Is skimming nessesary in a 24g nano?

C

califreefnut

New member
I bought a 24g Aquapod with the PC lights and wanted to make it a softie tank. I mod'd the overflow with a T-spraybar that increases water flow behind the rockwork and works great! I have heard nothing but bad things about the fission, so after researching, found that no one makes a skimmer that fits in the overflow. I bought a CPR over-the-back overflow box, modified the hood and hooked it up to a sump in the stand & put a Tunze nano skimmer in. After having gallons of water spill over my carpet, I decided maybe I don't need a skimmer...although that goes against everything I've read & believed. Some thoughts on both making the sump work or if you have success stories without a skimmer on these tanks would be appreciated.

Oh, and I have 50lbs of live rock and 1 1/2" of live sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater that is gorgeous.
 
I'd only worry about it if your planning on having a big bio load. Otherwise I used to have a Nano tank without a skimmer and everything was doing well. I only suggest doing weekly water changes though.
 
having a skimmer makes your water so much more clear, its worth the 100 bucks or so
 
i dont have a skimmer on my 12 gal nanocube, simply because there is really no place to put one and i heard that the fission skimmer isnt worth it. so far so good after 3 weeks. i know i just have to keep up with weekly water changes, i run carbon and also replace the ball of filter floss weekly.
 
Over a year and counting with no skimmer, no mechanical filer and running carbon about 50% of the time.

Filters are overrated. lol.

Dont forget to do your water changes. I do about 20% weekly.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I only forgot to mention I have the model with the hood, which I'm trying to keep. I really like the lights closed in. I think my choice will be, keep the cover and do weekly water changes or trash the cover and get the skimmer. I do have a Chemipure in the overflow.

Hey Bergamer, how far does the aqua c reach into your tank? I mean, could I stick it in after cutting a notch in my cover. What do you think?
 
Good advise Gor, I think I'll do just that for the time being at least, and see how things progress as I add corals & fish. Right now I have a mantis shrimp that hitchhiked on my LR. Some of the small corals that came on the rock looked as if they have been lawnmowed!!! I think it's the mantis, I got a trap and will try to get him before I invest in any corals.
 
I would have to agree with Fission skimmer, "foegeta bout it!". :-) Carbon and water changes. Always good advice....
 
No Skimmer on my 30. I only have one fish and tend to keep it that way though. Have a fuge and use carbon along with water changes.

Thumbs up!
Kaserpick
 
SH, how long have you had your tank up & running? That to me is the key, longevity w/o the skimmer. I like the chaeto mod & will consider that, I like doing things natural!!!

Thanks!
 
Skimming is natural :p check out the foam on local beaches :-D

Seriously though... without a skimmer and very low bio load... weekly water changes of at least 10%...

With a skimmer and cheato in fuge... depends on bioload you may never have to do a water change...

Been 3 months of 0 Nitrates with daily feeding in my 30cube *shrug*
 
My system has been up over a year... but my 30 cube has only been 4 months since I moved and transferred everything from my 20G to my 30G cube with more than triple the light and flow :-D

5 fish in there and I feed daily for them and all the coral and I have no issues... I over feed for my crabs and brittle as well :)

Still 0 Nitrates :)
 
OK, got an update, I was doing the weekly water changes with the filtered ocean water from Scripps Institute in SD. That water is perfect except the PH is a little low. I had bought a True Percula clown and he looked lonely. Everything was doing great. Untill I decided to buy a scarlet shrimp, wrasse, goby and an orchid dotty. I received them from Vivid Aquarium in good shape and they adapted quickly except for the goby which was DOA.

Everything was fine for about 4 days until my anemone decided to crash one night. I noticed he had not come out of the rockwork the day before. I looked into the tank before going to work and the water was cloudy, the shrimp, the dotty and the wrasse were dead on the sand, and I was heartsick! Enough was enough I removed the anemone, decided to do a large water change, and ordered an Aqua C Remora that day. It arrived the next day, I hooked it up and started dumping quantities of brown gunk almost immediately.

I venture to say that if I had the skimmer working before the crash, the fish would have survived at least untill I could do a water change. Now I am noticing much clearer water, happier corals, and I have greater peace of mind knowing I am doing the best I can to insure a happy reef. I am no longer married to water changes every week!

I will keep you updated on how the tank is doing and post some photos asap!
 
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