I was surprised when I asked my LFS about buying a skimmer that he actually recommended that i not use one. He seems to thing that a property set up refugium is better than running a skimmer. This really surprised me as almost every set up here seems to have a skimmer. What are people's opinions on this?
Skimmer or No Skimmer
- Thread starter JW3571
- Start date
quickwiz00
New member
I really think a skimmer is an important piece of equipment to help in maintaining a healthy aquarium.
Many people have been able to run nice looking aquariums without skimmers, but most reefers will recommend that you get a skimmer and not a seaclone.
Just think about it; skimmers work in a similar manner as waves breaking on the beach. All the bubbles in a breaking wave and in a skimmer help trap and move organics out of the water.
If you take a look at all the gunky and nasty looking liquid that skimmers isolate in their collection cups, it really becomes a simple answer. No skimmer = all that stuff staying in your water or having a skimmer = removing all that gunk.
Even though they are not mandatory, I say definitely get one, the investment will be worth it.
spamreefnew
New member
well i would say for a sps tank get the biggest baddest skimmer you can afford ,,,BUT,,,for lps and soft corals IMO its better to not have one,they remove to much coral food along with the bad stuff. and about the waves pushing foam onto the beach,,,not so sure,,,the next wave brings the foam right back into the ocean and even if it does not that foam still seeps into the sand and is put back into the water on the next hi tide. I started using an algae turf scrubber rather than a skimmer about 6 months ago and my corals have never looked better. but there ARE several ways of filtering a reef aquarium so NO ONE is the "right" way,,its just what works for you and your corals. good luck
reefgeezer
Active member
Look around the LFS that made the recommendation. Do you see expensive skimmers lined up for sale or stuff that you would use to build a fuge? What the LFS wants to sell usually has a lot to do with their recomendation.
It doesn't have to be one or the other. As a matter of fact, they perform different functions and work well together. I ran both before biopellets made nitrate and phosphate reduction less difficult and eliminated the need for a fuge.
I agree with spamreefnew about no skimmer for a soft coral tank, but otherwise give me the biggest baddest skimmer I can afford.
It doesn't have to be one or the other. As a matter of fact, they perform different functions and work well together. I ran both before biopellets made nitrate and phosphate reduction less difficult and eliminated the need for a fuge.
I agree with spamreefnew about no skimmer for a soft coral tank, but otherwise give me the biggest baddest skimmer I can afford.
Palting
New member
There are more than a dozen ways to skin a cat, and there even more ways to run an aquarium. I've run across people who honestly believe that a skimmer is not needed. But, they do run big a## refugiums and do major water changes, and some other things that might not occur to them to tell me but altogether make their reef aquariums successful without a skimmer.
Do a search with the keyword "over-skimming", as there have been discussions on that subject here, just to get an idea of what your lfs may have been talking about.
Having said that, I would think a highly successful skimmerless reef aquarium is more the exception than the rule. I have a big-a## skimmer myself
.
Do a search with the keyword "over-skimming", as there have been discussions on that subject here, just to get an idea of what your lfs may have been talking about.
Having said that, I would think a highly successful skimmerless reef aquarium is more the exception than the rule. I have a big-a## skimmer myself
.
scubasteve06
Jeeper Reefer
Yea Palting I'll take my skimmer any day over performing 2 water changes a week just to keep my nitrates in check.
To the guy that said that the next wave will carry it right back out, that really isn't a valid statement as there is so much water volume crashing against the shore all around the globe and ocean that that miniscule amount that gets brought back isn't going to make a difference. I mean obviously the ocean does a pretty good job of filtering itself that way to have nearly undetectable nitrates around the globe, and the little teeny amount of nitrate that the ocean does have cannot be detected on a hobbyist test of any kind.
Those that think that a skimmer takes out lots of good stuff for their corals, I'll be glad to ship my next cupful of skimmate to you so you can dump it in your tank and feed your corals, free of charge and shipping payed by me.
To the guy that said that the next wave will carry it right back out, that really isn't a valid statement as there is so much water volume crashing against the shore all around the globe and ocean that that miniscule amount that gets brought back isn't going to make a difference. I mean obviously the ocean does a pretty good job of filtering itself that way to have nearly undetectable nitrates around the globe, and the little teeny amount of nitrate that the ocean does have cannot be detected on a hobbyist test of any kind.
