Most modern reef aquariums rely solely on protein skimming for waste and nutrient removal in the water so it is a very important component. As with your tap water purification system you should not skimp here. Older PS were air driven, then venturi, now the rage is the ETS or downdraft. I would recommend a good, large...venturi or better yet the ETS. IMO air driven are outdated due to their high maintenance cost i.e.: yearly air pump replacement, having to use both a water pump and a substantial air pump not to mention the costly limewood air blocks that don't last (effectively) for more than 2 or 3 weeks the CC works well when initially set-up but fades over time due to clogged blocks and diminished air pressure.

Skimmer/adjusting

There is a lot of scum when I clean the collection cup but the water that drains from there is about a quart a week or less. Usually less

OK ideally... you don’t want much if any water, that indicates the skimmer is set *slightly* too high. Most efficient skimmers once settled in will really just cake up severely on the top inner neck.(wipe out with paper towel) My ETS is now draining into a collection bucket and whatever liquid gets in there evaporates and I’m left with thick sludge The inner neck gets heavily caked.

My ETS Skimmer is foaming, but I'm not sure how to adjust it. So far the foam has reached the collection cup but has never overflowed. That will take some time, probably a week or so before it starts to "kick in" and produce nice dry foam. A common mistake is to set the skimmer too high and that produces a wet foam. You probably wont get much actual skimmate (real thick gunk for about a month) It takes allot of dry foam and a kicked in skimmer to get that. Patience...

Venturis work well with minor adjustments to the air intake and keeping the valve clean they do (or at least mine did) have a tendency to overflow if adjusted too high. I have an ETS in operation for about 3 years now and its a champ. The way its designed allows for substantial free water flow virtually unrestricted. The only restrictions are the main drain and the air intake. Other than that the water just gets pummeled through it and the waste is remarkable.

One of the main differences I've come across with other hobbyists is I am adamant about the skimmer being above the sump and I am a strong believer of high turnover rates of the water I like to have the main waterpump to turn over the entire tank 6X per hour and the skimmer close to that, or the same amount. This can be a problem with “in the sump models” or “hang on the backs”.

I am of the opinion that by having such a strong turnover the water becomes supersaturated with oxygen(a much overlooked need) By having a extremely high oxygen content everything in the tank seems to thrive including micro and macro organisms and IMO leads to a healthier reef. Think about the movement of the ocean for a moment... the powerful currents, rise and fall of the tide, pounding waves and 6X per hour doesn’t even come close.

Of course this is my opinion, I understand that quite a few hobbyists like to “get the whole thing to fit” under the tank stand and “have it quiet”. I feel one of the most important factors of the modern reef is to have excellent turnover of the water and somehow I could never accomplish that under the tank or it being totally quiet. It is not as noisy as you would think as I've taken steps to get it as quiet as possible. Although by no means is this absolutely necessary, Its just what I prefer. My system has 1 1200 GPH large for the skimmer and 1 for the main return so that’s 2400GPH or 57600 GPD gets moved around in there. This IMO best imitates nature “in an enclosed environment”.

By having the skimmer above the sump allows for very positive draining and flow rate of the skimmer. It also allows the water from the skimmer to flow through a prefilter floss and into the sump box for collection and return to the tank. This usually means having the skimmer in the un-popular “side of the tank” position. This can be remedied by innovative removable coverings. Also in this position the skimmer is accessible for very easy removal and cleaning. I can tell you firsthand I've battled for years having a skimmer jammed in under the tank which made servicing the most important component very difficult

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