Skimmers are the most common filtration devices available for saltwater aquariums today.  It uses a method called foam fractioning to clean the water. Per Wikipedia – Foam fractionation is a chemical process in which hydrophobic molecules are preferentially separated from a liquid solution using rising columns of foam. Protein skimming via foam fractioning was first documented to remove organics in the 1930s but have not entered the hobby till the late 1960s.

My first protein skimmer was a simple air driven model on my fish-only system back in the 1980s with a wooden air block. In my opinion, a skimmer should be standard equipment for most new hobbyist setups this day and age. There will always be exceptions, depending on the maturity of the system, the bioload, and the aquarist’s understanding of how other factors impact the nutrient levels. Debates on whether a skimmer is needed in comparison to other nutrient removal systems will always surface as we continue to learn from each others’ experience.

Products today have improved in methodology and efficiency when it comes to scalability, power usage, and serviceability. Throughout my 35 years in this hobby I have used almost every type of skimmer that has been introduced to the hobby-grade market. The design improvements throughout the years are clearly visible. Unfortunately, there is no standardized method of qualifying performance of hobbyist-grade equipment. A repeatable and accurate method to quantify levels of dissolved organics in the water column vs. the output skimmate would be required to measure efficiency. But the key is that these skimmers can be tuned for various air flows resulting in visible levels of organic density differences in the skimmate.

Skimmers are just tools for the hobby.  As we have learned over time, stripping a closed system of all nutrients is not necessarily a good thing either.

Factors to Consider

• Technology: Air Driven, Venturi, Spray Injection, Beckett Downdraft, Needle Wheel
• Body Design: Basic Cylinder vs Cone
• Features:
  • Recirculating vs Internal
  • Ozone Compatible
  • Skimmer Tunability
  • Size Options for water volume and space
• Serviceability factors to consider:
  • Easy to disassemble and clean
  • Minimum Failure Modes (i.e. salt clogs in air lines, swelling impellers, etc.)
  • Material build quality

The Candidate – 320DC

First of all, I would like to thank Simplicity Aquatics for providing me with the 320DC Skimmer to review. This will replace a 16 year old needle wheel skimmer currently running on my test system.  It will be a direct comparison in terms of needle wheel pump technology, body shape/size, in-sump and performance volume rating.

Below is the manufacturer’s product description:

• Controllable DC pump w/ needle wheel impeller
• Hybrid cone design
• Locking collection cup w/ drain
• Adjustable air intake
• Thumbscrew assembly for easy cleaning
• High quality cast acrylic construction
• Included controller with digital readout display

Initial Observations

This is a “tried and true” design that has existed for quite a few years now. The main differentiator in skimmers these days are the life of the DC needle wheel pumps and the build quality. The entire unit is light and has a very small footprint to fit in my DIY 40 breeder sump.

Tune the skimmer by adjusting the height, airflow, and output flow. I kept the pump running at max power as a constant for this initial break in period. In my case I had to raise the skimmer in my sump to meet the recommended water level. I used an egg crate frag rack with 3D printed legs as a stand. I followed the included instructions to achieve a balance between water level at the skimmer neck and the amount of air bubbles escaping the output into the sump chamber. It will take a few days for the skimmer to break in and stabilize.

• Bubble Size and Density – The bubbles in the skimmer body are super saturated.
• Noise Level – The skimmer is ultra quiet.
• Serviceability – As quickly as I assembled this in in my video I can disassemble for cleaning.
• Venturi air input diameter is large enough to not worry about salt creep clogging which is one of the performance failure modes of most venturi based skimmers.

I will provide a 6 month review in the future after I have spent more time with the product.

Happy Reefing!

Simplicity 320DC Protein Skimmer

• Adjustable DC pump speed
• For tanks up to 320 gallons
• Small foot print
• Cone shape design
• Collection cup drain with cap

$380.95

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