How do I know I absolutely need a skimmer?

[WatDatThing]

When starting out my tank, I was dead set on not having a skimmer. However, the more I read, the more I feel that the skimmer is a necessity rather than a luxury equipment. Am I wrong?

Delaying the inevitability, what indicator will tell me that I absolutely need to add a skimmer?

PS: my tank has no sump.

 

[AwesomeDavid]

Protein skimmers remove nitrates, phosphates, and dissolved organic matter. I would recommend adding one because they are a great piece of equipment and are helpful for keeping nitrate levels low.

 

[callsign4223]

I think Tidal Gardens did an excellent video on that this weekend. A protein skimmer isn't a REQUIREMENT. But the things you are going to end up doing to avoid having it make it completely worth it to just have one. If you had a 10 gallon tank and did water changes every couple days you wouldn't even think about having one. But if you are running a medium to large tank that's not sustainable.

 

[Potatohead]

Even with a small tank, eventually a skimmer will pay for itself in that you don't need to water change as often and save in salt costs, not to mention time.

 

[ericarenee]

Protein skimmers remove nitrates, phosphates, and dissolved organic matter. I would recommend adding one because they are a great piece of equipment and are helpful for keeping nitrate levels low.

NOT TRUE.. But well in the right direction

The remove raw waste that is the start of the cycle that ends up producing Nitrates and Phosphates.. But since they are very inefficient they do not remove it all .


OP its prob quite complicated and would best serve you to read many of the threads that debate this,I Do not think no simple answer will suffice on this subject as every tank is different and every fish keeper wants different levels of maintenance and so on

 

[1sttimer]

I started out with no skimmer also. I used poly filter,chemi pure...it worked great but I would constantly spend money replacing the filter media and not to mention the salt costs from more frequent water changes. I got the skimmer used at a great price. All I do now is top off and do water changes every month instead of every week. Will probably go longer between water changes....testing the waters for now since I'm new to marine tanks. Keep an eye on parameters and adjust accordingly. Long story short...cheaper to get a skimmer than to spend money on salt and filter media.
I still use a hob filter for poly filter to help out the skimmer a bit.

 

[Timfish]

Never. And I do not use any kind of mechanical filtration. I use GAC and/or GFO sparingly.

DBD 110 http://youtu.be/KhcRz50cV0s

GRJ 500 http://youtu.be/_Uf5IyXvajg

BDY 240 http://youtu.be/-eCQSVdqBQA

TFC sump http://youtu.be/WDj0daKV2B8

TFC @ 17 years http://youtu.be/5AnmQXmE8d0

Green Slimer Timeline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyM6Y39iQ8M

 

[Xandernfs]

I was skimmerless when I had my 20. I just did a DIY HOB fuge and it worked great. I changed out 5 gallons a week with no issues. I know if I wanted to go longer on water changes, I'd be pushing it though. If you stay up on your water changes you don't necessarily need one but it does give you some peace of mind.

 

[Reincarnate]

When starting out my tank, I was dead set on not having a skimmer. However, the more I read, the more I feel that the skimmer is a necessity rather than a luxury equipment. Am I wrong?

Delaying the inevitability, what indicator will tell me that I absolutely need to add a skimmer?

PS: my tank has no sump.

What are your parameters? How does everything look?

 

[GimpyFin]

I agree with some of the others in that they're by no means necessary. They pull out organics before they can break down, so they are nice to have. However, you may be fine just doing routine water changes. Just keep an eye on your parameters and see where you're at after a while. If you end up struggling with high nitrate, you might benefit by adding a hang-on one.

 

[Sk8r]

You can go skimmerless in a well-managed softie reef---if the fish load is quite low. Corals are living filters and soft corals can do some of a skimmer's job while tolerating the conditions. THe bad news is they don't like nitrate at high levels, and if your tank has a high nitrate level, they won't thrive. And they contribute their own funk, by spitting at each other if annoyed---a reason to keep a carbon bag in your water flow. If you're going to try it, install some hardy softies early and go slow: if nitrate starts rising, then a skimmer would be indicated.

 

[WatDatThing]

What are your parameters? How does everything look?

pH - 8.2
Salinity - 1.023
Ca - 420
KH - 9 dKH
PO43- - 0
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 20 ppm

 

[zoafarm]

I've tried it both ways. Long-term I have had better results using a skimmer. And here's why for me...laziness. The system I had without a skimmer did fine while I was on top of my game...regular water changes and cleaning. However, as time goes on we sometimes get a bit lazy...maybe extend our water change...maybe feed a bit too much...you name it.

IMHO my skimmer give me a little more lead way by taking out the organics. I still try to stay on my game, but when I'm out of town, I think it gives me a little edge and piece of mind while I'm gone.

 

[Ron Reefman]

They are not a requirement. But they sure can make life easier if you have one.

I'd say not having a skimmer in your system is kind of like having a car with windows that don't open and your spouse is a smoker and you aren't. You can live with it, and there other ways to get some of the smoke out, but you'll have other issues and your non-smoking friends won't get in your car!

 

[EMeyer]

While I can imagine running without a skimmer (it would add lots of maintenance but possible), I cannot imagine running without a sump.

And once you have a sump, theres little reason to resist a skimmer (if your resistance is price, dont worry, you dont need to buy these overpriced $300 things. There are cheaper options that work fine)

 

[WatDatThing]

Thanks, skimmer it is. Gosh, I hope I can slide my tank out a few inches.
I'll have a sump when I upgrade to a bigger system. For now, I'm learning.

Thanks guys.

 

[newbie2014]

I would do the same.

IMO, a skimmer takes out impurities, and thus directly improves water quality. A sump by itself, OTOH, add more complexities and does nothing to improve water quality. Yes, the additional water volume can dilute out the impurities if the sump is large enough.

 

[EMeyer]

Oh I totally agree, I may have been unclear. A sump by itself doesnt improve anything very much. But it makes everything else so much easier because now you have room for things like skimmers.

 

[Reincarnate]

pH - 8.2
Salinity - 1.023
Ca - 420
KH - 9 dKH
PO43- - 0
NH3 - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 20 ppm

Other than your Nitrates your parameters look pretty good. I'm not sure what your current water change routine is right now, but before you spend the money on a skimmer you might want to start stirring up or vacuuming your sand bed, blasting your rocks with a power head and cleaning any sort of mechanical filter you might have on a regular basis too. Don't overstock, don't overfeed etc. A Nitrate reading of 20 is not that bad, but it can be brought down just as long as your willing to do a little work. It's definitely worth a shot, at least for a month or so.

 

[nmotz]

I think every reefer has their own specific tolerance for the work required to keep a tank clean. In my opinion, a skimmer just takes some of the work off a reefkeeper's shoulders. Not all of it, but some of it.

I had high nitrates with my old HOB filter and really crushed them by getting an HOB skimmer. Hard and fast rules are hard to establish in this hobby, but I think any tank over 20 gallons would probably benefit from having a skimmer. I don't plan on running a tank ever again without a skimmer.