Not using skimmers?

[Lianne]

I know how good skimmers are but I have seen setups that do not use a skimmer. I know lots of small tanks (10 gal) won't fit a skimmer on the back at all. Why would some people not use a skimmer at all and if so what other measures do they take for cleaning?

[Brianc_4]

The thinking behind not using a skimmer in a nano, is that if you have enough live rock, the chemical process that occurs in low oxygen enviornments which converts nitrates to nitrogen and oxygen will be enough to keep the nitrates under control.As long as you do frequent water changes. Some will go even further and say that in a small tank you are sucking out a lot of life from your mini eco-system.

Although there are plenty of people on this board who have had success without a skimmer. I, personally perfer to use one. I do weekly water changes in a tank with a fairly low bio load, and the amount of gunk that my skimmer collects is still substantial. I can not help to think if I did not have the skimmer all that crap would be in my system. In addition, when things go wrong in a nano, they go wrong fast. The skimmer may by you a little time if a snail dies, before your system crashes. As far as the skimmer sucking too much life out of the tank, I haven't seen it. I skim my tank 24/7 and at night my sand bed looks like static from the amount of movement.

So, to make a long post even longer, it most certainly can be done succesfully without a skimmer, but it takes a closer eye and more vigilence than with one with a skimmer. For smaller tanks like the 10gal you mentioned there are options. If your tank is flush with the stand it does not matter how long the skimmer is. If it is on a desk top you can lenghten the intake and output tubes so it reaches. Prizms would fit without any adjustments, Bak Paks will fit with minor adjustments. And remoras I'm not sure about, but I know some on this board use them.

Hope this helps;)

[Lianne]

I think that covered it all.

[Mnesarchus]

Smaller tanks dont need skimmers. In fact, skimmers are kind of useless alltogether if you have good liverock and circulation. My tank has strong current, live sand, and liverock.

[achu]

I can't speak to whether a nano "needs" a skimmer or not... but I do know that my bakpak skimmer really helped out when my tank was cycling the past month. I barely noticed the spikes on my nitrates or my ammonia (then again you can argue that it was my live rock that helped!)

 

It hasn't taken the life out of my tank since my sand bed is just crawling with life to the point where I'm now considering getting a fish or SOMETHING to get rid of some of the creepy crawly things all over my tank...

 

My only problems with the cpr is that it is a little tall for my tank... so when the outflow goes into my tank, it seems to "push" air bubbles into the tank. I checked the outflow water... it doesn't have bubbles.. the bubbles happen when the water goes into the tank. Well, I was given a montipora the other day... and places where the microbubbles "stick" seem to die. Is it really dying? or are the polyps just in hiding? My water tests fine and all the rest of the polyps are out and doing great! (much to my surprise...) just some small areas where there were bubbles seem bald...

 

achu

[SaltyDog]

Lianne,

 

Here are my thoughts on the subject... And you know what they say about opinions.

 

I originally was turned on to using a skimmer from the guy that got me interested in this addictive hobby. I started out with using a skimmer, actually bought 2 of them, trying to find *one* that I liked for a 10gal of mine. While both skimmers were good at "pulling crap out of the water", I got sick and tired of the bubbles in the tank and the noise they produced.

 

So, I decided to take the leap, and try the tank 'skimmerless'. After reading here, it seemed like there was alot of mixed emotion about the topic. Ahh, decided to proceed cautiously anyways.

 

Well, I was quite surprised at the results of doing so. My tank looks 100 times better. Life is much more plentiful now, and growing so much better.

 

But, I have to admit, I have always been religious with my water changes. I think that's key here. Once a week, a do a partiel change, and throughout the week, I'll skim that oh-so-attractive "oil skin" off the top of the water. Doing that, my tank has been growing leaps and bounds since.

 

Just my two cents, and I would recommend it to others. But, remember that a skimmer helps a newbie out.. ie. overfeeding and the like.

 

That's my $.02

[Paul G]

Just another thought - when I've had occasion to turn my skimmer off overnight, the pH is lower in the morning than if the skimmer was running.

[floppyfish]

How do you skimm that "oil skin" of the surface. I just noticed last night that I have a lil' bit forming. Any help would nice. I know where its coming from, and I was a few days late on my water change so it showed up, but know how do I get rid of it?

 

Thanks Matt.

[kimura]

This is a really great post. From reading many post here there are many that do not use skimmers. When I first read the information section on filtration, the need for skimming wasn't deemed necessary.

But after more post came up on skimming, it now seems useful for the novice keeper to have them until they have developed more skill and knowledge on nano reef keeping. But still even the most advanced keepers will insist that skimming is necessary in any reef environment.

I am perplexed on this issue and the more knowledge I aquire the more thought goes into this.

 

I hate this new passion of mine.......... But yet I'm drawn to it's siren call.