Skimmer required or not?

[6gal_nanoman]

I have a 6 gallon Eclipse w/32 watt pc retrofit light with a whisper mini filter and mini-jet 404. It's going to be a coral tank w/fish and I want your opinion if a skimmer is needed or not if I do a 2 gal water change ever week and rise the filter pad out every other day.

[kennerd]

no need. Especially if you keep your bio-load down (read-1 fish, or 2 very small fish (snall variety gobies). provided that you don't have the waste issue: after it's established, your tank will not really need the filter pad.

[fishbabies]

i would recommend a 1 gallon water change. sometimes new water and how it is introduced can be more stressful to livestock. 2 gallons might be like re-acclimating your fish on a weekly basis.

 

i use 2 filter pads.....one is rinsed and drying while the other is in the tank. every 5-7 days for the rinse and change should be sufficient...rinsing the carbon in tap every other day might exhaust it faster than normal

 

i wish i didn't need filter pads....my water gets all silty when i don't use it for more than couple days