How good is a Protein Skimmer for a 10 gal tank that is FOWLR?

[RLiu818]

I have a 10 gallon tank with 12 lbs. of fiji live rock and it has crushed coral substrate (not live).

 

I was wondering what skimmer you guys would recommend for this setup.

 

 

I understand that people who dont have skimmers for their small tanks say they dont need one and the ones that do say they would never go back without using a skimmer so that is why i am considering getting one.

 

 

 

What is the most popular skimmer for a 10 gallon tank. Notice my tank is not a reef tank but a FOWLR. If skimmers only significantly benefit reef tanks then it's a good enough reason for me to save my money.

 

 

Thanks

[tinyreef]

skimmers will help any saltwater system imo. whether you're running a reef, FO, or ranch i believe a skimmer is beneficial. actually, i can't think of a situation where a simple counter-current skimmer would not be helpful (downdrafts and venturi may be too rough sometimes, e.g. ranch tank).

 

you could try the coralife or lee's skimmer for a small tank. for large tanks 50g+ i would go with a more aggressive skimmer, especially for FO's. hth

[ross76053]

I agree with Tinyreef. I run a Sanders Piccolo skimmer on my 10-gal, as do a few others on the board. Pulls out alotta skimmate. They're a little hard to find, and they're around $40. Very small skimmer - easy to hide in a refugium/sump.

[printerdown01]

I also agree: Useful but not nessicary. Your tank will definately benifit, but with frequent water changes they are not a must. I do however like venturi skimmers the most, BUT I have never seen one in action on a nano.

[kimura]

Here's a pic of my venturi skimmer. I removed the venturi part recently only because of the noise. My wife was complaining of the sucking noise, so I just put a wood stone in there. Seems to be working fine.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/showthread...62612#post62612