Skimmer size?

So, other than the advertised tank size rating of skimmers, what's the best way to know if one is doing an adequate job? On our 110 gal, we get about 1/4 cup every two days of thick brown and stinky. Considering our light fish load (about 11 inches of fish), and the fact that I feed "something" every day, does it sound like we're skimming enough? I know the bigger the better, but I am just curious if I need to consider spending any more bucks on a new one, or if mine is doing the job. Probably silly to post a pic, but this is about two days worth. I consider this my most important filter, so just looking for opinions.
TIA!

 

This is an impossible question to answer since there is no standard by which companies rate their skimmers. You and I could manufacture the exact same skimmer, my company my rate it at 200 gallons, yours may rate it at 90 gallons.

Efficiency also plays a role. When I ran an Aqua C remora I got a half cup ever three days. When I switched to an Aqua C EV120 I got a half cup every four days. When I switched to an ASM G2 I got a quarter cup (larger cup) every 4 days. When I gravity fed it and did the recirc mod I got a third cup every 4 days. When I switched to a deltec AP600 I got a quarter cup every three days (but dark and NASTY). When I switched to a deltec APF600 I got a quarter cup of SUPER dark and nasty every three days. When I went to a deltec AP701 I got tar but then nothing.

As you mentioned it has a great deal to do with your bioload and what kinds of corals you keep. An sps keeper has very different nutrient levels than an anemone or softy keeper. An lps keeper should have yet again, very different levels of nutrients.

I'm a big fan of the oversized skimmer school of thought. I find them to be like automatic transmission. Do you need it? No but it sure makes everything easier. An oversized skimmer gives you much more leeway on your husbandry and makes overstocking/overfeeding less disastrous. I also know many reefers that run a skimmerless tank! They all of decades of experience and use these skimmerless tanks as "hospital tanks" for their corals. Whenever a coral is not looking so hot they toss it into these skimmerless tanks for a few weeks. The extra nutrients, bacteria, whatever help them to perk right back up. Anemones are the only permanent inhabitants of these skimmerless tanks though.

 

Remember that their are other parts to the equasion that have to be considered! Their is more than just mechanical filtration that may or may not be employed!
Chemical filtration(carbon and phosphate media) and biological filtration(bacteria, filter feeders, detritivores etc.) all work in a symbiotic relationship with one another to help your tank break down DOM, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates especially!

 

Thanks for the good input folks. I appreciate it. Fritz, from your experience with different skimmers I'm thinking mine is doing a fine job and for now I'll consider it adequate. Coral reefer, I do have a Magnum 350 that I use for carbon only. I change it every two weeks, and clean the rest of the filter, so it never really becomes a biological filter, but it is my only chemical filteration and adds some extra turnover to the tank water. I also have a 10 gal. sump running over with Caulerpa on 24/7 lighting. I'm assuming due to the growth of the macro, it's doing its job. (I know you like reverse daylight) Other than that. I have a de-nitrator coil that's been in service from the time the tank was a week old. I really don't know if it's doing anything at all, but I do know that this system hasn't (so far) ever had any detectable levels of Nitrates or Phosphates. I'm kinda scared to change anything!

 

The saying...If it isn't broke, don't fix it applies to our reef tanks as well IMO!
You will always have phosphates and nitrates in your tank as there is no way of eliminating these. However, their is no reason for you to want to rid all of these components from your water as they provide energy and fuel for cells and other things! The main thing is, to create the optimal balance between too much and too little of these nutrients as there is a fine line that distinguishes this IMO!