No stinkin skimmer for me...

[hillbilly]

It will be interesting to see how this tank holds up long term. Keep us informed Melbelle! Its possible it may work fine for softies. I wouldn't dare try this with my sps collection though!

 

[MelanieF]

I'm sure I'll be a lifer here as this hobby is in my veins. You'll definately hear about the progress over the years. Like I said a bit earlier, I'm fully prepared to tweak my system once my fish are full grown but I had a 29 gallon in the past with a higher biological load than my current tank and there weren't any issues there either. Matter of fact there's a gentleman not 30 minutes from me with the same setup and his tank has been just fine for the past 10 years so I'm not too concerned.

You never know until you try. Open minds are priceless.

 

[Cazreef]

I'm skimmerless and it works for me but it does not work for everyone.
I have a light fish load. Here are some older pics. The leather on the right is now about 20" across and the BTA's are now 5 strong.

 

[MelanieF]

Cazreef,

Gorgeous pics. There is a ray of sunshine afterall.

 

[Cazreef]

Thanks Melbelle1820.
Just make sure to not overstock, watch your params and do water changes.
And if you have to put the skimmer back on, dont worry. No one will be mad at you :lol:

 

[ricky1414]

I was skimmerless on my 50 gallon for awhile, but my water was looking kinda yucky as I did not keep up wit hthe water changes with work and school. Like the others said, just be prepared to do frequent water changes. Good luck in your endeavor! :wink:

 

[golfish]

Its not like skimmers have been around for 50 years. I felt I was the first guy on the block to use one back in 86. One thing I've found out is most people who stop using them have been using cheap worthless skimmers any way so what difference does it make.

I've seen these threads a hundred times but I can't recall seeing one started by a person who's been using a GOOD skimmer...

A skimmer is a tool, just like a pump, lights, sand, rock, test kits, reactors. If you have a good one you tend to use it, if its crap you tend to find something else.

 

[Cazreef]

Very true statement Golfish.

 

[MelanieF]

For what it's worth I believe I addressed my skimmer quality earlier in this thread.

"That skimmer ended up removing quite a bit of brown-green waste but nonetheless it doesn't matter if it was sub-par quality or not because it still removed too much for my liking."

So if I wasn't happy w/ my current skimmer taking too much out then I would have to assume a more efficient one wouldn't exactly help me out...

 

[mark78]

I'm running an AquaC Remora on my 10 gallon nano, my Xenia, Colt, and encrusting gorgonia are all doing great. Ca was a bit low.

Keep us updated for sure

Cazreef that is an amazing looking tank. Is it a high nutrient tank or do you have a 100 gallon fuge next to it or something Just curious that elegance makes me thing its a higher nutrient tank w/o the skimmer.

 

[Mouse]

Had a protein skimmer on my tank for the past 2 months and it seems to me that there are better ways to remove organics. The skimmer removed so many things from my tank that my 2 soft corals started to suffer and shrink away.

Went to the LFS and picked up a 5" derasa clam. Removed the skimmer. Put my hang on the back filter back on w/ activated carbon and voila all is well again. All other params were tested and I ruled out toxic attack via other corals so no need to ask me about those. They weren't "shedding" either.

Just gotta say that as far as nutrients and trace elements are concerned i dont feel that carbon is any less discriminate than the skimmer, if anything id say the carbon would remove more goodies than baddies. Where the skimmer would remove more scum than trace elements or minerals. And the benefit of this is that yo ucan top up the nutrients with fresh live protiens rather than the pooped out old ones floating round currently, just my opinion. but id take out the carbon.

 

[Cazreef]

Mouse, I agree. I run no carbon either.
The only thing that goes into the tank, besides water changes, is Mrs. Wages.

 

[MelanieF]

I'm running the same routine I did before the skimmer. One month w/ carbon, one month w/ just debris collection material, then back to the carbon all while rinsing the pouches periodically in water same temp as tank to remove accumulations. The softies had no problem w/ that before and seem to be just fine w/ it now.

Believe it or not I find this easier than messing w/ the skimmer. I had it on water movement only for the last week it was being used and would have to literally take it apart all the time and clean it after doing that. Not many options for hang on the back skimmers and I refuse to run plumbing to a sump because to me it's a disaster waiting to happen and why mess w/ it if my system works for me and my inhabitants...

 

[Cazreef]

"why mess w/ it if my system works for me and my inhabitants"

And that my friend is what this is all about... the inhabitants. :wink:

If they are happy, we are happy so do what works for you. There are many ways to skin a cat but that's another story!

 

[Anonymous]

I ran my reef for about a year skimmerless. It seemed fine but I prefer the safety margin I feel I get with the skimmer. A decent skimmer shouldn't be a hassle to maintain- I clean the cup of my Aqua-C weekly and that's it.

Caz- I like the look of your reef- where in NY are you?

 

[MelanieF]

"The only thing that goes into the tank, besides water changes, is Mrs. Wages."

Cazreef, LMAO... pocket lint. Ain't it grand. :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

why fix it if it aint broke right...?

 

[ricky1414]

"The only thing that goes into the tank, besides water changes, is Mrs. Wages."

Off topic, but what is the amount of Mrs. Wages that you add? I just got like 3 pounds of it for 5 dollars. Thanks :wink:

 

[Cazreef]

Dan, thanks. Cazreef = Cazenovia. Small town outside of Syracuse.

Melbelle1820, Mrs. Wages is pickeling lime. Its a much way cheaper to replenish Ca.

ricky1414, I use 1 tablespoon per gal of RO water. Mix up with powerhead in USG bucket and then just dump the whole shooting match in a rubermaid tub. I use a kangaroo pump to drip it in to the overflow before the sump.

 

[Anonymous]

Small town outside of Syracuse.

Beautiful area too!.. - Excellent falls & just a short hop off the yellow brick road.. :wink:

Norm <-- went to FMHS (Manlius) and before that VVS (Vernon)