- 1). Decide whether you even need a protein skimmer. Protein skimmers are generally only needed in complex saltwater aquariums that include coral, live rock and invertebrates, often called reef aquariums. Freshwater systems do not need protein skimmers and will be fine with adequate standard filtration. Saltwater systems that are "fish-only" aquariums do not typically require a skimmer.
- 2). Determine how big your skimmer needs to be. Larger skimmers are more suitable for larger tanks that have more coral and other invertebrates that produce harmful proteins. However, if you have a large tank but only a small amount of coral, then you'll only need a medium-sized skimmer. Nano tanks, which are usually 12 gallons or smaller, require only the smallest protein skimmers. As a general rule, a bigger tank needs a bigger skimmer.
- 3). Determine how much "crash" you'd like. Crash is the amount of bubbles spewed back into the tank after the proteins are collected. More crash is generally a good thing, as it aerates the water. However, in smaller aquariums, too much crash can move the water around too much and do more harm than good, pushing your fish around and disturbing your tank's decor.
- 4). Determine what sort of protein skimmer placement you'll need. There are typically four types of placement, with each skimmer catering to a different one: internal, where the skimmer is inside the aquarium; external, where it is outside the aquarium and takes in and puts out water with tubes or ramps; freestanding, which is similar to an external; and in-sump skimmers, which sit in your aquarium's filtration sump. If you don't have a sump, obviously you'll need to look at one of the other filters, and deciding upon the placement depends solely on your personal taste.
- 5). Figure out how much work you're willing to put into your skimmer, since the amount of maintenance varies depending on the skimming method of the particular device. Venturi and Turbo skimmers require frequent cleaning of their valves, which take in and expel water, while air-driven models will require frequent replacement of the air stones that supply the bubbles for skimming. Both types of models will require frequent emptying of the collected proteins and routine cleaning.
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