Protein skimmers, are in my opinion, the heartbeat of a reef aquarium’s filtration system. Some would disagree, and beautiful, skimmer-less reefs certainly do exist. Any device that remove solid waste, before bacteria begins breaking it down, is of value in a reef aquarium. Most of us are intimate with the chemical mechanisms that allow skimmers to work, so instead of re-share old information, I am going to offer a review of Innovative Marine’s new full size Ghost Skimmer. A little disclaimer, as this skimmer is meant to be used with Innovative Marine’s SR line of all in one aquariums. I don’t own one of the SR series of aquariums, so I am running this skimmer on a standard reef tank, within a 30 gallon sump. The Ghost skimmer doesn’t look like much, as most of the bells and whistles are tucked away behind a white plastic body. It sort of looks like the old original iPod, got together with a CPR backpack skimmer, and had an illegitimate child. This sleek and simple design, allows for true drop in convenience. You literally set the skimmer into your aquarium filtration chamber or sump, adjust the water level, collection cup, and plug it in. Innovative Marine packed a few nice features, into such a simple skimmer. First, the Ghost has a recirculating design that passively recirculates bubbles, resulting in a longer dwell time. Also, an enlarged air silencer is hidden, tucked away behind the white exterior. A bubble plate diffuser rests above the skimmer pump, reducing turbulence within the skimmer, which results in stable, efficient skim mate production. The pump itself is suspended within the skimmer, creating a low vibration environment within, making the unit run quieter. To produce a dense flurry of bubbles, Innovative Marine included a needle wheel impeller on the Ghost’s pump. The final feature worth noting, is the airline management system, which creates one simple exposed piece of airline up the skimmer’s side, which is pre-cut and fits in without the risk of kinking. All in all, Innovative Marine has done a nice job of packing a fair amount of features, into a sleek skimmer, that even a novice aquarist will easily be able to use. 
Since the Ghost doesn’t have an adjustment for internal water level, the water level of the sump or aquarium, factors greatly on how the skimmer performs. For aquarists like me, using the skimmer on a tank with a sump, this can create a problem.… More:
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