Why use a skimmer on a nano?

For what reason does one choose to run a skimmer on a tank 20g or less? It appears to me, in my experience, that a skimmer is a completely unnecessary piece of equipment for such a small tank where water changes are very painlessly and easily done on a regular basis. Is it just to satisfy the need for "things/technology" or is there something I just don't know?

Because it still helps with the water quality...and anything you can do to make the water quality good is always good. It isn't necessary since we have to do so many water changes anyway, but like I said--it still helps and it doesn't hurt. If you don't mind spending for it and have a place for it, I say go for it...otherwise, it won't kill your tank if you don't have one.

Originally posted by rbaby

Because it still helps with the water quality...and anything you can do to make the water quality good is always good.  It isn't necessary since we have to do so many water changes anyway, but like I said--it still helps and it doesn't hurt.  If you don't mind spending for it and have a place for it, I say go for it...otherwise, it won't kill your tank if you don't have one.

If you run a skimmer you have to dose as well, right?

I am asking bc in the past I setup a 10g w/o a skimmer and it ran so beautifully. NOw I am setting up a 20g, and I have the money to get one if I need one, but I am trying to assess whether I actually do. I like simplicity. Right now it appears to me that a skimmer is an unnecessary expense, that also requires the added expense of dosing nutrients. I am trying to figure out whether I am right or wrong

i run a aquac skimmer, and still do weekly water changes(so i dont have to dose). in my 24G( i just hang it on overnight), this has really taken my tank to the next level! You wont believe how much skimmate it pulls out, and my corals are the healthiest i have ever seen them. I will never go back to skimmerless, in my opinion, best thing i have ever done.

imo

Mike:)

Originally posted by mikedege

i run a aquac skimmer, and still do weekly water changes(so i dont have to dose). in my 24G( i just hang it on overnight), this has really taken my tank to the next level! You wont believe how much skimmate it pulls out, and my corals are the healthiest i have ever seen them. I will never go back to skimmerless, in my opinion, best thing i have ever done.

 

imo

Mike:)

Thanks for the input. So you only run the skimmer at night?

question. I always thought a skimmer only removed dissolved organics.

What would you be dosing?

Skimmers can and will remove desirable nutrients, I dont run one on my 12.5, no need, weekly water changes does it for me, and I just add calcium and buffer when needed.

. "Less technology more biology" john h tullock

IMO it all comes down to how many and how large of fish you want to keep. How bad are you going to "pollute" the water with fish food and how bad are those fish going to "pollute" the water with waste?

"Less technology, more biology."

Okay...our tanks are garbage dumps compared to true coral reefs.

The protein skimmer allows us to make them more closely resemble the real McCoy.

The skimmer is one of those pieces of technology that allows us to more closely replicate nature, not try to improve on it (with things like UV Sterilizers, Ozone, etc).

Cheers,

Fred

yes, i only hang it on at night, because its so big, and wouldnt look good on during display hours.

-Mike

Fred, Do you run one?

Bak-Pak 2R, run 24-7 along with activated carbon 24-7.

It's my strong belief that the cleaner and purer you can make your water, the better the results you'll have with most corals (especially SPS).

Cheers,

Fred

Originally posted by FAC_WNY

Bak-Pak 2R, run 24-7 along with activated carbon 24-7.  

 

It's my strong belief that the cleaner and purer you can make your water, the better the results you'll have with most corals (especially SPS).

 

Cheers,  

Fred

Fred, quick question for ya. I know that you are a cyclopeeze fan (me too). I feed my tank both that and a Phyto, similar to DT's. I am thinking about implementing a skimmer and was wondering if it would remove these from the water? Doesn't carbon, also? I'm just inwardly contemplating the circle/cycle of adding nutrients and then buying equipment that takes them right back out, and was looking for other opinions. Your thoughts?

MO

Yes it does/will pull them out.

It's kind of a mixed blessing...on the one hand, you may have to "overfeed" a bit..on the other hand, what you do overfeed will get pulled out of the system before decomposing and causing nutrient issues.

