Do I need to run the skimmer with no fish?

[jlabeaume]

Maybe a dumb question but I recently lost most of my fish to a still unknown cause. Anyways the 3 remaining fish are in a QT.

Do I really need to keep the skimmer going?

If everything goes to plan I will be setting up a new tank using all the old rock before I reuntoduce any fish.

 

[Martini5788]

Do you have corals left in the display tank? I think it depends on livestock left in the tank.

 

[jlabeaume]

Yes there's LPS in there as well as inverts, snails, cleaner shrimp, 2 starfish, and 2 RBTA.

 

[Martini5788]

Then yes, I would still run it. You may not have to run it as much though. You
Could probably cut it down to 12 hours a day if you really want. But you are still going to have to feed everything in the tank at some point. I guess you could run it every other day, you definitely won't be skimming as much as with fish but I would still run it

 

[gone fishin]

I agree without the fish load there will not be as much to pull out but I would still run it. I would probably run it on the dry side until the load picked back up.

 

[jrkonzelman]

Need to run it if you still have corals...if you decide to stop I would test consistently to monitor nitrate.

 

[tg1966]

Without fish to feed in the tank I imagine your still feeding your corals so yes run it. Unless of course you only have photosynthetic corals.

 

[Atilla_87]

It might not be entirely necessary to keep running it, but it definitely won't hurt anything so I would keep running it if I were you.

 

[jlabeaume]

Thanks guys. The only reason I wanted it off is I'm upgrading everything tank included. I got the same tank in the garage with better plumbing (bean animal instead of durso) and a new sump with a better skimmer (reef octopus instead of coral life). Just thought this would be a good time to start the new pluming and set up the under the stand. Making the tank switch easier.