Those that think that a skimmer takes out lots of good stuff for their corals, I'll be glad to ship my next cupful of skimmate to you so you can dump it in your tank and feed your corals, free of charge and shipping payed by me.
scubasteve06
Jeeper Reefer
No it would be fine if it barely fits. In fact most skimmer advocates will tell you to get the biggest one that fits your system and fits into your skimmer section in your sump. The only skimmer that needs a plumbing system into your sump would be an external style skimmer. They use either a feed pump that sits in the sump or an overflow from the tank that feeds it with a ball or gate valve to control the amount of water that is fed into the skimmer body. The external style skimmers sit where ever you want it to sit plumbed like I said above. An external skimmer may be your best bet since you have limited space in your sump. A great skimmer out right now is the SRO XPSSS series. The SSS stands for super space saver and the skimmer pump is built into the body of the skimmer and sits underneath the bubble plate thereby not taking up extra room sitting next to the body.
Some things to think about...choose wisely when it comes to your skimmer because IMHO and a lot of other's opinion it is the single most important aspect of your tank.
Some things to think about...choose wisely when it comes to your skimmer because IMHO and a lot of other's opinion it is the single most important aspect of your tank.
Palting
New member
How about a pic of your sump?
No, no need for extra plumbing. You can get skimmers with small footprint, about 5" or so, and that would be all you'd need in the sump. You can also get skimmers that are HOB, either hang on back in the DT or HOB in the sump, taking up even less space.
About the only other requirement for your sump for the skimmer would be a constant water level regardless of evaporation. Most if not all skimmers are sensitive to water levels. No biggie if it's a HOB in the DT, since the DT water level is constant.
scubasteve06
Jeeper Reefer
HOB are an option but I've heard that they aren't as effective as in sump skimmers. They do work but they just don't produce the kind of nog that in sump skimmers can pull out. I personally have seen the HOB XP-1000 SRO Octopus skimmers in use and they work dang good for a HOB skimmer, but I've seen cheaper in sump skimmers work just as good if not better. SWC makes a HOT (hang on tank) skimmer also, as does Deltec and other companies.
theROYSKIE
New member
this 40g has been running for 4 yrs and was seeded w an 8 yr established reef.
system:
t-5's, emperor 400(old school lol), wavemaker: 2-maxijet 600 & 1-1200 mj, stealth htr, no sump, no skimmer. 8% wc weekly, R.O.@0ppm, kent reef salt @34ppt, dose cal, stront&molyb, iodine.
Bio-load:
1-brown tang, 1-clown, 1 tailspot blenny, 2-clown gobies, 2-cleaner shrimp, cleanup crew: brittle star and hermits, assorted soft coral: xenia (spreading like wildfire), zoas, buttons, shrooms. and tons of halmeda(pics r just b4 i pruned the tank) up until 3 months ago also lps: hammer, frogspawn, and technically a softy: heliopora but i moved them to another system of mine.
it can be done w no skimmer but proper, consistent care and maintenance is my religion...
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll383/theroyskie/FILE0253.jpg
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll383/theroyskie/FILE0258.jpg
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll383/theroyskie/FILE0263.jpg
system:
t-5's, emperor 400(old school lol), wavemaker: 2-maxijet 600 & 1-1200 mj, stealth htr, no sump, no skimmer. 8% wc weekly, R.O.@0ppm, kent reef salt @34ppt, dose cal, stront&molyb, iodine.
Bio-load:
1-brown tang, 1-clown, 1 tailspot blenny, 2-clown gobies, 2-cleaner shrimp, cleanup crew: brittle star and hermits, assorted soft coral: xenia (spreading like wildfire), zoas, buttons, shrooms. and tons of halmeda(pics r just b4 i pruned the tank) up until 3 months ago also lps: hammer, frogspawn, and technically a softy: heliopora but i moved them to another system of mine.
it can be done w no skimmer but proper, consistent care and maintenance is my religion...
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll383/theroyskie/FILE0253.jpg
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll383/theroyskie/FILE0258.jpg
http://i313.photobucket.com/albums/ll383/theroyskie/FILE0263.jpg
scubasteve06
Jeeper Reefer
Get a skimmer sized to your tank plus one size. That will leave room in the future for your tank size to grow and your bio load. I personally believe that the only companies out there that underrate their skimmers are Reef Dynamics, ATB and BK.
blennymower
New member
Me too. I don't like much having things that kills tank fauna like filter socks. I have a BM NAC3+ on my 75g that I think is rated for my tank but may be under rated as the tank becomes more stocked.
I'm not using filter socks anymore.
