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having problem deciding if to skim.


englishreefer

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englishreefer

Im not entirely sure if this deserves this forum. Seeing as their is probably no black and white answer i feel maybe it does.

 

My 36g has been running for 4 yrs now, being moved twice in that time. For the last 18 months the only inhabitants have been an anemone and watchman goby. Over this time i have fed the tank very little (like once a month tops) and the watchman is still very fat.

 

Now i am back from uni i have started restocking. I did a series of large water changes to get my calcium and alk levels up and started dosing kalk (well calc, very confusing, anyway thats in enother thread if you search). My levels now are acceptable but still need raising 350/6. I have since added a largeish acro and hysterix colony, 6" each approx after having a small monti cap frag for couple weeks. I have also just added a 3-4 foxface which will be moved on once he has finished of the macro.

 

My nitrates and phosphates have been undectable as of yet. However i now plan on starting to stock the tank I am really confused as to wether i should run a skimmer. I have a prizm skimmer which i know will far from over skim. In the time the tank has matured and balanced i have gained alot of sponge growth on my live rock, probably 5-6 diff species. I am worried that if i start skimming i might destroy the micro fauna in the tank to there demise.

 

I would like to get a few opinions on this, as i do not have a sump or a fuge on this tank i am unsure if a skimmer is going to become a neccesity.

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Your HH sponge will be fine. SKIM, for the love of acros!

 

In regards to sponges like ball, tree, blue, etc. (like that you would buy at the LFS), you need both heavy feeding *and* good water quality to keep sponges. Thus, the skimmer is ALWAYS a yes. Just turn it off for at least a half-hour when you feed, problem solved. Sort of.....Good luck feeding them enough.

 

But back to hitch-hiker sponges.. They'll be fine. SKIM and get a GOOD skimmer, not the POS Prizm.

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shaggydoo541

Skim... don't skim. It can work either way. I personally do not skim and have a high bioload with colorful acros, but that is not supposed to happen according to most.

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geekreef_05

Crazy suggestions.

 

Keep doing what your doing. If the pollutions levels in your tank steadily rise, then CONSIDER a skimmer. Otherwise, whats the point?

 

I HAD a beautiful red sponge in a FOWLR 75 gallon. The tank is well matured, etc. and runs skimmerless. I found that once nutrients are used up in the system, the sponges were the first to die. They require nutrient rich water, which you can only give them by doing water changes.

 

A skimmer would take out material, but not put anything back, so whats the point if your nitrates are stable/zero?

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englishreefer

Skim!!! Skim I tell you!!

Skim!!! Skim I tell you!!

 

thanks for that educated advice Choadmeyer. Yeah i have left it of for now and keeping a close eye on parameters.

 

I think prizms are perfectly good skimmers for small tanks. They just need to set up correctly. Im not claiming they are the dogs balls, but i feel they get bad press from people who have never used one or beginners that chuck them after 3 days.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Skim!!! Skim I tell you!!

 

thanks for that educated advice Choadmeyer. Yeah i have left it of for now and keeping a close eye on parameters.

 

I think prizms are perfectly good skimmers for small tanks. They just need to set up correctly. Im not claiming they are the dogs balls, but i feel they get bad press from people who have never used one or beginners that chuck them after 3 days.

 

I had a prizm skimmer on a 55 gal fowler a long time ago. It worked great untell after 5-6 months. It started to constantly overflow and needed constant adjustment. What a PITA.

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Helfrichs Chick

No skimmer here. I thinks its just one more thing you have to mess with. PITA. I only have a pair of clowns (18g), and feed pellet by pellet and strain all my frozen foods but I am kinda OCD with my water quality. I say no skimming for now but TEST your tank once every couple weeks. If you see the trates getting out of hand and your doing water changes then add one. I would get a Remora, they are great little skimmers and not too much of an eye sore.

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