protein skimmer?

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Skimmers are good for any tank but its mainly for reefs since trate levels must be kept at a minimum. Anything under 40 gallons can be ran skimmerless though as long as you keep up with WCs and don't overstock. They are really a luxury not mandatory.
 
Also I'd like to point out when dealing with soft corals your skimmer can help with the chemical warfare in your tank along with running carbon. Just something to keep in mind when buying softies lol
 
arent softies coral though?

Just one of 3 major categories, softies, LPS, and SPS.

Softies are your leathery corals and normally require little light.
LPS, large polyp stony, are your next step up and need medium light. They have a calcium skeleton and many expand themselves with water.
Then there are SPS, small polyp stony, and require high intensity light. They are basically a colored skeleton.

That is a very, very basic explaination...but you can go from there.
 
Just one of 3 major categories, softies, LPS, and SPS.

Softies are your leathery corals and normally require little light.
LPS, large polyp stony, are your next step up and need medium light. They have a calcium skeleton and many expand themselves with water.
Then there are SPS, small polyp stony, and require high intensity light. They are basically a colored skeleton.

That is a very, very basic explaination...but you can go from there.

right but the tank is fowlr fish only with live rock
 
That is the usual favorite, but that would take research.

But I'll be honest with you, keeping saltwater has been easier than any freshwater I ever kept, though they were the gaudy kind with neon gravel and silk plants... It is mostly the initial cost of setup that keeps people away I think. Starting as FOWLR is a good approach IMO. And I'll be honest, don't be intimidated by coral. That isn't very hard either. When you get there, we'll help you out if you still aren't comfortable with it.
 
Sniperhank said:
That is the usual favorite, but that would take research.

But I'll be honest with you, keeping saltwater has been easier than any freshwater I ever kept, though they were the gaudy kind with neon gravel and silk plants... It is mostly the initial cost of setup that keeps people away I think. Starting as FOWLR is a good approach IMO. And I'll be honest, don't be intimidated by coral. That isn't very hard either. When you get there, we'll help you out if you still aren't comfortable with it.

+10 saltwater has been much easier for me also but that may be because I'm comparing to my cichlid tank which can come with a lot of problems since there so darn messy haha
 
If you can't afford one then just do water changes for now. Nothing to be ashamed of. Yeah, don't waste your money on a cheap one. Wait until you can buy a good one, which should cost you about $130-$200.
 
Yep, agree with all the guys- skip the skimmer for now, if you find that you're having trouble keeping your nitrates down sometime down the road, you can add one at that point. And don't be intimidated by SW- we're here to guide you!! :) Just ask questions before you do something you're unsure of, that way we can help you avoid mistakes. ;)
 
Speaking for most, and hoping I am correct: Just people helping other people in the same hobby! We spend our hard earned money, and spend countless hours maintaining and researching our tanks, livestock, and interests. We spread our knowledge and experience( wether it's mistakes or success). We don't do it because we have to, we do it because when we were in your shoes, we'd hope or were lucky to have someone help us. We are a community! We don't compete, we admire the next person! Because its that next person, or new person, that teach us things! Knowledge is power in this hobby! Can I get an AMEN?!?!??? Lol
 
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