Protein skimmers are applied to most saltwater aquariums to remove certain organic

compounds, including proteins and amino acids, by using the polarity of the protein itself,

from the water to stop most of them decomposing into nitrogenous waste. Because of the

intrinsic charge, water-borne proteins are attracted to the air-water interface. Protein

skimmers work by infecting numerous tiny bubbles into the water chamber, which present an

enormous air-water interface for the protein molecules to cling to. The more tiny bubbles

reside in the chamber, the more proteins it absorbs. Protein skimming is the only way of

physical filtration that gets rid of the organic compounds before its decomposition, lightening

the load on the biological filter and improving the water's redox potential.