Is skimmer good for reef?

[MillerLite]

MillerLite,

My nanocube is running on Refugium and my quarntine is running on Prizm Skimmer.

 

I don't think this thread is the worste ever, everyone has different opinion on it. I agree skimmers do a heck of a good job, but somes skimmers has disadvantages. So I started this thread and see peoples opinion on this thread. A lot of articals does not agree skimmers are good, and some others do. I'm just trying to understand waht poeple can say about it.

 

Check back to what I wrote. I never said that this thread is the worst ever..I said that his appears to be the most discussed topic ever. As I stated, go with what works for you. The necessity of the skimmer however may depend more your tank inhabitants and I do believe that not all tanks require a skimmer to be successful. Any additional money that you are willing to throw at your tank however may make it better to hold a greater variety of creatures, but it wont necessarily be more successful.

 

I'm still on the fence. I used a aquac remora skimmer for a year or so and didnt notice any difference in growth in the corals when I stopped using it. So again, in my setup including my water change regimen, my supplementation schedule, etc. , it may have not have been necessary. Others with different permutations including type of corals may require it. Thats all.

 

Oh and do a quick search on this site. There are many many people with nano reefs less than 20 gallons that do not use skimmers. To say their tanks are not successful or that they fail to see the need for a skimmer is a ridiculous claim. Do a search, check it out, if you think it isnt true....

[Ickypimp]

skimming afew hours a day or skimmin longer has the same net effect...

 

If you skim intemittently you pull out accumulated "crap" more quickly, if you skim for longer periods the crud production takes longer..

 

hare and the tortoise IMHO

[roach0matic]

I'm still on the fence. I used a aquac remora skimmer for a year or so and didnt notice any difference in growth in the corals when I stopped using it.

This says it all. If you change water like you should, using a skimmer removes very little if any of the trace elements needed for coral growth. It does, however, remove many of the nutrients and excess protiens that cause coral decline.

 

The benefits far outweigh any negative aspect of using a quality protien skimmer. Look at the tanks of any successful coral propagation facility, where coral health and growth is put before astetics, and see how many are skimmerless.

[NanoCube-boy]

Sorry millerlite, I meant to say it to Ceasar...

 

I see, it's all dpends now. Sometime skimming can be good, sometimes with out it can be good. I guess it's all depends.

 

In my experience, the quarntine tank I have seem to do better than my nanocube. Well nanocube og is pretty wack anyway compared to my 13gallon Kritter with 36watts, and a prizm deluxe skimmer. With a surface skimmer, the top looks crispy clear.

 

Well lets see, I'm in the process of changing my nanocube sump to a refugium. Hoping it can do better. I guess lets just see.

[mickey85]

well, I'm not running a skimmer on either of my tanks (though I do have a finnex job for when I finally get a sump going), and they're doing perfectly and my corals are reproducing and growing admirably. Guess all that's just gonna stop one day and die, huh?

[NanoCube-boy]

what do you mean mickey "Guess all that's just gonna stop one day and die, huh?" ?

[elklown]

Everything is relative, on a big tank 40 plus with fish, or in a FOWLR tank of anysize some skimming is necessary. However, on a pico or a 10 gallon with proper water changes, I don't think a skimmer at all necessary since what it is intended to remove is easily done with a water change. The real problem is for those of use in between.

 

I want to relate my own purely anecdotal experience. I have a 29 gallon that I have noticed some real changes with regarding a skimmer. First the tank houses a single clam, zoo polyps, and the occasional LPS. I have a comparatively large bioload of fish: 6 fish. Initially I used the Aqua C Remora, by far one of the best skimmers available. This worked fine, but after awhile I had to start dosing after some of my more reef specialized tests kits showed low levels. Things evened out, I can't tell you about coral growth during this period because I upgraded my lights and so any judgment would be tainted. Eventually, however I moved the Remora to a friend's tank and I replaced it with a CPR Backpack a good but less efficent skimmer, after awhile no more dosing seemed to be needed. Circumstances changed again and I added a 29 gallon sump, doubling my water capaciy. No dosing and I up'd my water changes stayed the same about 15% every two weeks, but after a few months I noticed ammonia levels starting to slowly rise, alittle yellow water, etc. I put the Remora back on and in no time I was getting nice thick skimmate and my water paramaters were stable.

