Information sources...

[DiverDude]

Originally Posted by nlreefguy

In general I agree, but for something like "is this a good protein skimmer?", one can only rely on the experiences of others since there are no formal reviews or research on such things, in general.

Actually, while this seems to be a good question to ask, you have to realize that unless you are VERY specific as to your requirements and trust that the person(s) replying have carefully considered all your requirements (and have the expertise in the first place), then the quality of the information you get can be quite poor.

To use the skimmer example, you would need to describe your system in detail -system volume, reef/FOWLER, SPS or LPS dominated, fish type and quantity (today and where you expect to go with it in the future) etc. etc.

The person replying should have used a particular skimmer on a similar system and should point out any differences that may be a factor.

This rarely happens though so what you get is what was a good skimmer for THEM but may be less than ideal for you -because you have different needs. This is, in part, why books usually steer clear of that kind of information and stick with conceptual information, like how a skimmer works and the different types.

Take anything you read here (or on any forum) with a grain of (sea) salt. No one will intentionally steer you wrong but the information you get may not be best for you an your setup. Of course, you should never blindly follow what anyone suggests either -look for a consensus from a number of people before you act.

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by DiverDude

Actually, while this seems to be a good question to ask, you have to realize that unless you are VERY specific as to your requirements and trust that the person(s) replying have carefully considered all your requirements (and have the expertise in the first place), then the quality of the information you get can be quite poor.

To use the skimmer example, you would need to describe your system in detail -system volume, reef/FOWLER, SPS or LPS dominated, fish type and quantity (today and where you expect to go with it in the future) etc. etc.

The person replying should have used a particular skimmer on a similar system and should point out any differences that may be a factor.

This rarely happens though so what you get is what was a good skimmer for THEM but may be less than ideal for you -because you have different needs. This is, in part, why books usually steer clear of that kind of information and stick with conceptual information, like how a skimmer works and the different types.

Take anything you read here (or on any forum) with a grain of (sea) salt. No one will intentionally steer you wrong but the information you get may not be best for you an your setup. Of course, you should never blindly follow what anyone suggests either -look for a consensus from a number of people before you act.

AMEN!!!

Everyones tank is so different! When I bought my Red Sea Prism Skimmer it saies right on the box the gallon rating for what you have in your tank. Minimal fish up to 100gallons to a max bio load with fish and corals to like 20gallons (just off the top of my head). Just goes to show that the skimmer has to be purposed specifically to each tank and its inhabitants.

[nlreefguy]

Originally Posted by Wayne

AMEN!!!

Everyones tank is so different! When I bought my Red Sea Prism Skimmer it saies right on the box the gallon rating for what you have in your tank. Minimal fish up to 100gallons to a max bio load with fish and corals to like 20gallons (just off the top of my head). Just goes to show that the skimmer has to be purposed specifically to each tank and its inhabitants.

Also a good example of how you (and every other victim of Red Sea, myself included) could have saved themselves some money and frustration if we had seeked out consensus/opinion/user experiences on reef forums prior to the purchase!

[Myka]

My favorite online source would be Reef Keeping Magazine online.

[nlreefguy]

Or Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine is pretty good:

www.advancedaquarist.com/

[Myka]

^ Agreed.

[Wayne]

Originally Posted by Myka

My favorite online source would be Reef Keeping Magazine online.

Wow cool magazine. Really like that DIY artical on the light hangers

[Myka]

Well if you have approximately 78 weeks, you may be able to read all the archived articles they have on there. Tonnes, and tonnes of really good information. I look towards hard published materials for information more than the internet. If it is hard published (like a magazine or book) then people tend to be more discriminatory on what they write and suggest sticking to proven methods, and discussing new methods with an open mind, but also a good warning.

[nlreefguy]

Of particular interest to me was the series of articles they did on comparative skimmer performance. Air stone, anyone???

[nlreefguy]

Originally Posted by DiverDude

Actually, while this seems to be a good question to ask, you have to realize that unless you are VERY specific as to your requirements and trust that the person(s) replying have carefully considered all your requirements (and have the expertise in the first place), then the quality of the information you get can be quite poor.

To use the skimmer example, you would need to describe your system in detail -system volume, reef/FOWLER, SPS or LPS dominated, fish type and quantity (today and where you expect to go with it in the future) etc. etc.

The person replying should have used a particular skimmer on a similar system and should point out any differences that may be a factor.

This rarely happens though so what you get is what was a good skimmer for THEM but may be less than ideal for you -because you have different needs. This is, in part, why books usually steer clear of that kind of information and stick with conceptual information, like how a skimmer works and the different types.

Take anything you read here (or on any forum) with a grain of (sea) salt. No one will intentionally steer you wrong but the information you get may not be best for you an your setup. Of course, you should never blindly follow what anyone suggests either -look for a consensus from a number of people before you act.

I agree, look for a consensus from a number of people, that's exactly what I was saying except in different words. Plus, there is no chance of getting any other source of information of such nature. Nobody does empirical reviews on things like skimmer performance or, say, ease of use of a type of calcium reactor (just for example), so all you have to go by when looking for that information is consensus from a number of people i.e. "opinions".