Do I need a protein skimmer and sump pump

[ejawitz]

I am new to salt water fish, I have had a tank for about 5 months. It is small, 29 gallons. I started with live sand and live rock, and a starter filter that came with the tank. I have a number of fish, corals and anemone which appear to be thriving. Can someone tell me why I need a protein skimmer and/or a sump pump?

 

[CarrieB]

A skimmer helps with nutrient export. If you can keep your nitrate level stable at an acceptable level then you don't need one. They also help oxygenate the water, as a bonus.

A sump is purely a personal preference, IMO. They are terribly convenient, but not required.


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[Keelo]

Honestly for a tank like that you might not need a skimmer so long as you do regular water changes. If you have a low bio load and feed sparingly then a skimmer won't even be that effective however if you do choose a skimmer assuming you don't have a sump I would look into the aquamaxx hob skimmer it has great reviews.


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[Sk8r]

You're running a 1970's tank: they're fragile...and over time, nutrient and waste pile up. Weekly water changes will help: not overburdening with fish will help. We had one such that did very nicely. Just keep the fish load down and trust the corals to be good filters. Watch your salinity (1.024) and your alkalinity (7.9-9.0, with 8.3 being a good middle) ---use dkh buffer to keep the alk steady, if needed. Enjoy.

 

[golferbud101691]

Honestly if you want to have long term success, I would go a little larger and get a reef ready tank that can accommodate a skimmer. Plenty of people including sk8r have had success with the older style tanks as long as you maintain good water chemistry. That means weakly water changes of 10-15-20-25%..it all depends on your fish load and nutrients you're putting in the tank. For the dedicated hobbyist(testing daily), it can work well, but we all know life gets in the way sometimes and things happen..and in a small tank with a small volume..bad things happen FAST!

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

+1 to what others have said. It sounds like you're doing well without. You'll just have to stay ontop of things and keep an eye out for signs of a problem, like coral closing up, or fish acting weird. Typically since coral are the most sensitive to water chemistry, they are a good gage for how the tank is doing. As the tank matures, testing doesn't need to be as frequent, also you get better at realizing if there is an issue just by how the tank is behaving.

You might get deeper into the hobby, adding protein skimmers, sumps to hide equipment away, quality test kits...etc. or you may just find you're content with where you're at. The hobby is addictive, and although I started because at the time I didn't want to have to walk a dog constantly due to time restrictions, I thought a nice fish tank would be easier. Then I got too deep into the hobby, and now spend a fair amount of time working on it, plus also have a dog

My advice at this point would probably keep the system as you have it now since you say everything seems to be doine well. If you decide you'd like to upgrade this and that, add things to the tank...etc. Than I'd first look into upgrading to a bigger tank. a 29gallon is a good started tank (mine was 37 gallon, same size but taller). Luckly, I bought all of my equipment rated for a tank of 75 gallons, because I eventually got a great deal on a 65 gallon while I was looking for a 210gallon tank. It's rough spending lots of money for equipment on the tank you have now, if you're gonna get a bigger tank down the road just to have to buy it all again.

 

[Sk8r]

I would say, for your next step, look to a 100 with a 30 gallon sump and top-end skimmer. But meanwhile economize in a perfectly viable small tank and save up for the major tank. You can sell the one you have with all its gear, and at least put a small dent in the price of a larger tank: by that time, you should have learned enough to buy good stuff at best prices and make it work for you.

 

[ejawitz]

Thanks for the responses. I think I will keep things the way they are and spend my money on some frags. What is the best place to get a starter pack of frags?

 

[Jon0807]

I thought I wouldn't need a skimmer with my 36 bow front, till I came down with cyano and my water turned brown/purple. I've done 50% water changes and tried to scrub the rock, but it would return. Then I got this

https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Internal-Protein-30-Gallon/dp/B0028BPRMA

I also had a big nitrate problem. But after adding this skimmer, the nitrates have gone down and the water has cleared up. I've read that it takes a while to break in but mine started to pull junk out right away. I've had to empty out the cup daily, sometimes twice a day and I've only had it about a week. It does take some time to tune tho.

 

[ReefsandGeeks]

For frags, I actually prefer to find a decent LFS rather than order online. Or better yet, look at your local fish forums and find a frag swap. This is how I started getting into coral. Generally you can find a lot of good deals, and these hobbyists are usually very willing to answer lots of questions for you. A great experience, and I walked away from my first swap with half a dozen coral and spent less than $100.

 

[crossguard]

I am new to salt water fish, I have had a tank for about 5 months. It is small, 29 gallons. I started with live sand and live rock, and a starter filter that came with the tank. I have a number of fish, corals and anemone which appear to be thriving. Can someone tell me why I need a protein skimmer and/or a sump pump?

No.

Your kicking @$$ in chess right now.