 

While there are undoubtably many possibilities for my expeirence, I find that skimming is definently a benefit for those larger nano and definetly for bigger tanks, but the skimmer must also be appropriate for the tank. I think the new Fission Skimmer is going to be a great addition to our hobby, but putting a Remora on a 20L may give you great water but it probably does overdue it!

[mickey85]

what do you mean mickey "Guess all that's just gonna stop one day and die, huh?" ?

 

 

that was a reply to Caesar saying that if you don't run a skimmer, your tank will self combust and the sky will fall on your head for being a bad reefkeeper.

[doncb]

I started skimming 24/7 on my Cube and I could tell that my cup coral absolutely loved the water. Polyp extension like never before. Same for the bubble coral. My leather however hated it. Soon after starting to skim it pulled in its polyps and shrank. I stopped skimming for a couple of days recently and the leather was acting better than it had in the last month. Some corals like it, some don't.

[MillerLite]

I started skimming 24/7 on my Cube and I could tell that my cup coral absolutely loved the water. Polyp extension like never before. Same for the bubble coral. My leather however hated it. Soon after starting to skim it pulled in its polyps and shrank. I stopped skimming for a couple of days recently and the leather was acting better than it had in the last month. Some corals like it, some don't.

 

Great post doncb. That is a good example of how the necessity of a skimmer can depend on your setup and type of corals in your tank. This kind of information can be useful to the often ignorant LFS owners and employees that often generalize about the necessity of a piece of equipment irregardless of the current setup and tank inhabitants. I still believe in the benefits of skimming but I could never prove that it is an absolute necessity to have a skimmer.

 

One piece of info about the leather however is quite possibly, the introduction of a skimmer could have changed the clarity of the water sufficiently that the leather now needs time to adjust to the new light intensity. Maybe reduce your photoperiod a bit and see if this helps. May just take some time for your tank to become acclimated to the new water conditions...

[NanoCube-boy]

seem like my hairy mushroom hates the skimmer in my q.t., but when it's in my nanocube, it opens.

[g0tfish]

Ive had tanks with skimmers and tanks without. Ive had about 3-4 tanks within the 5-15g range and some had skimmers some did not. I must say that my tanks with skimmers looked a lot better than my tanks without. So when i started my 50g there was no doubt in my mind to use a skimmer. Not only does it get rid of fish poop but also chemicals from corals used to kill eachother.

 

Also, a refugium is good... but i wouldnt compare it to a protein skimmer. They do 2 different kinds of things. A refugium generally is used to keep water stability... like macros nd bacteria for nitrates nd such. A protein skimmer on the other hand gets rid of crap you dont need aka poop nd bad coral chemicals.

 

I can think of one reason why you prefer a no skimmer tank comapred to a skimmer tank. Simply because the Prizm Deluxe Skimme ist not really a reputable skimmer. Try a Coral Life Super Skimmer. They are a good bang for your buck.

[NanoCube-boy]

i see

[Paulc]

I don't skim my tank. It has a low bio load and I don't add phyto or oher additives other than C-Balance to maintain the Alk and Calc levels.

[I'm the same guy as reefer9391]

I run a skimmer on a 24g and all my coral love it (along some of my leathers have a week or 2 adjustment period from my LFS) I think skimmers are great for all tanks with fish no matter what the size.

[shaggydoo541]

Skimmers are beneficial. If they were not so many people would not use them on highly successful tanks. Do I use one on my 18G? No. Is my tank perfectly fine and thriving. Definitely.

 

The simple fact of the matter is we do not know what skimmers pull out. Good? Bad? We have no idea what the composition is for all the compounds in our tank. We haven't even classified a majority of the compounds that can be found in our tank.

 

Without knowing whats in our tank and its structure this is really a fruitless debate. Let people try it and post their results. I will try one on my next (bigger) tank and decide for myself. If they are beneficial for the type of tank I want to keep than I will keep it and share my results.

