Up The Aquarium, Without A Skimmer

mhhauser321 · 07/20/2007, 10:07 PM

Well Lets Get some Opinions Here,

How many of you think it is neccesary to own a skimmer.

On A Scale Of 1 to 10 with 1 being almost certain and 10 being don't care do you give to the topic of owning a Protein SKimmer.

Do you have to own a Protein Skimmer to be able to have a healthy and rich reef aquarium.

mhhauser321 · 07/20/2007, 10:13 PM

My Vote is about a 5 because i really am not sure yet.

Salamander · 07/20/2007, 11:15 PM

I'd say for most people its a 1. Especially if you will have fish and other inverts. Some people get by without (eg Tyree - without fish) but most can not. There is still some debate about it but I'd estimate 99% have skimmers. Let the debate begin.

What are keeping or planning to keep?

Andrew · 07/20/2007, 11:24 PM

^ agree. I myself always run my skimmer and clean it weekly if not daily some times in order to keep the sludge comming out of the tank. With having only one clownfish in my tank, I don't get awhole lot but it falls in the list of important ways to filter your water. Other filteration methods would include:

-Having a fair amount of liverock
-Weekly/monthly water changes!
-Good protein skimmer
-sometimes... carbon. ( not really a filteration method but helps clear up the water. )

Grins · 07/20/2007, 11:28 PM

My rating went up once I got one...I don't wish to go back to P.S. (per-skimmer) days.

Lotus99 · 07/20/2007, 11:34 PM

What I read on here a few months ago made perfect sense: When you see what it pulls out of your tank, would you want to add the skimmate back to the tank? Without a skimmer, it's an unseen nastiness in your tank.

kevin vara · 07/20/2007, 11:41 PM

not ,sure but all i've read it's a 2!

reefnetworth · 07/21/2007, 01:53 AM

one for sure! i dont use carbon, LR & LS and 2 skimmers and thats it. i have a medium bio-load and current parms as of 4 a.m. 7/20/07:
NO2=0.0
NO3=0.0
NH3/NH4=0.0
Alk 3.8
CaC12=440
Mg=1330
I/I2=0.04
Temp=82.2
SG=35

uscharalph · 07/21/2007, 02:05 AM

1 I skim 24/7. I've got enough fish in my tank not to.

reefnetworth · 07/21/2007, 02:24 AM

there are few,if any, natural organic molecules that will absorb at air/water interface on their own. nearly all inorganics in a marine tank are highly polar, charged ions, which will be actually excluded from the interface for the same reason that hydrophobes (H2O haters) are attracted there. these inorganics nteract more strongly with water than even water does itself. thus, to expose these at the H2O surface would require a severe energy penalty. inorganics can, however, be complexed to organics that are skimmed out.

there! now do you see why skimming is important? unless you like doing alot of water changes, go with the biggest skimmer you can afford for your tank. if you have a 100G tank get a 250G tank skimmer, youll be glad you did down the road as you add more stuff!

to sumit up, all the bad stuff floats to the surface because the weight is less than that of H2O, creating the bubbles of crap that are collected as exports of unused organic and inorganic matter.

Young Frankenstein · 07/21/2007, 04:57 AM

Get the skimmer, don't experiment, that's a guarantee reduction of nitrates. Remember if you nitrates reach high levels than is a @^@#$&$% to reduce them.

mhhauser321 · 07/21/2007, 10:26 AM

I would say that skimming is a very important part of owning a successful aquarium but how important is it

supervdl · 07/21/2007, 10:32 AM

I would agree with the skimmer being essential for the average reefer, because the other elements of the reef tank and equipment require you to skim the excess nutrients and pollution out of the water. There are examples for w/o skimmer tanks, but it will be more vulnerable for a crash, especially if you are not an expert or you have fish/ mixed reef.

marduc · 07/21/2007, 10:47 AM

Unless set up with an automated continuous water change regiment pulling solely water from the surface of the tank a protein skimmer is essential, as already mentioned.. just seeing what gets pulled from the water on a daily basis is proof enough of this.

I would rank a skimmer #2 on my list of most important investments for your tank that should not be skimped on in any way shape or form (RO/DI or other source of pure water tops the list, lighting comes in at #3)

Especially as a discussion in the newbie forum, a top notch protein skimmer is an absolutely essential piece of equipment.

