How much skimmer is too much?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by vanreefer

Have a vertex alpha cone 300... Planning to run it on ~200 gallons thinking I may just use one of the pumps instead of both
Thoughts on how much skimmer is too much? Risks? benefits?
Cheers VR

I think you will be disappointed using this skimmer on such a small volume of water. Generally, skimmer manufacturers are rather optimistic when rating the skimmers' performance. The Royal Exclusiv skimmers (inc the Vertex Alpha), are rated very well.

The biggest issue with the Vertex Alpha 300 in particular is the neck size. The neck size is enormous at almost 6 1/2". The water has to have a certain amount of DOCs (dissolved organic compounds) to create a foam head. With an enormous neck size, you need an even stronger foam head. At first the skimmer will work great, and you will be happy. After awhile, using a skimmer like this on such a small water volume will very likely produce a situation where you will not get a consistent foam head as the skimmer will reduce the DOCs to the point where it can't make a good foam head, then the DOCs will rise again, you'll get a foam head again, and DOCs will reduce, and so on. If the neck size was narrower, this would be less of an issue. I think running only one pump rather than both would actually work even more against you than for you.

I wouldn't do it, but if you already have it, give it a go.

Fwiw, "over-skimming" is pretty much an old wives' tale - using an awesome skimmer and underfeeding sure can be a problem though. It matters more to pick a skimmer that suits the system, rather than just putting something huge on it thinking it will perform better.