Running skimmerless

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borderreef

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Today marks 5 weeks of running my 40b skimmerless, with no gfo or gac. When I took everything off-line, I took measurements. Phosphates and nitrates were undetectable. Calcium was 420. I did not measure alkalinity, because I don't have a test kit. Salinity was 1.026. Ph was 8.2. I did a 10g water change. Week 2 I took measurements again, and measurements remained constant. I then did a 5g water change. In weeks 3 and 4 measurements remained constant, so I did a 5g water change each week. Now, in week 5, I have taken my measurements and have found that my parameters have remained constant. I am going to skip this weeks water change.
My tank is a mixed reef. I am having trouble with one of my acros, but I attribute that to a lighting issue. I have moved it lower to see if I can save it. My current bio load consists of a maroon clown, a lawnmower blenny, 2 chromis, a watchman goby, a clown goby, and a neon goby. I still have the sump hooked up, where I plan to have cheto, once I partition off the return pump.
My searches have found a few people running skinnerless, but they seem to stop updating. I'm wondering if anyone else is running their tanks like this, large or small, and what have been their experiences.
 
I run a 55 gallon mixed reef that is skimmer-less with a large refugium. Very stable tank. Minimal upkeep with 10% water changes once a month.
 
I am running my 47 column sumpless and skimmerless due to space issues. I do weekly 10 gallon water changes. Its all zoas, softies and LPS and everything is thriving. I do run carbon and GFO. The picture is dark for some reason and my green sinularis split where I tried to attach it using a rubber band lol
 

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Fphipps said:
I am running my 47 column sumpless and skimmerless due to space issues. I do weekly 10 gallon water changes. Its all zoas, softies and LPS and everything is thriving. I do run carbon and GFO. The picture is dark for some reason and my green sinularis split where I tried to attach it using a rubber band lol
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Have you considered doing smaller water changes? Also, how often do you change the GFO and gac? Last question. What is your bio load?
 
6 or 7 fish. (Havent seen one for a bit). Dozen snails. Blue star. Blood shrimp. Pistol shrimp. Sea cuc. Clam. Bunch of corals mainly lps. Some sps. Some softies. Feed couple times daily.
 

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I have run a 29 gallon tank with consistent water changes (Lazy 5g 2 weeks) with no skimmer and was one of the better tanks I have ever run. I think skimmers work great in bigger size tanks no doubt, but no skimmer is definitely a option if you keep up on maintenance. Just my anecdotal evidence.
 
I read an article in the archives on the benefits of the skimmer for gas exchange. It's eye opening to some other benefits of protein skimmers.
 
I have a 12 gallon Nanocube that's been up and running skimmerless for 11 years. I use floss, purigen and chempure elite in the back. I try to do 1 gallon water changes weekly with Reef Crystals and use kalk in my ATO. Only issues I have had in the tank were heater related.
 
Sonyardo said:
I read an article in the archives on the benefits of the skimmer for gas exchange. It's eye opening to some other benefits of protein skimmers.[/QUOTE
I could not find this particular article, but I did find several others that really bashed the idea of running skimmerless. According to the general consensus of the arti, this method can not be successful long term.
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Sonyardo said:
I read an article in the archives on the benefits of the skimmer for gas exchange. It's eye opening to some other benefits of protein skimmers.[/QUOTE

I could not find this particular article, but I did find several others that really bashed the idea of running skimmerless. According to the general consensus of the articles, this method can not be successful long term. It is apparent to me it can.
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I've read a couple of scientific studies regarding the efficiency of various skimmers. The conclusion was that they were all inefficient regardless of what the cost was. The skimmerless tank that ran carbon did just as well as the skimmed tanks.

No one has refuted these reported facts that I know of, My guess is they can't....

Here's the first one, there are a couple more too
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/1/aafeature2
 
Some skimmers are bad or ineffective.. It doesn't mean that skimming is bad or ineffective.

The reefs scrub against rocks and surface - the foam on the beaches is all protein and fats... It's a natural part of the reefs. If you remove it, it may still work, but is it "better"?

I run my skimmer on a cycle. I run it by day and turn it off by night. It generates about a pound of solid waste a month (thick mud) and a quart of liquid waste a day.

I also run an ATS and a chaeto farm and a DSB and a cryptic zone.

You can run a reef with just water changes, but why would you?
 
There was a guy named Steve Tyree that realized a skimmer wasn't needed. I think he did pretty well.
 
karimwassef said:
Some skimmers are bad or ineffective.. It doesn't mean that skimming is bad or ineffective.

The reefs scrub against rocks and surface - the foam on the beaches is all protein and fats... It's a natural part of the reefs. If you remove it, it may still work, but is it "better"?

I run my skimmer on a cycle. I run it by day and turn it off by night. It generates about a pound of solid waste a month (thick mud) and a quart of liquid waste a day.

I also run an ATS and a chaeto farm and a DSB and a cryptic zone.

You can run a reef with just water changes, but why would you?
Click to expand...

Why do it this way? For some it may be noise. The venturi can get noisy. Some may space be space. Not everyone can have a basement sump, or any sump at all. For some it may be cost. There's any number of reasons to do it. For me, it's just to prove to myself that I can.

I do understand how the natural skimming process works in the oceans. I also know that a good skimmer can play an important role in many setups, especially larger systems. I never would have thought about running my 135g tank without one.

With any setup, I say to each their own.
 
You know what's funny? I posted on another forum and a person told me I was lazy for not running a skimmer. By running one I would be able do fewer water changes. Wait, what?
 
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