1F2FRFBF · 07/21/2007, 10:49 AM

Well, with all the yucky stuff I've seen it pull out of my tank (3 fish, 2 shrimp, snails, mixed corals), I'd have to say I'm glad I own it, so 1 for me.

But that said, I've never run a system without a skimmer, so I can't say anything about the reliability or effectiveness of alternative means of filtration.

ArgonDreams · 07/21/2007, 12:07 PM

Beyond my lighting, I think it's the next most important thing I own for my tank. Don't skimp on it. I run them on all my tanks including Nanos. Although there is an argument for water changes being sufficient for a Nano, I figure it won't hurt either.

I rate it a 1.5 after proper lighting.

WDWDen · 07/21/2007, 01:27 PM

I had a succesful 55 gallon aggresive tank many years ago. I didnt even know what a skimmer was. Back then, I would say it was totally unneccesary and ultimatley, b/c of my success, I'd say it was.

Now that I have my 180 aggresive, I bought a skimmer. I cannot beleive how much crap that thing pulls out of the water. I don't even have a good one yet, so I can only imagine how much more stuff is in there. Now I'm movine it up to a solid 10!! I'm sure my fish would not die without it, but sure as heck don't want my guys swimming in that crap.

Once you get one, you'll find it was money well spent!

WDWDen · 07/21/2007, 01:28 PM

Ok, my bad, I thought a 10 was the most important. You can make that a 1. :-)

XSiVE · 07/21/2007, 01:54 PM

1.

Just by the amount of gunk a skimmer pulls out of the water you can see how well it is working.. you can get some of that out with other forms of mechanical filtration (small micron filter pads) but not nearly as well as how the skimmer does it.

Jeremy Blaze · 07/21/2007, 02:29 PM

Do you have to have one? NO Do I run one? No

Would I recomend one for a newbie? Yes.

I have had many successful tanks, and have seen many as well, that run without a skimmer.

However, it certianly can help on a newbies tank, as it can make up for other errors mistakes, etc...

I would start out with one, and as you gain experince, try without, and see what you prefer.

ArgonDreams · 07/21/2007, 03:00 PM

Quote:

However, it certianly can help on a newbies tank, as it can make up for other errors mistakes, etc...

I take issue with this statement but I understand the intent it was given in. I wouldn't consider it a newbie device. It's like insurance. It's usually good to have it, howeer you can live without it.

Jeremy Blaze · 07/21/2007, 03:01 PM

Sorry if I offended anyone. Was not the intent.

NEver said it was a newbie device, just that IMO it is more important for a newbie to have one.

Kengaroo131 · 07/21/2007, 03:26 PM

i dont really know i dont use a skimmer or a sump in my 10 gallon and its doing excelent

ArgonDreams · 07/21/2007, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Sorry if I offended anyone. Was not the intent.

Certainly no offense was taken, as I said I understand the intent, but the language could mislead. Point taken that they are not needed though.

mhhauser321 · 07/21/2007, 10:00 PM

well if you think about it, like what things are the most important for having a healthy aquarium I believe a skimmer would be either number 1 or 2.

07/20/2007, 10:07 PM	#1
mhhauser321 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 283	Up The Aquarium, Without A Skimmer Well Lets Get some Opinions Here, How many of you think it is neccesary to own a skimmer. On A Scale Of 1 to 10 with 1 being almost certain and 10 being don't care do you give to the topic of owning a Protein SKimmer. Do you have to own a Protein Skimmer to be able to have a healthy and rich reef aquarium. __________________ "Fry: I'm not a robot like you, I don't like having discs cramped into me... unless they're Oreos... and then only in the mouth." "Fry: Wow. That guy makes Speedy Gonzalez look like Regular Gonzalez"

07/20/2007, 11:28 PM	#5
Grins Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 735	My rating went up once I got one...I don't wish to go back to P.S. (per-skimmer) days. __________________ R.A.S.O.C. : Reef Aquarium Society of Charlotte Current Tank Info: 55g mixed reef

07/20/2007, 11:34 PM	#6
Lotus99 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,398	What I read on here a few months ago made perfect sense: When you see what it pulls out of your tank, would you want to add the skimmate back to the tank? Without a skimmer, it's an unseen nastiness in your tank. __________________ "So long, and thanks for all the fish" Current Tank Info: 125g reef, gobies, cardinals, softies and LPS; 36g Neo Nano tank; 10+ FW tanks

07/21/2007, 01:53 AM	#8
reefnetworth Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 3,810	one for sure! i dont use carbon, LR & LS and 2 skimmers and thats it. i have a medium bio-load and current parms as of 4 a.m. 7/20/07: NO2=0.0 NO3=0.0 NH3/NH4=0.0 Alk 3.8 CaC12=440 Mg=1330 I/I2=0.04 Temp=82.2 SG=35 __________________ GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE FEEDS HIMSELF FOR LIFE. (NEVER, underestimate another man's greed) Current Tank Info: SPS dominated barebottom display with BB sump since 2005, most consistant parameters in 19+ years of reefkeeping. Last edited by reefnetworth; 07/21/2007 at 02:06 AM.

