# The answer to my never ending Co2 woes... A Surface skimmer?!



## Tomfish (28 Apr 2016)

I think something that isn't emphasised enough to beginners is the value of a surface skimmer.

When you’re starting out there is a good chance that you are going to battle a bit (or more likely a lot) getting the light Co2 balance and flow just right, this leads to imperfect plant health, which in turn leads to varying degrees of surface film.  Under these conditions Co2 saturation tends to build over the photo period, rather than finding equilibrium. This equilibrium is essential for getting the Co2 levels high enough for plants in the crucial early phase of photo period, without then gassing the critters at the end of the period. Furthermore the fluctuating nature of surface film means that the Co2 injection level that was fine for your fish a couple of days before, may now have the poor buggers gasping. Then begins the yo- yo-ing and inconsistent Co2… and because you are a beginner (and because you are hitting the Co2 limit set by your fishy dependents) you assume that the insipid browning of older leaves and inevitable invasion by BBA are related to other parameters or inadequate hardware.

I suspect these may be useful observations for some of those who know they have a co2 issue without being able to pinpoint it.

Yes I am aware that the eheim skimmer is a bit ugly, especially in smaller tanks. A few things on that account

1)  You can take it out when everything is ticking along nicely

2)  Your Glass box can be as sleek and minimal as like, but if it is full of rotting plants and algae it is gonna be pretty ugly.

3)  The eheim skimmer is only about 20 quid

4)  There are lily pipe intake skimmers, though nobody yet produces a viable one for shallow tanks (hint, hint sponsors)

5)  I’m not affiliated with eheim

Anybody had similar experiences?

cheers


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## Jose (28 Apr 2016)

I totally agree. Ive come to another solution for myself. I have no surface movement really but i have duckweed floating around which seems to keep my surface perfectly clean as it travels.


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## pepedopolous (28 Apr 2016)

I agree too and use a skimmer on the filter inlet (the Eheim is good too). If you're injecting CO2, poor surface movement and scum/film can lead to fish stress or worse.

P


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## ian_m (29 Apr 2016)

Just use an air stone at end of CO2 period, kills any surface film and good for fish as oxygenates and removes CO2 from the water.


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## Wisey (29 Apr 2016)

ian_m said:


> Just use an air stone at end of CO2 period, kills any surface film and good for fish as oxygenates and removes CO2 from the water.



This is what I am doing now. I have run with a skimmer for ages due to surface film, but since rescaping and moving from a spray bar to a violet which gives zero surface agitation, I switched over to running an air stone from lights off through to 10am, so its on for 11 hours. Since doing this I have seen no surface film, so switched off my skimmer last weekend and no film has come back. I'm taking my skimmer out this weekend and will just keep it as a backup in case of issues in the future. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying don't use a skimmer if it works for you, just agreeing with Ian that an airstone is also effective and comes with other benefits. The skimmer for me was a pain in that it clogs VERY quickly, looks a bit ugly, has to be switched off at feeding time and when it does clog, the flow it added drops significantly. It has also killed fish and it for some reason my Amanos like to climb in to it. I have had to add plastic mesh to the top to keep fish out, but the Amanos sometimes still climb over the top of it. With the mesh added, its also not as effective as the drag means it sits a little lower in the water and if I ever get a bit of plant leaf float, it sticks in the mesh and the suction then drags the top below the surface. Pain in the backside all round.

It was useful to add to my flow along the back of the tank, but I am adding another Koralia in its place this weekend which will give me the flow I want along with it looking less obtrusive than the skimmer and not being a fish killer!


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