Skimmer or Wet Dry Filter???

[4inchSandBed]

I have a 35 gallon tank with 2 clowns, 2 Chromis, cleaner shrimp, and about a dozen snails and hermits (FOWLR). I was thinkin about gettin a protein skimmer (bak pak 2r) but im a little confused about what it actually does. I was also looking into Wet dry filters. Do they do the same thing? I wanna improve my water quality and not spend a fortune doin it. What kind should i get. All the inhabitants in my tank seem to be doin very well and they are all eating well. this is a new setup only about 2 months old. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


30lbs Live rock
20lbs Live sand.

 

[malkore]

a wet/dry works like any other filter...helps convert ammonia to nitrite, nitrite to nitrate. wet/dry's are particularly effective at nitrite to nitrate because of the 'dry' stage allowing extra oxygen to keep the bacteria thriving.

A protein skimmer using tiny bubbles to trap DOC's..which are both attracted to and repelled by water due to having 'poles' of electrical charge, much like magnets. The surface of a bubble has water on 1 side, adn not on the other, so it's a magnet for DOC's.
Removing DOC's means you'll have less stuff converting into ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, as well as phosphates.

I started my 40gal with a Prism skimmer. (not a good skimmer!) I had nasty problems with cyanobacteria, typically caused by low flow (not in my case) or high phosphates (which I did have).
Within 7 days of upgrading to a CPR bak-pak 2R, my cyano disappeared, and has never returned. I did nothing else to the tank, not even a water change, so I know the skimmer worked it's magic.

If I were you, I'd get the skimmer, and a little more cured live rock (or cleaned dead base rock) and use it as you primary bio-filter.
If you go with the CPR, look for a site that sells them with maxi-jet pumps...or read my thread in the Hardware forum about upgrading to a maxi jet. It's cheap and really makes the skimmer work better.

 

[badfish]

Malkor, will the preskimmer attachment fit over a Maxi-jet?

 

[malkore]

I have the pre-skimmer, but it never did anything good for me (and actually, ruined the original Rio 600 powerhead, when the water dipped too low one afternoon, it ran mostly dry).

I'll try to remember ot measure it tonight and get back to you.