My experiences with and without a skimmer

evilelvis · 08/08/2006, 01:10 PM

I have gone through a few skimmers

Super Skimmer 65
Aqua C Remora

Ok so 2

Anyway, on my 29G I ran the SS65 but it was so big that I removed it when I went to my 55g. I ran an Aqua C Remora on the back w/ the skimmer box that actually hid much better. ...but the microbubbles drove me crazy.

Well after seeing a few threads about running skimmerless I decided to do a little informal experiment.

For about 2 months I ran an AquaClear 110 w/ 2 bags of Chemi-pure, that walmart floss, and some carbon (really just to hold the floss down) and the surfaceskimmer attachment.

Water perimeters were 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. I should mention I have a HOB fuge as well full of chaeto. Fish are 2 chromies, firefish, a pajama cardinal and a false mandarin (the one with spots). There is also a scooter blenny moving around. Both the last 2 fish are kept FAT and happy since I feed ALOT. I am well aware of the issues w/ pods. I have a 10g devoted to raising pods so they have a steady supply.

I changed the water the first month about 10% a week, then the 2nd month 2x a month same amount.

No problems w/ nutrients. My calcium is high (600!!!) because I use Oceanic Sea Salt mix but it slowly dropped between water changes.

The biggest problem I had was - that filter floss would get GROSS!!! I have a 30 min standby for feeding but even with that long of time the floss would get nasty...everything was nasty. The corals grew like mad however and everything thrived, lots of new filter feeder life, etc. Water clarity looked good to me but I did have to wipe down the front with my magnetic algae cleaner every 2 days to get rid of the thing green algae "film"

Anyway I decided to use my skimmer again about 2 weeks ago and so far the algae film is FAR less, I run the chemi-pure in the fuge and the water clarity is AMAZING!!!!!

So really for my little experiment, running skimmerless didn't affect growth at all (I literally had some GSP double in size and my zoos multiplying like crazy) but I am keeping the skimmer on because visually the water clarity is far superior...and dealing with the microbubbles (which seem to be slowly diminishing) is far easier than dealing with stinky floss and knowing all that "crap" is still in the water column.

Anyway, just throught I'd share my experience as a relatively new reefer (just over a year). When I build a sump I am going to use my SS65 again I think.

Bill

skeeter-doc · 08/08/2006, 01:15 PM

Wow, now that is a very good way to help you decide what route to take. I have both, a tank with a skimmer, and a tank without, and I concur that the tank with the skimmer is almost spotless! The other tank, you can see tiny little things all over the place, but that does lead to all the life within the tank. It is amazing what things you can see when the lights go out too on a skimmerless tank!

RichConley · 08/08/2006, 01:21 PM

"I literally had some GSP double in size and my zoos multiplying like crazy"

Just to point out, keeping GSP and zoos doesnt really require all that pristene of water quality. I'm glad things turned out well, but I dont think anyone should decide whether or not to keep a skimmer based on this.

FWIW, I'm a skimmer nut.

evilelvis · 08/08/2006, 01:28 PM

Yup...that's why I have GSP and zoos since they are so easy to keep but still look cool. I think for the basic reefer who doesn't have all the cool gadgets and things (or a separate fish room) and is keeping basic corals and small fish load that not having a skimmer won't necessarily hurt things but having it certainly helps keep things crystal clear...

Besides the water being CLEAR now with the skimmer the easy of cleaning is better, much easier to turn off the pump and dump out the container than it is to deal with the floss and gunk that gets stuck in a HOB. For that reason alone I am sticking with a skimmer, even if my weird tube and filter creature population will no doubt decline.

I guess really what having the skimmerless setup did for me was show me that there's so much life hiding and waiting to pop up and it doesn't take much!

alkataz · 08/08/2006, 01:46 PM

I once left my skimmer off by accident for about a two weeks and my friend was watching the tank so it went unnoticed. When I returned I noticed that my filters were filthy and there was a little more algae growth then usual. Some of my coral seem to love the new slightly more disgusting condition some seemed unaffected and others didn't like it very much. my mandarins were happy as pigs in slop, but the water didn't look as clear and I personally didn't like the overall effect. I don't keep any fish that are particularly difficult to keep, and at this time I didn't have any really delicated corals either. I leave my skimmer off for about 3 hours after feeding now and I think my tank benefits a lot more from the feedings, but I have a pretty heavy bi-load now and wouldn't run my tank skimmerless. The smaller 55 has some messing eaters residing in it and doesn't have a clean up crew to speak of so I don't really want to risk trying it on that one.

