Is there really a need for a skimmer in a nano?

[TomD]

Long story short I have used my skimmer about 6 days out of the 3 months the tank has been up (29 Biocube). As of this week exactly the small hair algae bloom I had has gone away and the last of the cyano seems to be fading daily. Corals are all thriving and growing crazy. I change 5 gallons weekly. I use a phosphate pad just to catch debris where there is no sump but if I have no bad algae, water is clear, and corals thriving, why even run the skimmer unless I have a problem?

 

[STiTCH87]

The simple answer is, nope!

Water changes work better than a skimmer long as you keep up with them and use the exact same salinity and temp water every time.

Like you said "Why run the skimmer unless I have a problem?" Exactly! Don't run it, I haven't used one on my past 3 tanks (well to be fair one had an algae turf scrubber which i recommend over a skimmer any day to anyone with a sump) but still. Zero issues.

 

[CrypticLifeStyle]

I haven't run one even though I have one for my 27g cube in the 9 months its been running. No algae issues at all. I was doing 5g water changes a week, but now I do them every 2 weeks. Everything is good.

 

[delta]

As long as you stay within what the tank can handle it isn't a problem. But as you ramp up you biolaod you will want to re-assess

Why run one? it is a buffer zone and gives you some leeway. Are the necessary No but it depends on the person and their husbandry practices. Someone who is OCD about husbandry will have different result as someone who is not

 

[TomD]

Greg and all thanks for the feedback. The reasoning behind my question was because there are certainly extra nutrients in my tank because I don't know how else to explain this rapid coral growth and if all of my algae is now almost gone I am just going to keep it in there for a reason where I may need it. I do have every LED slot filled so it is probably the light too.

I got this awesome golden suess chalice from B on Friday..came on a star plug which i could see and 6 days later its already encrusted over that and almost onto the rock!

As for bio I am at my chosen max capacity and the tank has handled it well. 2 O clowns, 1 randels goby, 1 purple firefish. IMO that is max if I want to keep it easy to keep clean and algae free.

As long as you stay within what the tank can handle it isn't a problem. But as you ramp up you biolaod you will want to re-assess

Why run one? it is a buffer zone and gives you some leeway. Are the necessary No but it depends on the person and their husbandry practices. Someone who is OCD about husbandry will have different result as someone who is not

 

[saltwaterB]

Everyone is right on the mark here....my problem is I like Fish WAY too much and overstock EVERY tank I set up...lol and my Corals suffer...but I just luv my fishies....

like my 9 gallon with 2 midnight Clowns, Harlequin Tusk, Meleagris Leopard Wrasse, Spotted Trimma Goby, and 2 yasa hashe Goby...am I at my max capacity???...lol I just keep changing water

I always tell people...do as I say...not as I do...lol

remember, I have 300--600 gallons of pre-mixed saltwater ready to go at any given time....so a water change is not all that hard to do...

 

[STiTCH87]

Everyone is right on the mark here....my problem is I like Fish WAY too much and overstock EVERY tank I set up...lol and my Corals suffer...but I just luv my fishies....

like my 9 gallon with 2 midnight Clowns, Harlequin Tusk, Meleagris Leopard Wrasse, Spotted Trimma Goby, and 2 yasa hashe Goby...am I at my max capacity???...lol I just keep changing water

I always tell people...do as I say...not as I do...lol

remember, I have 300--600 gallons of pre-mixed saltwater ready to go at any given time....so a water change is not all that hard to do...

Lol I REALLY hope you mean to say 90 gallon!!! ::

 

[TomD]

Ok heres the proof B, 7 days. covered both end of the star plug and onto rock and color has actually improved. Hard to tell with pics.

 

[saltwaterB]

Lol I REALLY hope you mean to say 90 gallon!!! ::

Nope...that is my 9 gallon.....Eheim aquastyle Nano....


I think you would fall over if I listed all 29 Fish that are in my 70 gallon tank.....lol
Just finished the 30 gallon water change and tested Nitrate before the change...less than 5ppm....

 

[saltwaterB]

Tom,

the growth on that Chalice is nuts......can I give you them to grow out...then bring them back in a week and I can charge double...lol

That is what I like to see....everything doing exactly what it should....