07/21/2007, 02:05 AM	#9
uscharalph Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 1,248	1 I skim 24/7. I've got enough fish in my tank not to. __________________ Ralph Mendoza Jr. Long Beach, CA Current Tank Info: 80 Gallon Reef Tank

07/20/2007, 10:13 PM	#2
mhhauser321 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 283	My Vote is about a 5 because i really am not sure yet. __________________ "Fry: I'm not a robot like you, I don't like having discs cramped into me... unless they're Oreos... and then only in the mouth." "Fry: Wow. That guy makes Speedy Gonzalez look like Regular Gonzalez"

07/20/2007, 11:15 PM	#3
Salamander Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 2,103	I'd say for most people its a 1. Especially if you will have fish and other inverts. Some people get by without (eg Tyree - without fish) but most can not. There is still some debate about it but I'd estimate 99% have skimmers. Let the debate begin. What are keeping or planning to keep? __________________ I feel more like myself now than I did before. Current Tank Info: 120g mixed reef, 2 x 250W DE MH, 2 x 54w T5, MSX 200 SKimmer, 2 Koralia 4's, 40g fuge/sump, QT

07/20/2007, 11:24 PM	#4
Andrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 13,640	^ agree. I myself always run my skimmer and clean it weekly if not daily some times in order to keep the sludge comming out of the tank. With having only one clownfish in my tank, I don't get awhole lot but it falls in the list of important ways to filter your water. Other filteration methods would include: -Having a fair amount of liverock -Weekly/monthly water changes! -Good protein skimmer -sometimes... carbon. ( not really a filteration method but helps clear up the water. )

07/20/2007, 11:41 PM	#7
kevin vara Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: trenton nj Posts: 61	not ,sure but all i've read it's a 2!

07/21/2007, 02:24 AM	#10
reefnetworth Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 3,810	there are few,if any, natural organic molecules that will absorb at air/water interface on their own. nearly all inorganics in a marine tank are highly polar, charged ions, which will be actually excluded from the interface for the same reason that hydrophobes (H2O haters) are attracted there. these inorganics nteract more strongly with water than even water does itself. thus, to expose these at the H2O surface would require a severe energy penalty. inorganics can, however, be complexed to organics that are skimmed out. there! now do you see why skimming is important? unless you like doing alot of water changes, go with the biggest skimmer you can afford for your tank. if you have a 100G tank get a 250G tank skimmer, youll be glad you did down the road as you add more stuff! to sumit up, all the bad stuff floats to the surface because the weight is less than that of H2O, creating the bubbles of crap that are collected as exports of unused organic and inorganic matter. __________________ GIVE A MAN A FISH, YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH, HE FEEDS HIMSELF FOR LIFE. (NEVER, underestimate another man's greed) Current Tank Info: SPS dominated barebottom display with BB sump since 2005, most consistant parameters in 19+ years of reefkeeping. Last edited by reefnetworth; 07/21/2007 at 02:29 AM.

07/21/2007, 04:57 AM	#11
Young Frankenstein Moved On Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Miami Florida. Posts: 3,842	Get the skimmer, don't experiment, that's a guarantee reduction of nitrates. Remember if you nitrates reach high levels than is a @^@#$&$% to reduce them.

