instead of using a protein skimmer, can i just use jelly fish from the river?

[ilostnemo]

You think that buying a skimmer once is more expensive than buying all that media for the entire life of your tank?

Do not put words in my mouth. I did not say they crashed because they didn't have a skimmer. The lack of skimmer contributed to the issue. Maybe the tanks wouldn't have crashed if they had skimmers, maybe they wouldn't have gone downhill so fast and the person would have caught the issue in time.

I doubt your tap water/instant ocean tanks were as good as tanks that are run with stricter standards. Alive, growing, enjoyable, no doubt. But without pics your claims don't mean much.

What good things are removed by a skimmer?

Yet again, maybe part of my posts aren't making it, NO ONE is saying you can't run a tank without a skimmer. People are just saying they are a good idea and can make a big difference. Obviously you can run a tank without one.

Yes actually. Plus think about costs to mantain a skimmer. And yes they can crash with skimmers. Skimmers don't make that much of a deal if the person couldn't catch the tank going down do you think they could actually set the skimmer fully up? And no I don't have pics and no one said as good.. just making a point even with bad things a tank doesn't need a skimmer. And what good things well trace elements for one. Look at the back of pretty much anything tracce element wise. All of them say turn of protein skimmer.

 

[Fishguy2727]

What are the costs associated with running a skimmer?

I will let my clients with thriving tanks know to turn off their skimmers, their corals didn't get the message to not do as well, or to have all trace elements no longer available.

NO ONE said tanks with skimmers can't or won't crash. Please stop putting words into other people's mouths just to give yourself something to argue against. Everyone is being civil and basing it on sharing information for the better of everyone. IMO you have gotten closer to argumentative than anyone else. Please keep this discussion productive or I am sure someone will close it.

Have you used a skimmer?
For how long?
What problems did you have?
What skimmer did you use?
What size tank was it setup on?
How was the tank stocked?

 

[ilostnemo]

What are the costs associated with running a skimmer?

I will let my clients with thriving tanks know to turn off their skimmers, their corals didn't get the message to not do as well, or to have all trace elements no longer available.

NO ONE said tanks with skimmers can't or won't crash. Please stop putting words into other people's mouths just to give yourself something to argue against. Everyone is being civil and basing it on sharing information for the better of everyone. IMO you have gotten closer to argumentative than anyone else. Please keep this discussion productive or I am sure someone will close it.

Have you used a skimmer?yes twice actually
For how long? 2 years
What problems did you have? No problems just no benifits had better results with different things
What skimmer did you use? 22v (rated to 125)and 44v(200+) from als
What size tank was it setup on? 22 on a 30 gallon and actually the 44 on a 58
How was the tank stocked?both over stocked.

First off so you know i also am in the fish selling world and have mantained tanks for 15 years. Well if the pump goes out impellers etc.. if you do it correctly and have run off going through a filter pad you've gotta replace that. You do realize trace elements are important. And your not being to civil. You may not realize this but you are coming across as someone who says skimmers or else. And oh well if they close it it is being productive as in showing both sides. And answer in your quote for your questions

 

[Clown boy]

Now now people let's just say you can never have to much filtration only to little so however you want to filter you tank is up to u people will always have mixed ideas about how best I have a five foot sump full of life and a 7ft skimmer but I still worry I don't have enough

 

[MikeYQM]

I smell a parking lot brawl coming on... Greasers vs socs. Oldschool!!

 

[Fishguy2727]

You don't need a filter pad for the output.

Again, trying to stay productive:
Have you used a skimmer?
For how long?
What problems did you have?
What skimmer did you use?
What size tank was it setup on?
How was the tank stocked?
What trace elements? Please don't just repeat 'trace elements' over and over. Please share any info you have.

 

[ilostnemo]

You don't need a filter pad for the output.

Again, trying to stay productive:
Have you used a skimmer?
For how long?
What problems did you have?
What skimmer did you use?
What size tank was it setup on?
How was the tank stocked?
What trace elements? Please don't just repeat 'trace elements' over and over. Please share any info you have.

Tostop micro bubbles yes. And I answered your questions. And wow you don't know what trace elements are yet you are trying to act like you have all these customers lol

 

[Fishguy2727]

If you have the right sump and skimmer micro bubbles shouldn't be a problem. I set mine up so they were never an issue. Good skimmers and good sumps will prevent any issues.

