skimmer or canister?

billydan · 03/30/2010, 01:56 AM

hey i have a 25 gal reef tank with lots of shrimp and crabs, 5 fish, 5 corals and a large canister filter meant more for a 50 gal. i dont have room to add a skimmer so i need to know if im better off with a skimmer and get rid of the canister or if i should really try to find a way to fit both...or if i dont need to worry about it

please comment
thanks

cartouche · 03/30/2010, 03:08 AM

All those who say 'both' say 'aye' ....

Aye... !!

shifty51008 · 03/30/2010, 03:17 AM

to be honest how are your water parameters? the best is to have both but you can prob. get away without a skimmer if you do regular weekly water changes and your parameters are good.

capnfritz · 03/30/2010, 05:03 AM

IMO depends on your SB and LR. If you have enough, then you can do the berlin method.
If you dont, then you will need the canister.

spw4949 · 03/30/2010, 06:55 AM

Could you downsize & run a smaller HOB filter & still have room for a skimmer?

CyCLoBoT · 03/30/2010, 07:18 AM

Personally, I would recommend that you get a skimmer. It's far more beneficial to have a skimmer than a canister filter. With the canister filter, you have to clean it very often or else they tend to produce nitrates.

spw4949 · 03/30/2010, 07:39 AM

On smaller systems you can manage excess proteins in water via frequent (every 5-7 days) water changes and mechanical filtration IMO is good because it allows the use of carbon which again, in a smaller system can be a good thing to remove excess organic pollutants........I know everyone seems to think that canister filters are "nitrate traps" but I would say just like anything else if maintained properly they are IMO an excellent addition to a tank.....for example, I have a marineland HOB (hang on back) canister filter that I use on my reef tank to run carbon, I clean it out every 2 weeks & replace the carbon & have never had any issues......I would say if your going to use a canister you really do have to practice good husbandry, clean any sponges at least bi-weekly & change carbon every 3-4 weeks, how many trays are in that canister?

jpruitt · 03/30/2010, 07:53 AM

+1 for a skimmer

Mounda · 03/30/2010, 09:20 AM

HOB skimmer if you want to keep those corals healthy, the canister would be great if this was a fish only tank.

spw4949 · 03/30/2010, 09:51 AM

IMO, always a good idea to run carbon in a reef tank, corals can(& usually at some point do) release all sorts of stuff into the water column......everyone keeps saying skimmer but why???? In this particular set-up if he isn't able to have both I would go with the frequent water change/canister method for reasons stated above.......

onecoder · 03/30/2010, 10:31 AM

I don't think that there is a right or wrong answer to this question.

It comes down to doing regular water changes, and keeping your parameters in line.

With the filter you will have a bit more work to keep it clean but you get to run carbon.

I would go with both if you can make it work.

billydan · 03/30/2010, 11:45 AM

now im confused if i have both (protein skimmer and large canister filter) do i still need to do lots of maintanace on the canister? i would like to have as little maintenance as possible...also should i build a sump/refugium with a skimmer and some more live rock? i wouldnt have room for that and the cannister

basicly i would like to have my corals as healthy as possible with as little maintenance as possible and as little eqiupment as possible (due to space)

im sure the more equipment the less maintenance but id like a healthy middle ground

spw4949 · 03/30/2010, 12:21 PM

We all would like to have healthy corals w/o a lot of equipment & maintainence but unfortunately they kind of go hand in hand.......I would consider my tank healthy & successful & I spend probably an average of about 45min/day on my tank, that's on average. If you could add a sump/fuge it's never a bad thing........ increasing the water volume adds to system stability & IMO it's always nice to be able to hide your equipment.......

spw4949 · 03/30/2010, 12:22 PM

I forgot, you always have to maintain a canister on a reef system, I clean mine every 2 weeks religiously......

brycerb · 03/30/2010, 02:05 PM

I saw a hang on back filter with a built in skimmer in a pet solutions magazine.

Sugar Magnolia · 03/30/2010, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brycerb

I saw a hang on back filter with a built in skimmer in a pet solutions magazine.

I think you are referring to the Skilter HOB/skimmer combo. From what I have read is several forums, it's a piece of junk. Not really effective skimming.

03/30/2010, 01:56 AM	#1
billydan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 11	skimmer or canister? hey i have a 25 gal reef tank with lots of shrimp and crabs, 5 fish, 5 corals and a large canister filter meant more for a 50 gal. i dont have room to add a skimmer so i need to know if im better off with a skimmer and get rid of the canister or if i should really try to find a way to fit both...or if i dont need to worry about it please comment thanks

03/30/2010, 05:03 AM	#4
capnfritz Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cleveland Posts: 170	IMO depends on your SB and LR. If you have enough, then you can do the berlin method. If you dont, then you will need the canister. __________________ capnfritz Current Tank Info: 75 gal mixed reef,55 gal. Species

03/30/2010, 06:55 AM	#5
spw4949 Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Albany, N.Y. Posts: 1,594	Could you downsize & run a smaller HOB filter & still have room for a skimmer? __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 46 gal bowfront, mixed reef, 2x250W current outer orbit w/4x39W T5 ,10 gal fuge....38 gallon aggressive FOWLR, 10 gallon sump.