 

[STiTCH87]

I'm assuming the harlequin is a baby then? (^_-) Hahaha that's so crazy. Props for keeping the tank healthy with that strong a bioload! How long has it been running?

And WOW that is some seriously impressive chalice growth!!!

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[TomD]

Stitch I love the last line of your sig, "empty wallet." lol. That's why I chose such a small setup but the strategy still hasn't worked as well as I thought. I have a good amount of cash sunk into this mini ocean but it's worth it to me.

 

[TomD]

B, feel free to give me every expensive lps you want for me to grow every piece I have taken home with the exception of the purple cap have all grown faster than I have seen in any of my tanks in 9 years in the hobby. I think its a combo of utilizing every led slot, 5 gallon change every Friday which is a good % for the tank size. I also shut the pump and use this coral smoothy stuff i got from you every other day. I do it when the lights are off and all the LPS have their feeders fully open.

The tubs blue zoos i got from you had 3 polyps 3 weeks ago and its almost at 10 so it isn't just LPS!

 

[STiTCH87]

Stitch I love the last line of your sig, "empty wallet." lol. That's why I chose such a small setup but the strategy still hasn't worked as well as I thought. I have a good amount of cash sunk into this mini ocean but it's worth it to me.

Lol I tell nothing but the truth!

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[reefstarter]

lol you guys are great !!! my take on skimmers is this . on a nano , not really unless you are B lol . they are definitely a buffer from "contaminants " I started a thread on going skimmerless and while that thread was active I had my skimmer off . I developed a cyano outbreak for doing so lol but is cyano really that bad ? every organism on the planet uses some sort of it , as well as UV who are we to decide if thats what should be ? from the start of my reefing and saltwater I believed that our tanks should almost be self sustaining , supplimenting what can not be produced is all , and finding the balance of that and what works for each individual is what this hobby is about IMO . while tossing some scientific hooplah in the mix for our benefit of understanding . But LIFE always finds a way

 

[STiTCH87]

That's exactly why I don't battle my diatom issue I've had on my sand bed for years. Diatoms are everywhere. It's natural. This whole snow white sand and perfectly clean rockscape is not how nature intended.

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[TomD]

Stitch not sure I agree with you there, if your bioload is low and you change enough water you can easily have almost nothing but film algae and I am almost there with this tank and most of my tanks wound up with very little algae once established. Sometimes I would shorten my lighting cycle but with enough consistent water changes and proper calcium, phosphate readings, etc., with a manageable bio load, you can certainly have all purple covered rock with almost no diatoms/cyano/bubble etc. With all the tanks I have had I am convinced people overcomplicate and it is just all about bio load and water changes. With this tank the rock has all turned purple much faster too because I am changing 5 g a week on a 29g tank and with the good amount of rock I have I am probably changing 25% water each week. I understand thats a lot more work on a larger tank. I am using Red Sea Coral Pro salt and all my levels are good, no dosing needed so imo if people did enough water changes a lot of money in equipment for dosing, skimmers, on and on can be avoided.

 

[STiTCH87]

That's actually basically the same point as what I was saying. My statement of having diatoms and not caring was about my new tank. Sorry I usually use Instagram so I forgot you all didn't know I have a Nuvo 16 now. I meant in the respect of the tank having a long natural cycle and I've done nothing chemically to remove any algae or diatom growth aside from in the glass as I like nature to take its own course. Sorry I guess i left out quite a bit of info on that. Lol

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[TomD]

Guess i misunderstood so were actually on the same page. Natural reefs have plenty of fresh water changes and thats that. That's what's always worked for me but on all of my tanks I had larger than 50 I found a good skimmer needed but that's it.

 

[STiTCH87]

Have you ever tried an ATS Tom? Like a properly seeded, quality built one? It basically imitates how our natural reefs process waste. From what I've personally experienced and read and seen and tested, they are capable of out performing even a skimmer if done correctly. Many don't even do a waterchange with one but rather top off then add traces manually. It's amazing. I know that guy in Bridgewater with the big fish tank room uses one. Not sure his maintenance care on it, but I know he has a nice one. I swore by mine but I no longer have a sump.

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