Where did you answer those questions? You said you have had tanks for 15 years, that's it.

YOU cited trace elements as an issue. I am asking you which ones? Why are all those people with thriving reef tanks not having issues?

 

[ilostnemo]

first off if you fully read my post i said i answered them in your quote. and okay. and it is a issue pick up a bottle of reef or marine snow or fuel. they all say turn off your protein skimmer. i know i cited that. i bet ive kept more reefs than you and they have ranged in size from 2 gallon to 125. all over stocked. two with a skimmer and hated them. this is personal experince with me. have you had a reef tank?

 

[Fishguy2727]

Yes, and have many clients and customers now with them.

Reef/marine snow is a food for filter feeders, not a trace element. Actually using a skimmer with those kinds of foods means the waste doesn't sit in the system and rot, it is physically removed from the system by the skimmer. This means there are fewer nutrients in the water feeding algae.

Fuel (AquaVitro Fuel?) is also not trace elements, it is amino acids (also provided by protien).

 

[ilostnemo]

if you wanna argue i will get you full product lines from work how many reef tanks have you had? 14 here

 

[DA fisherman]

I have a 90g reef ....with a bubble magus 150 nac-3 rated up to 80g so that it won't eat up all my good microbes... I also have a refguium .... I wouldn't dream of having one with out the other...

I don't have a million years of experience but I have study every accept of this hobby..... (still there's much to learn)

Its up to you, but I wouldn't tell somebody who is just starting out in this hobby don't use a skimmer.....
I know lots of people not Using a skimmer but there aquarium also been running for years....
Shoot I know people who have had there tanks so long they don't do water change..just top off.
But I wouldn't suggest it to people lol.
Good luck

 

[Fishguy2727]

I have had, maintained, and been responsible for dozens of reef tanks, from nanos to over 500 gallon display tanks. I ran and managed the fish shop I was working for (4,000 gallons of saltwater). I have worked with countless reef clients and customers over the years. I am not guessing at this or basing it on a little nano I had at one point. I do this for a living.

Ditto. It may work for some people in some tanks, but I wouldn't make it a policy of saying they are bad or even unnecessary.

 

[ilostnemo]

ive had over a dozen reef tanks. maintained about a list of 87 clients. and go to ripleys aquarium in the smokies? ive done tanks there. my store has that gallonage beat. about 5600 gallons of salt 3000 fresh.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Anyone reading this:

Although skimmers can remove some good things, these are usually minor and easily replenished with regular water changes using high quality salt. The bad stuff they remove is more than worth the insignificant amount of good things remove. They remove different things than a refugium or scrubber will.

Although they are arguably not essential to any tank, they are beneficial. IME they allow for a more stable tank. I recommend that anyone, especially people just starting out in this hobby, use one. Any skimmer is better than no skimmer. There are reefkeeping methods that do not utilize skimmers at all, and they do work very well for some people. But most people in the hobby are using what I would call a semi-natural method, meaning that most of the filtration is the live rock itself, the rest coming from a skimmer and a fuge. With skimmers designed for small tanks (under around 30 gallons) the skimmer just isn't very effective. In these cases I recommend either A-no skimmer, water changes becoming more vital or if the tank isn't too small B-an over-sized skimmer (like something rated for 50 gallons). These would be small HOB skimmers, even a Seaclone is better than nothing.

Everyone has different methods. Some people keep trying every new product and method that comes out, others find something that they can get to work well enough and stick with it no matter what. Most people fall somewhere in the middle. I prefer to stick with what is tried and true (like methods that 90%+ of aquarists use), but still keep an eye out for that thing that people are just not buying into yet because they have been trained to think a certain way. Maybe I am missing something like that here, but without better examples to truly illustrate the benefits of one method or another, I will be sticking with skimmers.

 

[ilostnemo]

Mkay. Your choice I will stick with my method.

 

[ccCapt]

This has gone way off topic and has become a big argument. It's done now.
Thread closed.

 

[melosu58]

I don't know if this is relevant, but...

I thought you didn't need skimmers for small tanks like five gallons or even ten gallons? Does the use of skimmers depend on the tank size? If so when would you start using a skimmer for which tank size? I'm just wondering, as many people have differing opinions on that.

IMO you could get by without a skimmer on a 30 gallon or less. Frequent PWC`s will suffice instead.