer that deserve talking about. There are, also, a few cons that absolutely demand careful consideration when deciding wheter, or not, to add a hang on back protein skimmer to your aquarium.

• The pros and benefits of a hang on back protein skimmer.
• The cons and downsides of a hang on back protein skimmer.

Check those articles out and they will help you to make an informed decision when purchasing a hang on back protein skimmer. Thanks for reading.