Reef without skimmer?

Monkeyfish · 01/16/2009, 01:56 PM

Anyone run a reef without a protein skimmer?

I currently have a 75 gallon tank (not RR), tunze 6025, 48" 6 bulb t5ho light, live sand and about 85 lbs of live rock just sitting there (transferred fish to 180). The plan is to add 1 Tunze 6025 for circulation for a total of 2 6025s and use media reactors for phosban and carbon. Obviously a skimmer wold be best, but I can't afford a new RR tank and I dislike HOB skimmers as they clutter up the display and are usually pretty noisy. I was using one previously (CSS 125), but it met an untimely demise and I would not purchase another as it was difficult to dial in and finicky as heck.

Please post you opinions.

A.T.T.R · 01/16/2009, 02:12 PM

i will never run a display tank without a skimmer again
in my NEW tank using RODI mixed saltwater and 3 year old live rock you should see the stuff my skimmer in pulling out after only a few days.

skimmers just make like so much easier esp if you does carbon ( vodka.. suger.. what ever)

notabun · 01/16/2009, 02:30 PM

Check out Aquabucket's 40 breeder. They do not use a skimmer and their tank looks phenomenal. It's sickening actually seeing how good it looks without a skimmer.

saltwater4life1 · 01/16/2009, 02:40 PM

I ran my 55gal with out a skimmer and little water changes but used a lot of carbon 24/7 but after 3 years with no skimmer on my tanks i decided to go back to one. Just to clean the water more now that i'm going SPS dominated

chimmike · 01/16/2009, 02:42 PM

Agu's tanks look incredible and he doesn't use a skimmer. Just LR and decent flow with a good fuge.

aquaman67 · 01/16/2009, 02:53 PM

Here's a recent thread with Aquabuckets 40 breeder. (scroll down until your mouth drops open.) It makes me want to throw my skimmer out the window....

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1551327

Monkeyfish · 01/16/2009, 05:08 PM

I currently have a 2 year old 29 gallon. The only mechanical/chemical filtration is a couple of HOB filters running with phosban and chemipure. I have everything from mushrooms to SPS (monit digi and caps, porites, hydnophora and brown with blue tips acro) growing under power compacts. I wasn't sure how feasible this would be with a larger tank like a 75. I'd like to go mainly SPS with this tank.

01/16/2009, 01:56 PM	#1
Monkeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Long Island (NY) Posts: 4,077	Reef without skimmer? Anyone run a reef without a protein skimmer? I currently have a 75 gallon tank (not RR), tunze 6025, 48" 6 bulb t5ho light, live sand and about 85 lbs of live rock just sitting there (transferred fish to 180). The plan is to add 1 Tunze 6025 for circulation for a total of 2 6025s and use media reactors for phosban and carbon. Obviously a skimmer wold be best, but I can't afford a new RR tank and I dislike HOB skimmers as they clutter up the display and are usually pretty noisy. I was using one previously (CSS 125), but it met an untimely demise and I would not purchase another as it was difficult to dial in and finicky as heck. Please post you opinions. __________________ Eric "One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not." Current Tank Info: Taking a break

01/16/2009, 02:12 PM	#2
A.T.T.R Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: ft lauderdale Posts: 2,729	i will never run a display tank without a skimmer again in my NEW tank using RODI mixed saltwater and 3 year old live rock you should see the stuff my skimmer in pulling out after only a few days. skimmers just make like so much easier esp if you does carbon ( vodka.. suger.. what ever) __________________ Chris Addicted to the Reef- Current Tank Info: Starting a 20g

01/16/2009, 02:40 PM	#4
saltwater4life1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Fort Dix, New Jersey Posts: 933	I ran my 55gal with out a skimmer and little water changes but used a lot of carbon 24/7 but after 3 years with no skimmer on my tanks i decided to go back to one. Just to clean the water more now that i'm going SPS dominated __________________ ~Nick Avatar is my 1969 Roadrunner, 512ci stroker in the works. 55gal Mixed reef but mostly sps :) 5.5gal Mantis shrimp reef tank Current Tank Info: 55gal mixed reef, Lights: 4x54w T5, Filter: Octopus BH2000 skimmer, Flow: Over 3,000gph

01/16/2009, 02:42 PM	#5
chimmike oxygen abuser Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Parrish, FL Posts: 5,089 Blog Entries: 2	Agu's tanks look incredible and he doesn't use a skimmer. Just LR and decent flow with a good fuge. __________________ -Mike Tankless wonder Geaux Noles!

01/16/2009, 05:08 PM	#7
Monkeyfish Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Long Island (NY) Posts: 4,077	I currently have a 2 year old 29 gallon. The only mechanical/chemical filtration is a couple of HOB filters running with phosban and chemipure. I have everything from mushrooms to SPS (monit digi and caps, porites, hydnophora and brown with blue tips acro) growing under power compacts. I wasn't sure how feasible this would be with a larger tank like a 75. I'd like to go mainly SPS with this tank. __________________ Eric "One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not." Current Tank Info: Taking a break

01/16/2009, 02:30 PM	#3
notabun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MI Posts: 131	Check out Aquabucket's 40 breeder. They do not use a skimmer and their tank looks phenomenal. It's sickening actually seeing how good it looks without a skimmer.

01/16/2009, 02:53 PM	#6
aquaman67 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 7,629	Here's a recent thread with Aquabuckets 40 breeder. (scroll down until your mouth drops open.) It makes me want to throw my skimmer out the window.... http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1551327