xbwolfx Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 xbwolfx - thanks for making a noob feel welcome. I was referring to a cheap skimmer vs spending a few more $ to get a more reputable brand. The posts above my comment was recommendations on brand "A" vs brand "B". you also said that you wanted a skimmer that doesn't require a sump. i suggested two excellent hang-on back skimmers and boomboy suggested a bunch of skimmers that required a sump or additional plumbing. so how was boomboy's suggestion better than mine? doesn't make much sense to me, but whatever. also, noob Link to comment
dangeroo2 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 wow, this thread got ugly in a hurry.................. Link to comment
HecticDialectics Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 So I'm confused. Are you getting a sump or not? And are you getting a skimmer or not? And Tenecors are pretty fancy tanks! Already got $$$ invested in it... I'd personally just go ahead and go all out. Link to comment
chironerd21 Posted December 18, 2008 Share Posted December 18, 2008 Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions guys. I do want to go down the right path. The tank coming from Tenecor will be reef ready. It sounds like the skimmer is a beneficial piece of equipment and I am prepared to spend the $200-$300 on a skimmer. Are there skimmers that do not need a sump/refugium? A sump is not a must. As previous members say its more beneficial due to increase biofiltration. If you keep your tank in a relative good state, and do you regular water changes and livestock in check it should be fine. Make sure you get lots and lots of liverock... fish only tank rely alot on the biological filtration of the liverock. I say get at least 50-60lbs of it. A skimmer is a very good idea for fish. Fish produce tons of crap , more so than corals. A skimmer is a must IMO.... Another thing that been popular lately is the HOB refugiums. They are inexpensive and can add tons of benefits to your tank. It removes phosphates (algae problems) and nitrates (fish killer).... I have a 20 gallon tank... with a simple Prizm skimmer and a Odyssea HOB refugium ... it ran me a total of 40 buxs for the skimmer used... and around 100 dollars for the HOB refugium setup/light/pump. Add some mineral mud and cheato and you are good to go!!! Hope this helps.... I just find that going all natural is better than relying on mechanical filters... also for a decent mechanical filters these days (running over 100s of dollars)... and the maintenance schedule for them... its just a hassle and not much benefit. Yes the skimmer and refugium takes some $$ to set up... but in the long run you get more natural benefits and its almost maintenance free (except for emptying the skimmer cup) Link to comment
speakyourmind Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 are you ####ing kidding me? that isn't at all what you said. ^ is it the time of the month for you? anyways Im also new to SW but many people who I have spoken to before starting my tank aren't using sumps in their elaborate reef tanks. Just good flow, lots of LR, a quality HOB skimmer , and weekly water changes and your good to go. A sump is definitely a big plus, but if u don't have 1 no big deal either Link to comment
Monkfish Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 A buddy of mine has his FOWLR tank running just fine with a Rena Canister filter and a Aqua Clear hang on with a Korallia power head to increase circulation. Just do what your buddy did if it works and do it in a smaller tank instead. Save money well thats set up see how the family enjoys it and if all is well get what you need for the 55g/sump setup later on down the road. Link to comment
dilbert Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 If you stick really with a few nemos only in a 55G tank then you don't need much of anything and with that bioload it's cheap and easy to maintain. I got now only two cleaners in a 22G tank. That's maybe not what "people" like to see but I like it. No bioload - no probs ... What a nice and peaceful tank ... Link to comment
masterbuilder Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Nope..its new school not to use one. Never had one on my tanks and its worked well for me. Link to comment
hsif Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 It isn't old school. You can have a successful tank with HOB and canister filters. Link to comment
svvad Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 It sure is possible to not have a tank but do you really want your tank to look like a science project with crap going in and out everywhere ? Link to comment
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