07/21/2007, 10:26 AM	#12
mhhauser321 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 283	I would say that skimming is a very important part of owning a successful aquarium but how important is it __________________ "Fry: I'm not a robot like you, I don't like having discs cramped into me... unless they're Oreos... and then only in the mouth." "Fry: Wow. That guy makes Speedy Gonzalez look like Regular Gonzalez"

07/21/2007, 10:32 AM	#13
supervdl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NE PA Posts: 1,315	I would agree with the skimmer being essential for the average reefer, because the other elements of the reef tank and equipment require you to skim the excess nutrients and pollution out of the water. There are examples for w/o skimmer tanks, but it will be more vulnerable for a crash, especially if you are not an expert or you have fish/ mixed reef. __________________ My tank thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1167897 Current Tank Info: 135 gal mixed reef with Radions and Zeovit; 210 gal SPS reef being set up

07/21/2007, 10:47 AM	#14
marduc Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Tampa, Fl. Posts: 780	Unless set up with an automated continuous water change regiment pulling solely water from the surface of the tank a protein skimmer is essential, as already mentioned.. just seeing what gets pulled from the water on a daily basis is proof enough of this. I would rank a skimmer #2 on my list of most important investments for your tank that should not be skimped on in any way shape or form (RO/DI or other source of pure water tops the list, lighting comes in at #3) Especially as a discussion in the newbie forum, a top notch protein skimmer is an absolutely essential piece of equipment.

07/21/2007, 10:49 AM	#15
1F2FRFBF Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Jersey Shore Posts: 456	Well, with all the yucky stuff I've seen it pull out of my tank (3 fish, 2 shrimp, snails, mixed corals), I'd have to say I'm glad I own it, so 1 for me. But that said, I've never run a system without a skimmer, so I can't say anything about the reliability or effectiveness of alternative means of filtration.

07/21/2007, 12:07 PM	#16
ArgonDreams Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 384	Beyond my lighting, I think it's the next most important thing I own for my tank. Don't skimp on it. I run them on all my tanks including Nanos. Although there is an argument for water changes being sufficient for a Nano, I figure it won't hurt either. I rate it a 1.5 after proper lighting.

07/21/2007, 01:27 PM	#17
WDWDen Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 243	I had a succesful 55 gallon aggresive tank many years ago. I didnt even know what a skimmer was. Back then, I would say it was totally unneccesary and ultimatley, b/c of my success, I'd say it was. Now that I have my 180 aggresive, I bought a skimmer. I cannot beleive how much crap that thing pulls out of the water. I don't even have a good one yet, so I can only imagine how much more stuff is in there. Now I'm movine it up to a solid 10!! I'm sure my fish would not die without it, but sure as heck don't want my guys swimming in that crap. Once you get one, you'll find it was money well spent!

07/21/2007, 01:28 PM	#18
WDWDen Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Southern NJ Posts: 243	Ok, my bad, I thought a 10 was the most important. You can make that a 1. :-)

07/21/2007, 01:54 PM	#19
XSiVE Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Waterford, MI Posts: 790	1. Just by the amount of gunk a skimmer pulls out of the water you can see how well it is working.. you can get some of that out with other forms of mechanical filtration (small micron filter pads) but not nearly as well as how the skimmer does it.

07/21/2007, 02:29 PM	#20
Jeremy Blaze Former Reef Addict Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Washington, IN Posts: 5,864	Do you have to have one? NO Do I run one? No Would I recomend one for a newbie? Yes. I have had many successful tanks, and have seen many as well, that run without a skimmer. However, it certianly can help on a newbies tank, as it can make up for other errors mistakes, etc... I would start out with one, and as you gain experince, try without, and see what you prefer. __________________ Trust me my friend, the names are not important at all. I've own hundreds of different zoas and palys and don't know the name of a single one. In my opinion, they are a waste of valuable time. Mucho Reef

07/21/2007, 03:01 PM	#22
Jeremy Blaze Former Reef Addict Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Washington, IN Posts: 5,864	Sorry if I offended anyone. Was not the intent. NEver said it was a newbie device, just that IMO it is more important for a newbie to have one. __________________ Trust me my friend, the names are not important at all. I've own hundreds of different zoas and palys and don't know the name of a single one. In my opinion, they are a waste of valuable time. Mucho Reef

07/21/2007, 03:26 PM	#23
Kengaroo131 Fish Crazy Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jupiter, Florida Posts: 1,361	i dont really know i dont use a skimmer or a sump in my 10 gallon and its doing excelent __________________ ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> ><((((º> Current Tank Info: 75 gallon mixed reef, 12 gallon bookshelf reef

07/21/2007, 10:00 PM	#25
mhhauser321 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 283	well if you think about it, like what things are the most important for having a healthy aquarium I believe a skimmer would be either number 1 or 2. __________________ "Fry: I'm not a robot like you, I don't like having discs cramped into me... unless they're Oreos... and then only in the mouth." "Fry: Wow. That guy makes Speedy Gonzalez look like Regular Gonzalez"