Wow, way too much attention for the tough guy from Jersey.....
Hey?.. Easy with the jersey comments, lol.
so sharkbait WHY do u need a skimmer my tank is great and no skimmer??so if u need a skimmer and i dont have one why is my tank fine??thats what i mean people say u have to have one but cant tell u why im only asking a question thats all
If you reread my statement, you?d see I said, I WOULD NOT EVEN HUMOR THE IDEA. it's my feeling and opinion.
Now, as to no one being able to answer why a system needs a skimmer, I can?t answer that. As for my opinion, a closed system needs a nutrient and solids remover. You have a turf scrubber. So you have a source of nutrient removal. The way I understand it with a turf scrubber, it needs to be trimmed/cleaned off since a turf scrubber has no predation going on, I.e hermits and fish to trim it back. You have to pretty much wipe the screen clean. In my guess when you wipe the screen clean you are losing nutrient removal till new growth starts. Where a skimmer is a simple cup removal dump and rinse. Maybe a 30 minute full cleaning. Pump starts the skimmer is building and removing nutrients all in the same day.
I can not see letting a turf scrubber continue growing. Would it not just become an over grown mess? I ask cause I don?t know.
Its kind of like why does the ocean have algae growing on jetty rocks (turf scrubber) and the build up of sea foam on the beaches when the wind blows (skimmer) I can only assume that?s natures way of maintaining the ocean. Working in conjunction together maintains the water quality all the much more.
plus, as a system gets older its inevitable the build up of tds and nutrient and i would fear a crash would be more likely without a good nutrient remover.
As to a system with no skimming or scrubbing and only a water change, it?s a time bomb building up to blow up.
Again I run SPS, so in my opinion a skimmer is a must. Don?t take it personally when people jump up and say skimmers are a ?must?
Anything else is going against the grain of the hobby.