Do you Have to have a skimmer on a SPS tank?

[dudley moray]

No you do not have to, I am skimmerless and have been for years! I do a water change once a month or so if that. You go slow and you will be fine!

wow that's awesome do you run an ats ?

 

[marinelife]

I have a 40 breeder is 50% of it macro Algae, the other half live rock. I have a 50 as a sump with live rock in it.

The tank is 5 years old, the acropora corals are just as old but are small because of AEFWs

 

[iriejp1]

I wouldn't run w/out a skimmer. You might get away with it for a while but if for any random reason you end up with a bacteria bloom you will crash the entire tank.

+1 I agree with you again Mammoth. Lol. We must think alike.

I'd say running an SPS tank without a skimmer is definitely not the norm but more of the exception. SPS IME tend to prefer lower nutrient levels. And one of the best ways to achieve that is through good skimming. Sure there are other ways to reduce nutrient levels. But skimming seems to be the easiest and most widely used.

If it were me...I would get the most efficient skimmer for your sized tank (or even slightly larger) and get skimming. I'd also do as Mammoth recommends and pay close attention to the basics and you will be fine. Once you get good at keeping those (Alk, Ca, N03, Po4, and Mag--Alk being the most important!) stable and where they should be...then you can fine tune things by adding some other additives. I promise you...if you keep those ones STABLE (thats the key) you will have great SPS!