MarinaClown
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Hi, please share your thoughts and experience using a skimmer in a nano aquarium. Are you happy you got one or was it a waste of money for you? Thanks.
You Nano Skimmer Experience
- Thread starter MarinaClown
- Start date
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Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
What size tank?
OP
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MarinaClown
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Mine is 27 gallons. Has 2 clowns, neon goby and two spot goby.
CUC:
9 nassarius snail, 12 hermit crabs and a fire shrimp.
I Plan on getting 10 sps frags when tank is more established.
People have said that weekly PWC are sufficient and I was hoping to hear from someone who has tried using one in a nano tank.
Thanks in advance
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Weekly water changes will do the trick, save your money and buy some corals. The skimmer will drain our wallet, not needed.
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MarinaClown
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I started this thread because my LFS is selling Nanocubes "professional" for $750 that come with protein skimmers. While I wasn't looking into buying this nano kit I did begin to wonder if a skimmer would actually be helpful. But what everyone has said has affirmed my belief that weekly water changes can take care of pretty much everything. Thanks for replying everyone.
Fishfrye
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Messages
- 18
I have a reef octopus nano skimmer on my 20 gallon and it pulls some nasty gunk out of my water. In my opinion I would put one on anything over ten gallons. I have heard alot of people say its not necessary but the proof is in the collection cup.
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'd have to politely disagree, proof is in the cup you say? check all my videos and picture os my Bio Cube 29, There's a tank with nothing but weekly 5 gallon water changes and well.... proof is in the videos and pictures. While a skimmer by no means is a bad thing and will never hurt your tank, my statement still stands running a skimmer on a 10 gallon, 20 gallon even a 29 cube is IMO and IME not needed and a wste of time and money.
I've done tests with the skimmer ( 2 different kinds) and without a skimmer, tested water parameters and salinity and anything else I could think of, I've check color of water,color of water and how dirty the poly fill got etc etc etc, I even have a thread about it.
The conclusion was... There was absolutely no difference (in my tank) between running 2 different skimmers and running none.
In a nano tank with evap to consider you need too make sure it's dialed in properly and when losing water to evap the skimmer will need to be readjusted from time to time.
Jut some info on my experience.
Do yourself a favor, weekly water changes in that size tank and you'll be fine. Some like all the bells and whistles etc etc etc . Your tank will thrive just fine without... I promise
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'd have to politely disagree, proof is in the cup you say? check all my videos and picture os my Bio Cube 29, There's a tank with nothing but weekly 5 gallon water changes and well.... proof is in the videos and pictures. While a skimmer by no means is a bad thing and will never hurt your tank, my statement still stands running a skimmer on a 10 gallon, 20 gallon even a 29 cube is IMO and IME not needed and a wste of time and money.
I've done tests with the skimmer ( 2 different kinds) and without a skimmer, tested water parameters and salinity and anything else I could think of, I've check color of water,color of water and how dirty the poly fill got etc etc etc, I even have a thread about it.
The conclusion was... There was absolutely no difference (in my tank) between running 2 different skimmers and running none.
In a nano tank with evap to consider you need too make sure it's dialed in properly and when losing water to evap the skimmer will need to be readjusted from time to time.
Jut some info on my experience.
Do yourself a favor, weekly water changes in that size tank and you'll be fine. Some like all the bells and whistles etc etc etc . Your tank will thrive just fine without... I promise
Heres one of my threads. My friends 10 nano reef over 2 years no skimmer. weekly water changes and dosing very very small amount of B-ionic 2 part.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f101/10-gallon-saltwater-reef-240056.html
As always the choice is yours... And to the above poster, It's healthy to disagree and I mean no disrespect by doing do
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MarinaClown
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I tested my nitrates. They are right around 5ppm. I want to get it down to 0 without (a) getting a protein skimmer and (b) having to rehome my neon goby and two spot goby. Reason is I want to add SPS corals and my understanding they need pristine water conditions.
Doing water change today and possibly adding a few more snails and hermit crabs to my CUC.
Thanks everyone for replying.
Doing water change today and possibly adding a few more snails and hermit crabs to my CUC.
Thanks everyone for replying.
Fishfrye
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Messages
- 18
I should add that I'm not able to do weekly water changes. I work ALOT! So I run a skimmer to help keep the gunk out of my tank and do water changes when I can. If I were able to keep up weekly water changes the skimmer probably would be useless but in my experience, being able to do water changes on average once a month a skimmer definately benefits me.
Breakthecycle2
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Well, I just won a Hydor Slim Skim Nano from my LFS yesterday and put it in my Biocube 29 last night. I'l let you know in a few days. Right now however, there are a lot of bubbles in my tank.
Phranque
Aquarium Advice Addict
Basically, it boils down to if you want it or can afford to get it, it's definitely not going to hurt...... absolute necessity, no. I've got a Tunze 9002 in my 28, and it does pull gunk. If I didn't have it, it'd just be a litle larger weekly pwc.
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MarinaClown
Aquarium Advice FINatic
That's a sweet prize! Is it quiet?
OP
OP
MarinaClown
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I'd have to politely disagree, proof is in the cup you say? check all my videos and picture os my Bio Cube 29, There's a tank with nothing but weekly 5 gallon water changes and well.... proof is in the videos and pictures. While a skimmer by no means is a bad thing and will never hurt your tank, my statement still stands running a skimmer on a 10 gallon, 20 gallon even a 29 cube is IMO and IME not needed and a wste of time and money.
I've done tests with the skimmer ( 2 different kinds) and without a skimmer, tested water parameters and salinity and anything else I could think of, I've check color of water,color of water and how dirty the poly fill got etc etc etc, I even have a thread about it.
The conclusion was... There was absolutely no difference (in my tank) between running 2 different skimmers and running none.
In a nano tank with evap to consider you need too make sure it's dialed in properly and when losing water to evap the skimmer will need to be readjusted from time to time.
Jut some info on my experience.
Do yourself a favor, weekly water changes in that size tank and you'll be fine. Some like all the bells and whistles etc etc etc . Your tank will thrive just fine without... I promise
Watched your video. Nice reef tank.
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Everyone made good points. And they also have there own reasons for having one.
Like you said. If you can do your weekly water changes its not needed. If you can't perform your weekly changes then a skimmer will help.
Like you said. If you can do your weekly water changes its not needed. If you can't perform your weekly changes then a skimmer will help.
Convict2161
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thank you
Breakthecycle2
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yes it is actually. It's no louder then filer pump. It seems to be working very nicely!
