Clarity™ Protein Skimmer

Highly efficient in fresh water

The effectiveness of traditional Protein Skimmers or Foam Fractionators in fresh water is restricted by the lower density in fresh water and therefore the ability to form small enough bubbles with enough surface area to attract the organic waste. Since Clarity is based on an entirely different approach, Clarity does not have this limitation. This results in superb efficiency also in fresh water and opens up many exciting applications for Clarity.

Regulates the level of oxygen in water

During the normal process of feeding fish and decomposing of organic matter, the level of oxygen in the water is altered. These environmental changes are not desirable for the fish and result in increased stress and unhealthy conditions. Clarity’s mode of operation restores the balance of oxygen in the water as part of the process of making the foam.

Breaks down ammonia and nitrite to nitrate before foaming

As the water trickles down the airing tower, bacteria fastened to bio-rings decompose organic compounds to simpler, less toxic substances. The most important example of this process is the breakdown of ammonia to nitrite and eventually nitrate. This lowers the toxicity of the compounds and results in a more effective removal of organic compounds.

Compatible with ozone treatment

Ozone treatment can be combined with Clarity, which results in stable water conditions in spite of great variations in the quality of the incoming water.

Low maintenance

Clarity is easy to install and can run for several months without any maintenance (dependent on the quality of the feed water).  Since there are no moving parts and thus no wear and tear, Clarity has a long life span, increasing the financial investment in this unique Protein Skimmer / Foam Fractionator.

Why a Protein Skimmer / Foam Fractionator?

Water in confined areas (e.g. fish tank, pond or lake) has a certain level of organic waste and nutrients which affect the quality of the water. The organic compounds cannot be seen directly; however, once the level is high enough, the effects can be seen in the water. Some of these effects are:

• Increased algae and plant growth
• Decreased clarity
• Poorer fish health
• Decolourization
• Unpleasant smell and taste

Many devices and procedures exist to remove some of these effects (e.g. mechanical, chemical or biological filters, or simply exchange of water), but Protein Skimmers or Foam Fractionators remain the preferred choice for removing the organic waste from water.

The organic waste (also referred to as Dissolved Organic Compounds = DOC) results from decomposed plant matter, fertilisers, fish fodder and excretions from farmed fish, which have been broken down and dissolved in water.

High levels of DOC are undesirable in the water because it leads to:

• Less oxygen
• More bacteria, algae and parasites
• Build up of toxic substances for the fish

Altogether, this results in unhealthy conditions for the fish, affecting both health and growth conditions of the fish.

Protein Skimmers, also called Foam Fractionators, work on the principle that most DOC and nutrients in the water have bipolar properties, meaning that one part of the compound prefers air and the other part prefers water. This means these compounds are attracted to air bubbles in the water. When sufficient DOC has bound to the air bubble, stable foam is created and collected. The smaller the air bubbles, the larger surface area and more effective the Protein Skimmer or Foam Fractionator.

How it works

Clarity™ consists of one integrated unit that performs several distinct functions:

1. Breakdown of complex organic matter to simpler, less toxic forms (ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate)
2. Aeration of water, restoring the right balance of O2, CO2 and N2 in the water
3. Formation of foam containing organic compounds (DOC)
4. Collects foam in the patented foam collection unit

Functions 1 – 3 occur in the trickle tower column, and function 4 is carried out in the patented foam collection unit.

Together, these functions result in a highly effective system for removal of organic waste and result in high-purity water conditions.

Clarity™ Protein Skimmer / Foam Fractionator

OFFERS SUPERIOR WATER QUALITY:

• Highly efficient in fresh-water and salt-water
• Removes CO2, phosphorus, total nitrogen and nitrate
• Ensures stable water-conditions
• Creates optimal health and growth conditions
• Can be combined with ozone treatment
• No need for additional treatment after skimming
• No chemicals
• Low maintenance