Skimmerless?

[Gooburz]

No skimmer needed for that tank. One thing I've noticed is people love to throw around money in this hobby and don't need too, and love to suggest you buying a $300+ part for a tank that costs half that and doesn't need it.

 

Bi-weekly water changes, Aquaclear hob with filter floss and carbon, and don't over feed. But you could let someone here talk you into buying $100's in stuff you don't need and can take that extra few sec to do yourself.

[FishBrawler]

DON'T USE A TANK THAT WAS USED PREVIOUSLY IN FRESHWATER! That is a no no!

[Chadf]

No skimmer needed for that tank. One thing I've noticed is people love to throw around money in this hobby and don't need too, and love to suggest you buying a $300+ part for a tank that costs half that and doesn't need it. Bi-weekly water changes, Aquaclear hob with filter floss and carbon, and don't over feed. But you could let someone here talk you into buying $100's in stuff you don't need and can take that extra few sec to do yourself.

Money ain't a thing, I bought a generator to run my whole house just for the fish tank.

 

DON'T USE A TANK THAT WAS USED PREVIOUSLY IN FRESHWATER! That is a no no!

Care to elaborate?

[Walker]

DON'T USE A TANK THAT WAS USED PREVIOUSLY IN FRESHWATER! That is a no no!

I'd refute this, because my current tank was previously used in freshwater. You do have to clean the tank really well (I used vinegar twice), and make sure that the tank was never medicated.

[dtitus1]

I'd refute this, because my current tank was previously used in freshwater. You do have to clean the tank really well (I used vinegar twice), and make sure that the tank was never medicated.

 

Agreed.

 

Also not a big fan from everything I've seen about skimmers. My next tank build I'm trying a new approach and using 2 aquaclears, a 70 for a fuge, and an ac30 with floss, chaeto, purigen, and phosguard as needed over paying big bucks for a skimmer that can use up trace elements and commit pod genocide.. I also have a a bunch of display macros which I think add nice diversity to the tank.

[FishBrawler]

Agreed.

 

Also not a big fan from everything I've seen about skimmers. My next tank build I'm trying a new approach and using 2 aquaclears, a 70 for a fuge, and an ac30 with floss, chaeto, purigen, and phosguard as needed over paying big bucks for a skimmer that can use up trace elements and commit pod genocide.. I also have a a bunch of display macros which I think add nice diversity to the tank.

 

I'd refute this, because my current tank was previously used in freshwater. You do have to clean the tank really well (I used vinegar twice), and make sure that the tank was never medicated.

 

I was on the assumption that it was medicated.

[kalireefer]

Agreed.

 

Also not a big fan from everything I've seen about skimmers. My next tank build I'm trying a new approach and using 2 aquaclears, a 70 for a fuge, and an ac30 with floss, chaeto, purigen, and phosguard as needed over paying big bucks for a skimmer that can use up trace elements and commit pod genocide.. I also have a a bunch of display macros which I think add nice diversity to the tank.

I don't agree with ya on the whole pod genocide I've ran skimmers on every tank that I have owned as well as my friends setups and we all have mass micro fauna populations and happy coral. I'm not saying the whole skimmer less thing cant be done, but run a decent skimmer on your tank for a week or two, save the skimmate, and dump it back in your display tank. Can you do it, I think not. Skimmers pull some serious funk out your tank. Period....

[Gooburz]

Not saying skimmers don't work but its not needed in nano reefs. I'd rather put that money into a RO/DI unit and do the MOST IMPORTANT thing for tanks and that is water changes. Best skimmer in the world has nothing on frequent/regular water changes with good quality water.

[Chadf]

Best skimmer in the world has nothing on frequent/regular water changes with good quality water.

 

Or you could do both.

[FlowerMama]

Thanks everyone for showing your beautiful tanks, big or small, with or without macro. I only have a 8 gallon right now but I'd like to do a 20-29 long and go skimmerless- I'd rather spend money on a light, corals, etc. With tanks that size it's not like it's difficult to do a water change weekly. And the information, especially the biology behind it, was helpful. I think the basics can be forgotten and while there are many awesometastic cell phones out there, you know what? Your run of the mill telephone mounted on a wall with, God forbid, a twisted cord...still works. Thanks for this refreshing thread. Kudos to those of you w/ large tanks just rockin' it.

[Neto]

It all depends on the needs of your aquarium. If you have an aquarium full of fish and you cant manage to keep your nitrates at 0 then you need a way to export the waste... A skimmer, refugium and/or water changes are some good options to do this.

 

My opinion is that start with a refugium with chaeto & ulva macro's and small water changes (5% of your total water volume weekly). Then monitor your nitrates to see if they increase. If they do, then you either you have too many fish or you are feeding too much...

[powder blue]

IMO if you go without skimmer you should have enough exprerience otherwise skimmer is cheaper way to keep everything fine.

[NicoS]

A skimmer allows you a greater margin of error. New tanks commonly have more DOC than established tanks, a newer tank is also prone to swings in water stability. Both of these variables become more problematic if your a newer hobbyist. Newer hobbyist over feed, over stock, stock inappropriately. It takes some experience to get water chemistry and the individual tanks chemistry down.

 

With all that said, a 20 gallon skimmerless will be fine if consider that a 20 gallon with a skimmer is easier to run, and one without a skimmer will require more of your time and observation skills.

[Neto]

A skimmer allows you a greater margin of error. New tanks commonly have more DOC than established tanks, a newer tank is also prone to swings in water stability. Both of these variables become more problematic if your a newer hobbyist. Newer hobbyist over feed, over stock, stock inappropriately. It takes some experience to get water chemistry and the individual tanks chemistry down.

 

With all that said, a 20 gallon skimmerless will be fine if consider that a 20 gallon with a skimmer is easier to run, and one without a skimmer will require more of your time and observation skills.

 

Well said..

[FlowerMama]

Neto, the shape of your tank is awesome, jealous here.