08/08/2006, 01:10 PM	#1
evilelvis Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Frederick, MD Posts: 71	My experiences with and without a skimmer I have gone through a few skimmers Super Skimmer 65 Aqua C Remora Ok so 2 Anyway, on my 29G I ran the SS65 but it was so big that I removed it when I went to my 55g. I ran an Aqua C Remora on the back w/ the skimmer box that actually hid much better. ...but the microbubbles drove me crazy. Well after seeing a few threads about running skimmerless I decided to do a little informal experiment. For about 2 months I ran an AquaClear 110 w/ 2 bags of Chemi-pure, that walmart floss, and some carbon (really just to hold the floss down) and the surfaceskimmer attachment. Water perimeters were 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate. I should mention I have a HOB fuge as well full of chaeto. Fish are 2 chromies, firefish, a pajama cardinal and a false mandarin (the one with spots). There is also a scooter blenny moving around. Both the last 2 fish are kept FAT and happy since I feed ALOT. I am well aware of the issues w/ pods. I have a 10g devoted to raising pods so they have a steady supply. I changed the water the first month about 10% a week, then the 2nd month 2x a month same amount. No problems w/ nutrients. My calcium is high (600!!!) because I use Oceanic Sea Salt mix but it slowly dropped between water changes. The biggest problem I had was - that filter floss would get GROSS!!! I have a 30 min standby for feeding but even with that long of time the floss would get nasty...everything was nasty. The corals grew like mad however and everything thrived, lots of new filter feeder life, etc. Water clarity looked good to me but I did have to wipe down the front with my magnetic algae cleaner every 2 days to get rid of the thing green algae "film" Anyway I decided to use my skimmer again about 2 weeks ago and so far the algae film is FAR less, I run the chemi-pure in the fuge and the water clarity is AMAZING!!!!! So really for my little experiment, running skimmerless didn't affect growth at all (I literally had some GSP double in size and my zoos multiplying like crazy) but I am keeping the skimmer on because visually the water clarity is far superior...and dealing with the microbubbles (which seem to be slowly diminishing) is far easier than dealing with stinky floss and knowing all that "crap" is still in the water column. Anyway, just throught I'd share my experience as a relatively new reefer (just over a year). When I build a sump I am going to use my SS65 again I think. Bill __________________ 40g cube reef

08/08/2006, 01:21 PM	#3
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,908	"I literally had some GSP double in size and my zoos multiplying like crazy" Just to point out, keeping GSP and zoos doesnt really require all that pristene of water quality. I'm glad things turned out well, but I dont think anyone should decide whether or not to keep a skimmer based on this. FWIW, I'm a skimmer nut. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

08/08/2006, 01:28 PM	#4
evilelvis Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Frederick, MD Posts: 71	Yup...that's why I have GSP and zoos since they are so easy to keep but still look cool. I think for the basic reefer who doesn't have all the cool gadgets and things (or a separate fish room) and is keeping basic corals and small fish load that not having a skimmer won't necessarily hurt things but having it certainly helps keep things crystal clear... Besides the water being CLEAR now with the skimmer the easy of cleaning is better, much easier to turn off the pump and dump out the container than it is to deal with the floss and gunk that gets stuck in a HOB. For that reason alone I am sticking with a skimmer, even if my weird tube and filter creature population will no doubt decline. I guess really what having the skimmerless setup did for me was show me that there's so much life hiding and waiting to pop up and it doesn't take much! __________________ 40g cube reef

08/08/2006, 01:46 PM	#5
alkataz Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: New York Posts: 859	I once left my skimmer off by accident for about a two weeks and my friend was watching the tank so it went unnoticed. When I returned I noticed that my filters were filthy and there was a little more algae growth then usual. Some of my coral seem to love the new slightly more disgusting condition some seemed unaffected and others didn't like it very much. my mandarins were happy as pigs in slop, but the water didn't look as clear and I personally didn't like the overall effect. I don't keep any fish that are particularly difficult to keep, and at this time I didn't have any really delicated corals either. I leave my skimmer off for about 3 hours after feeding now and I think my tank benefits a lot more from the feedings, but I have a pretty heavy bi-load now and wouldn't run my tank skimmerless. The smaller 55 has some messing eaters residing in it and doesn't have a clean up crew to speak of so I don't really want to risk trying it on that one. __________________ Hungry for knowledge, please feed!! 180 + 65 sump 2x25" CPR HOB fuge Euro CS12-1 Ozonizer Korallin C 1502 Delta Star 1/3 hp 2x250W 65K Iwaski, 400W 10K Ushio, 2x160W URI Super Actinic Current Tank Info: 2 Black & White Percs, Fire Goby, 2 Golden Neon Goby, 2 Red Head Goby, Clown Goby, Royal Gramma, 2 Blue Favivertex Pseudochromis, 3 Filamented Flasher Wrasse, 2 Green Mandarin, 2 Banded Possom Wrasse, 3 Blue Green Reef Chromis, Group of Mollies

08/08/2006, 01:15 PM	#2
skeeter-doc Moved On Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: TX Posts: 1,643	Wow, now that is a very good way to help you decide what route to take. I have both, a tank with a skimmer, and a tank without, and I concur that the tank with the skimmer is almost spotless! The other tank, you can see tiny little things all over the place, but that does lead to all the life within the tank. It is amazing what things you can see when the lights go out too on a skimmerless tank!