03/30/2010, 07:39 AM	#7
spw4949 Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Albany, N.Y. Posts: 1,594	On smaller systems you can manage excess proteins in water via frequent (every 5-7 days) water changes and mechanical filtration IMO is good because it allows the use of carbon which again, in a smaller system can be a good thing to remove excess organic pollutants........I know everyone seems to think that canister filters are "nitrate traps" but I would say just like anything else if maintained properly they are IMO an excellent addition to a tank.....for example, I have a marineland HOB (hang on back) canister filter that I use on my reef tank to run carbon, I clean it out every 2 weeks & replace the carbon & have never had any issues......I would say if your going to use a canister you really do have to practice good husbandry, clean any sponges at least bi-weekly & change carbon every 3-4 weeks, how many trays are in that canister? __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 46 gal bowfront, mixed reef, 2x250W current outer orbit w/4x39W T5 ,10 gal fuge....38 gallon aggressive FOWLR, 10 gallon sump.

03/30/2010, 09:51 AM	#10
spw4949 Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Albany, N.Y. Posts: 1,594	IMO, always a good idea to run carbon in a reef tank, corals can(& usually at some point do) release all sorts of stuff into the water column......everyone keeps saying skimmer but why???? In this particular set-up if he isn't able to have both I would go with the frequent water change/canister method for reasons stated above....... __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 46 gal bowfront, mixed reef, 2x250W current outer orbit w/4x39W T5 ,10 gal fuge....38 gallon aggressive FOWLR, 10 gallon sump.

03/30/2010, 03:08 AM	#2
cartouche Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: camberley uk Posts: 209	All those who say 'both' say 'aye' .... Aye... !!

03/30/2010, 03:17 AM	#3
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	to be honest how are your water parameters? the best is to have both but you can prob. get away without a skimmer if you do regular weekly water changes and your parameters are good.

03/30/2010, 07:18 AM	#6
CyCLoBoT Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 50	Personally, I would recommend that you get a skimmer. It's far more beneficial to have a skimmer than a canister filter. With the canister filter, you have to clean it very often or else they tend to produce nitrates.

03/30/2010, 07:53 AM	#8
jpruitt Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Sherman TX Posts: 139	+1 for a skimmer

03/30/2010, 09:20 AM	#9
Mounda Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 452	HOB skimmer if you want to keep those corals healthy, the canister would be great if this was a fish only tank.

03/30/2010, 10:31 AM	#11
onecoder Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 273	I don't think that there is a right or wrong answer to this question. It comes down to doing regular water changes, and keeping your parameters in line. With the filter you will have a bit more work to keep it clean but you get to run carbon. I would go with both if you can make it work.

03/30/2010, 11:45 AM	#12
billydan Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 11	im confused now im confused if i have both (protein skimmer and large canister filter) do i still need to do lots of maintanace on the canister? i would like to have as little maintenance as possible...also should i build a sump/refugium with a skimmer and some more live rock? i wouldnt have room for that and the cannister basicly i would like to have my corals as healthy as possible with as little maintenance as possible and as little eqiupment as possible (due to space) im sure the more equipment the less maintenance but id like a healthy middle ground

03/30/2010, 12:21 PM	#13
spw4949 Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Albany, N.Y. Posts: 1,594	We all would like to have healthy corals w/o a lot of equipment & maintainence but unfortunately they kind of go hand in hand.......I would consider my tank healthy & successful & I spend probably an average of about 45min/day on my tank, that's on average. If you could add a sump/fuge it's never a bad thing........ increasing the water volume adds to system stability & IMO it's always nice to be able to hide your equipment....... __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 46 gal bowfront, mixed reef, 2x250W current outer orbit w/4x39W T5 ,10 gal fuge....38 gallon aggressive FOWLR, 10 gallon sump.

03/30/2010, 12:22 PM	#14
spw4949 Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Albany, N.Y. Posts: 1,594	I forgot, you always have to maintain a canister on a reef system, I clean mine every 2 weeks religiously...... __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 46 gal bowfront, mixed reef, 2x250W current outer orbit w/4x39W T5 ,10 gal fuge....38 gallon aggressive FOWLR, 10 gallon sump.

03/30/2010, 02:05 PM	#15
brycerb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Isle of wight, VA Posts: 541	I saw a hang on back filter with a built in skimmer in a pet solutions magazine. __________________ -Luckily, my wife is reef safe so I can use my normal income for this hobby. -My cichlids love RO waste! Current Tank Info: 7.5 gallon box with water in it.