skimmers and power heads ????

[mrgolfball]

I am still alilttle new to this aqaurium keeping, and keep hearing lots about power heads and protein skimmers... However I am still a little square to what they are and what they do. and really why there used... Can some one fill me in on the low down of these and let me know if its benaficial to have one.

Thanks

 

[Fishyfanatic]

For freshwater tanks, a protein skimmer is not needed. They do not serve a purpose in Freshwater like they do in saltwater. Power heads can be used to move water in the tank away from "dead" areas. I do not use them in my tanks since the filtration provides enough current, but in some situations they are needed. It all depends on the size and dimensions of the tank.