Skimmerless Acropora systems?
- Thread starter galleon
- Start date
gon08
New member
40 gallon, 250 watt HQI MH in a Lumenarc fixture. I use DIY 2 part(Made from swimming pool chemicals), I run a Phosban reactor with GFO and another Phosban with GAC. I use a 1/10 hp chiller. The entire system is run with an old Little Giant 4MD I had laying around and an MP10 run on reef crest mode.
sonnus
Member
My current tank has been running for about 5 years now. Out of that time I've only ran a skimmer for maybe one year. I've been without a skimmer for about two years now since it broke last.
I try to do 20% water changes once a month but I've gone 6 months without a change. Whenever my corals look stressed I ruin GFO and do a water change, they recover immediately afterward.
I try to do 20% water changes once a month but I've gone 6 months without a change. Whenever my corals look stressed I ruin GFO and do a water change, they recover immediately afterward.
sonnus
Member
I would characterize my tank as an average bioload. The tank is 200 gallons and I have 6 med/large zebrasoma tangs, 2 bicolor angels, 3 Potter's angels and 4 spawning perculas. I feed pretty well considering both my clownfish pairs spawn almost every month. I also fed my coral heavily twice a month.
gon08
New member
Have you seen the full tank shot with the fish in it? I have a med yellow tang, med hipo tang, lg flame angel, 2 full grown spawning green chromis, 1 six line wrasse, 1 watchman Goby, and a file fish. All this in a 40 gal. I feed pretty heavy, and like Sonnus I often go several months without water changes.
dvanacker
DID I SOUNDS SMRT??
It's a mystery to me then........
I would think that with the amount of crude my skimmer takes out that my tank would go down hill pretty fast with out a skimmer.
You guys are breaking the rules.......any reason why you think this is successful for you?
Of course I realize that there are no rules in this hobby because as soon as you say something can't be done, someone will do it.
With all that said though...I still would never try skimmerless.
I would think that with the amount of crude my skimmer takes out that my tank would go down hill pretty fast with out a skimmer.
You guys are breaking the rules.......any reason why you think this is successful for you?
Of course I realize that there are no rules in this hobby because as soon as you say something can't be done, someone will do it.
With all that said though...I still would never try skimmerless.
sonnus
Member
Thanks. That's the ATL Ultra Purple Efflo. I think the G Carroll Ultimate Efflo its even nicer.
sonnus
Member
I actually started this tank with rfd idea of having a true closed system. I only had 3 tangs and those were the only fish. I rarely fed the fish, maybe twice a month, so I felt there was no need for a skimmer. The tangs actually were very fat and healthy mainly grazing on the algae in the tank.
As I slowly added non-herbivore I stated feeding more and more so eventually I added a skimmer. The pump on my skimmer stopped working a few years ago and it hasn't been fixed for a few years. I really don't do anything different than I did with the skimmer. Fish get fed daily and both of my clown pairs continued spawning.
The only issue I have is phosphates, my corals start losing color when phosphates get above 0.12 on a Hanna tester. I try to keep the phosphates between .05 - .07.
As I slowly added non-herbivore I stated feeding more and more so eventually I added a skimmer. The pump on my skimmer stopped working a few years ago and it hasn't been fixed for a few years. I really don't do anything different than I did with the skimmer. Fish get fed daily and both of my clown pairs continued spawning.
The only issue I have is phosphates, my corals start losing color when phosphates get above 0.12 on a Hanna tester. I try to keep the phosphates between .05 - .07.
sonnus
Member
There have been a few studies that have analyzed the effectiveness of skimming and also the contents of skimmate recently. This study(link) found that most of the skimmate is actually inorganic compounds, possibly from plankton that was removed from the water column. If that's true then you might actually be removing food for you corals.
Another study(link) found little difference in TOC in a skimmed tank versus an un-skimmed tank. The author does acknowledge that the short sample period may be responsible for no difference but it does bring up a good question. Is the aquarium's natural biological filtration more than capable of handling the TOC without the help of a skimmer?
Last edited:
MammothReefer
Active member
Great job Sonnus, I'm very envious. I've tried it a few times and it always ended in disaster for me. I've only had a couple small nanos I was able to pull off skimmer less, but none had sps. All my SPS, or bigger skimmerless setups failed..I tried a fishless SPS 20 Long once, but a Bacteria bloom crashed the entire tank after a while.
davemc1234
New member
My skimmerless system
davemc1234
New member
SOME OF MY SPS
davemc1234
New member
JT3069
New member
one thing that i have noticed in all of your skimmerless tanks is the use of herbivorous fish
imo in nature n and p usually are absorbed by macro-micro alages to keep the system at acceptable levels and this in-turn helps feed the fish like an ecosystem
i in no way run a skimmerless system but these are just my thoughts
but very interesting may have to try this
imo in nature n and p usually are absorbed by macro-micro alages to keep the system at acceptable levels and this in-turn helps feed the fish like an ecosystem
i in no way run a skimmerless system but these are just my thoughts
but very interesting may have to try this
davemc1234
New member
My sump I use MM and algae
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