[reefout]

most of my reasons for skimming, especially on nano reefs, has just as much to do with oxygenation and gas exchange, as it does with removal of waste products.

i have yet to see a tank that didnt benifit greatly because of the addition of a good protein skimmer.

but, the amount and power of the skimming i think could potentially negatively affect some corals more dependant on filter feeding than photosynthesis, ie; some soft and lps species.

and then on the opposite end of the spectrum my sps tanks have poor coloration and growth without appropriate oversized skimmers. so is there one right answer?

i guess i would lean to having a skimmer and then limiting it's use if i felt it was having negative effects on certain corals. i personally would never run a tank without one, especially a nano reef with no comparable buffering capacity, if for no other reason than the occasional screw-up that's bound to require a quick clean up of the tank water.

[NanoCube-boy]

I'm think of getting a skimmer for my nanocube because I been having some nitrate problems.

[TTU_reefer]

smell the stuff your skimmer pulls out...horrble! I dont know of anyone who has ran a skimmer and then stopped using it! But their is two sided to this as their is with everything. Ups and down, really this question is just like BB vs. DSB

[malachai]

According to a 4 year study on GARF skimmers reduce coral growth by removing nutrients from the water. I have tanks with skimmers and without and all are doing great so the debate continues even in my own setups.

[Tigahboy]

I think having fish versus fishless makes a big difference too. if you don't have any fish in your nano - no major bioload contributor - skimming might be unnecessary.

 

but those of us w/ fish or messy meat-eating LPS should see benefits from having a skimmer.

[skylsdale]

Because Corals, inverts and live rocks depends on certain benificial substances, the skimmer usuall skimms it out. Basically starved the lives stock in these substsances.

 

Depends on the organism. Don't go throwing a blanket statement over the entire ocean and its various and extremely diverse ecosystems and respective organisms.

 

Refugium is one of them best filtration in my opinion. WHY? Well, think of it as a natural filtration, understand how the ocean filters water itself. It's pretty much the same way.

 

However, many of the things we want to get rid of in our tanks, macroalgaes are unable to absorb detritus, etc. until they break down into things that are harmful to many corals (granted, some may actually appreciated it...again, watch the blanket statements). Skimmers get rid of detritus and other things BEFORE they break down.

 

So skimmers do a tremendous job for other tank such as FOWLR because they do not need much substances as reef. Reef need these substances to keep them healthy and strong. With out these substances, corals can not be strong, shrimps can not moult, rocks can not have coralines, and fishes can not heal when they are wounded.

 

You're not even being clear on what 'substances' you're talking about, so any sort of decent discussion here is impossible. Be specific.

[gabrito]

I run a skimmer on a 24g and all my coral love it (along some of my leathers have a week or 2 adjustment period from my LFS) I think skimmers are great for all tanks with fish no matter what the size.

 

I wish my corals also talked to me and tell me what they like and what they don't. I've been trying but I can't make them talk... Which corals should I get so they tell me??

[Gwoardnog]

I wish my corals also talked to me and tell me what they like and what they don't. I've been trying but I can't make them talk... Which corals should I get so they tell me??

 

Cause you're not doing it right silly

 

There's also things to consider like dry and wet skimming and their relation do what, if any, trace elements that skimming takes out (taking out water as well as the protiens).

 

Of course then you get into the issue of the big boys and way oversized skimmers with BB over on RC and they have to add more food and whatever else in order to get their corals to color up to their best.

 

I'll vote for skimmers. But I don't think they're terribly necessary on a nano that is lightly stocked. But since my 15g has been up a while with 1 fish, the amount of film that forms up at the top of the tank in a couple of days is pretty disgusting, and it will be getting a skimmer before I start stocking with the corals and clams.

 

I will say that it does depend on what your keeping and your maintenance schedule IMO though.

[kamekon]

In my personal opinion:

 

a skimmer is a must for any size reef tanks. It does work.

 

cant really use the excuse of what it takes out when using a skimmer, i would be more worried about what DOESNT GET TAKEN out if not using a skimmer

 

I have done reeftank with and without one, i was more happier with one.

 

my 2 cents.