IME, you can strike a good balance between the two and wind up with a happy tank.

Cheers,

Fred

What kind of skimmer can you put in a 10g? Or whats the smallerst skimmer out there for a 10G?

Sorry to but in with my question in thes forum.

Fred you speak the truth, but on smaller tanks they really dont need them as much, as Stack has stated it depends on " how much you want to poluute the water" there are ways to get around without using a skimmer. Yes one would make an advantage, on small systems W.C.'s does that for you. All points are valid, depends on how you really feel about them I suppose.

ktownhero, you started a great discussion.

A small skimmer for a ten?

Skilter if you want to go cheap and burden yourself with problems, but everyone I asked always went with the remora, and they prooved to be right.

Thanx i will look them up and read up.

try to go with the remora, skilters no good

I tried a CPR BakPak briefly (as in 20 minutes) and decided I didn't want it. It was just too much equipment for my tiny tank. Don't get me wrong, a CPR is a nice skimmer but for me it's too much noise, too tall, too big - too far away from what I want on/in my tank. Right now I am building the skimmer featured in the thread "smallest external protein skimmer you've ever seen" and expect to have it online in a a few days.

Originally posted by pdhenderson

Skimmers can and will remove desirable nutrients

Can you elaborate in this statement? Other than Iodine/iodide (which skimming does not remove per se, but it oxidizes the Iodine/iodide into a form that is not bioavailable), and maybe phyto/zoo plankton....what does skimming remove?

oh no here we go again, the "skimming debate"....LOL...

well I am not going to get into the reasons why I will let someone more knowledgable on the subject (onthefly ?) chime in on that..but IMO...SKIMM I just ordered the NEW coralife super skimmer (needle wheel) for my 20L (with a 10 sump)that I am putting together if you are lookin for a skimmer you may want to check it out...here is a link to a post on RC about it ]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...id=563298

heh, i just finished writing something about this on on steelhealrs thread... i'll just re post:

Really nice thread... reads like a science fair project!

I've been catching up on this thread and I wanted to toss in my 2cents on skimmers...

Back on page five you wrote:

"Interesting thought...we all read so much here about the 'nitrate traps'...bioballs, sponges, ceramic beads. Yet...isn't a pile of LR rubble a mechanical filter of sorts?? Why can't this area become a 'nitrate trap' as well?? Food for thought. SH"

yes, if a pile of live rock rubble is trapping suspended particular organic matter from the water column then it certainly will be a source of nitrates... in fact if the d.o.p.s(disolved organic particles) stay in the water column at all, then the nitrifiying bacteria on the rock it self will act as a "nitrate" factory...

the idea behind the "berlin" method is to first of all have an efficent method of removing dops from the water column... secondly, we want to keep all the the undesireables in the water column for easy removal... not trapped behind rocks due to poor circulation or clinging to filter medium...

Water changes are a good way of exporting dops... but the peroidic nature of such changes is why having a protein skimmer on a tank is "always" (there i said it) better then not.

With continual protein removal, not to mention efficent water oxygenition, the skimmer will enhance water quality and livestock health... also gives you some margin of error in terms of feeding, which I would argue adds, not detracts, from keeping various creatures well fed...

heh, or not... just my thoughts.

Again, thanks for the thread, looking good. Some guys at the LFS are trying to put togather a skimmer that fits the back compartment in the 24NC... i was going to help them with some arclyic work. Dunno if they're going to sell them, but i'll try to get a hold of the plans...

If you got SPS its must.

Also there are people wondering if they should get skimmer and which ones. Here is my take on skimmer.

Any skimmer is better then no skimmer.

I understand the logic behind having a skimmer on a nano with sps but what do you all think about a ricordia/zoanthid only nano? I've read comments that state zos like a certain amount of dissovled organics. what'cha think?

DH

Just wondering how people overskimming manage to keep amazing reefs?