Would this be a good skimmer for a 20 gallon dwarf cuttle tank (I would be putting it in the sump)

[Kel]

Amazon.com

This is the link to it, it is a Bubble Magnus Miniq skimmer

 

[wise_s]

If you plan on this being your sole source of filtration, no. Cephalopods generate a tremendous amount of waste (more than other invertebrates and even fish of similar size). Although your aquarium is 20 gallons (the upper limit of the Bubble Magus Miniq), you also have to consider the volume in the sump, which could add 5-10 gallons. Rock and sand may displace some of this but not enough to drop it below 20 gallons total volume. That being said, if you used it in conjunction with another form of filtration (gravity, algae scrubber, refugium, etc.) it might work fine. Although you may be limited by size, I would look for something that could handle a bit more volume. The Miniq wouldn't give you much/any additional capacity to handle the occasional mishaps that occur in every aquarium.

 

[Kel]

If you plan on this being your sole source of filtration, no. Cephalopods generate a tremendous amount of waste (more than other invertebrates and even fish of similar size). Although your aquarium is 20 gallons (the upper limit of the Bubble Magus Miniq), you also have to consider the volume in the sump, which could add 5-10 gallons. Rock and sand may displace some of this but not enough to drop it below 20 gallons total volume. That being said, if you used it in conjunction with another form of filtration (gravity, algae scrubber, refugium, etc.) it might work fine. Although you may be limited by size, I would look for something that could handle a bit more volume. The Miniq wouldn't give you much/any additional capacity to handle the occasional mishaps that occur in every aquarium.

Thank you for this helpful response! Do you have any specific suggestions for skimmers? I have a bit of a budget so the cheaper the better! Thank you so much!!

 

[KD5054]

Usually you will want a filtration set up as similar to a reef system and then an oversized skimmer. Such as double the size of your tank skimmer.
I'll also be honest and say with skimmers and saltwater in general it's best not to go too cheap. Follows along the level of the better the equipment and it's reliability the more it will cost unfortunately. That said, a way to find one with a budget is to look on Facebook and check out a saltwater forum or club if there's one near you and see if anyone has a system maybe they are upgrading in size or selling.

 

[wise_s]

Thank you for this helpful response! Do you have any specific suggestions for skimmers? I have a bit of a budget so the cheaper the better! Thank you so much!!

You are welcome. I agree with the other responder (KD5054). The protein skimmer is the heart of most marine aquariums. You shouldn't go cheap. That said, the size of your aquarium limits your choices. Assuming that your sump is something like a 10 gallon rectangle, you won't have the real estate or water level required for most submersible skimmers. A possible solution for your setup might be to buy 2 of the MiniQs.