Red Sea Protein Skimmers

Protein skimming (also called foam fractionation) can be considered as a form of fine mechanical filtration since it is a physical process of removing substances from water, without any chemical or biological action. While a mechanical filter removes particles, such as uneaten fish food, a protein skimmer removes suspended or dissolved organic waste and invisible particles from the aquarium water.

The advantage of protein skimming lies in the fact that waste material is continuously removed, separating it from the water flow. The waste, suspended in foam, is then collected into a cup where it is no longer in contact with the aquarium water. In contrast, the dirt collected in a mechanical filter stays in contact with the water flow. A mechanical filter should therefore be cleaned very regularly; otherwise bacteria will decompose the collected dirt into harmful dissolved organic material.

A successful marine aquarium should have both a regularly cleaned mechanical filter and an efficient protein skimmer as the first and second stage in the water treatment.