Skimmerless Acropora systems?

[mess7777]

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.

Sonnus, curious to hear more about your system. How are you controlling phosphates? Do you have any other filtration going on? What lighting to you have, your colors are excellent.

I am running skimmerless myself with an ATS in the sump to help with nutrients. I am struggling a bit with phosphates (also have GFO) but have had it under control for a month or so now.

Davemc1234, what is the MM you talk about running in your sump? Miracle Mud? Impressive looking sump setup by the way.

 

[smtank]

It has been 3 years with no skimmer for this Nano.

At one time this tank had all the bells and whistles. I sold everything off thinking I was going to sell the tank.

Water change of 10% every 2 weeks, only 2 fish.

I love to tinker with equipment but it's it can be done without reactors and skimmers.

It's not a stunning tank, and no I would not put high end acros in, but it can be done with manual dosing.

 

[nbgen12]

It has been 3 years with no skimmer for this Nano.

At one time this tank had all the bells and whistles. I sold everything off thinking I was going to sell the tank.

Water change of 10% every 2 weeks, only 2 fish.

I love to tinker with equipment but it's it can be done without reactors and skimmers.

It's not a stunning tank, and no I would not put high end acros in, but it can be done with manual dosing.

What do you typically have your water parameters at with the skimmerless system? Are you running any reactors?

Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2

 

[smtank]

No reactors, no carbon, no sump, just a sponge for mechanical filtration.

Ca:400 Alk:9 typcially, Mag: 1400 at it's lowest. I dose Two Little Fishies Part B twice a day and part A once mid day.

No it's a typical system by todays standards, but on a nano I really saw no difference in the way the corals responded since removing the skimmer, sump and reactors.

Small bioload of 2 fish plays in my favor as well.

 

[Nano sapiens]

No reactors, no carbon, no sump, just a sponge for mechanical filtration.

Ca:400 Alk:9 typcially, Mag: 1400 at it's lowest. I dose Two Little Fishies Part B twice a day and part A once mid day.

No it's a typical system by todays standards, but on a nano I really saw no difference in the way the corals responded since removing the skimmer, sump and reactors.

Small bioload of 2 fish plays in my favor as well.

Excellent PE and nice, rich coloration. What size Nano tank and do you have a sump?

 

[killi 2008]

this is mine its run on MM ,no skimmer ran my last tank 8 years this way with no issues,

 

[smtank]

Excellent PE and nice, rich coloration. What size Nano tank and do you have a sump?

It's a 28 gallon JBJ with the HQI Phoenix bulb, so technically it does have a back chamber/sump.

Thank you for the nice words.

this is mine its run on MM ,no skimmer ran my last tank 8 years this way with no issues,

Beautiful tank, nice to see a larger version of a skimmerless system.

 

[Nano sapiens]

That's a lot of Acropora in a small space. I have a soft-spot for deepwater Acros and that's a nice one in the closeup. I've had SPS (Montis, Pavonas) growing well in a 12g AIO (skimmerless, no filter media) for nearly five years and just started dabbling in Acros a few months ago. Challenging to keep all parameters stable in effectively 10g of water, but so far so good.

 

[acroholicreefer]

Nice looking corals and great colors. They look very healthy.

I wouldn't say that a skimmer is going to strip the nutrients from your system to the point where corals are going to loose color. Most of the time you hear of nutrient being striped by excessive GFO (or improper use), biopellets, and/or vodka dosing. If anything, these tanks prove that skimmers are not as important as some have valued in the past. I have the viewpoint that you can have as large/small of a skimmer as you please. Currently I am running a super reef octopus xp 3000 internal (rated for 300g) on a 40 breeder w/ sump .

 

[smtank]

That's a lot of Acropora in a small space. I have a soft-spot for deepwater Acros and that's a nice one in the closeup. I've had SPS (Montis, Pavonas) growing well in a 12g AIO (skimmerless, no filter media) for nearly five years and just started dabbling in Acros a few months ago. Challenging to keep all parameters stable in effectively 10g of water, but so far so good.

Most definitely takes dedication in nanos with acropora, you mess up on dosing or SG and everything can turn bad fast. Try your hand at a Red Planet, they are a very forgiving acropora in my experience once they start to encrust. I have found that many of the aquacultured acros are much more forgiving than wild or maricultured.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Funny you should mention RP since I have one and it's given me issues (grwoth and coloration) since day one (A. millepora, A. granulosa and A. pulchra (?) being the others that are doing fine). I've got (5) mini frags of RP all over the tank to see if I can find it's 'Sweet Spot'.

 

[Nanighan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTkpHHlFIr8
Use iphone so it looks like crap but watch in HD to be a little bit sharper.

Did this quick vid 5 minutes ago. No skimmer, no chemical filtration, some mechanical filtration. 55g using par 38 about 3 years old, but Ive been into sps for more than a decade and learned a few tricks.
Without a skimmer you will have algae, garanteed (mine does). It does add to the natural ecosystem of the tank though and need to find the right balance between feeding fish and corals, and aesthetics of the display.

 

[mess7777]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTkpHHlFIr8
Use iphone so it looks like crap but watch in HD to be a little bit sharper.

Did this quick vid 5 minutes ago. No skimmer, no chemical filtration, some mechanical filtration. 55g using par 38 about 3 years old, but Ive been into sps for more than a decade and learned a few tricks.
Without a skimmer you will have algae, garanteed (mine does). It does add to the natural ecosystem of the tank though and need to find the right balance between feeding fish and corals, and aesthetics of the display.

nice colors, the pink birdsnest is very pink!

 

[seamonkey84]

Here's my ten gallon, it'll be 3 years old next month. I run two aquaclear HOB, a ac30 for CPE and pureigen, and a AC70 fuge full of chaeto. I do 20-30% waterchanges once a week since I like to feed my fish, and I dose two part daily.

 

[marinelife]

been up since feb 2007 with no skimmer

The tank I had before it did not have a skimmer either. I ran one for about a years several years ago and hated them. I was always adjusting them.

 

[Amphiprion]

These are all really nice. More examples, please. This is close to what I'm wanting to do, but not as a completely coral-dominated system. Very interested in all of these.

 

[brad65ford]

What are you guys don't about ph with out added oxygen? When I ran a skimmerless nano with sps's the ph drop at night would extreme do to no bubblier/skimmer.

Also to the comments about p04 related to skimmers, they aren't directly related. By having a skimmer will not reduce you p04.

 

[smtank]

What are you guys don't about ph with out added oxygen? When I ran a skimmerless nano with sps's the ph drop at night would extreme do to no bubblier/skimmer.

Also to the comments about p04 related to skimmers, they aren't directly related. By having a skimmer will not reduce you p04.

I do not measure pH, that is my solution. If my alk is hanging around 9-10 and my corals look fine I am not going to chase a pH.

 

[Lowefx]

Fantastic Birdsnest!!! What kind is it? Please PM me with it! Looks Great!

 

[Mangodude]

Ive been running skimmerless for a year now. Just a big refugium and a 20% waterchange every two weeks