Thinking of going skimmerless. Thoughts?

[ChiTownRomeo]

I know Im going to get flamed for this post from all the high end reefers. I have a small 50 gallon with just Lps and zoas and a pair of clowns. I have a Eshopps psk 100-h skimmer. It pulls out stuff sometimes but it seems to hinder my coral growth (that might sound crazy). When I had it off for 3 weeks cause the pump broke, my torch, frogspawn and Gsp came out more. Once I added it back my Blue Polyp Digitata turned brown and my torch and others have not fully extended at all. Since it's only a 50 gallon would water changes be better than the skimmer?

 

[jeffaquarius]

Those corals needs nutrients. As long as your phosphate doesn't go higher than 0.05 it's ok to turn skimmer off. I am having same problem as well and I turned off my skimmer on my 28 gal nano since last week. No sign of recovery on my zoas yet.

 

[Sniperhank]

A skimmer won't hurt things. In tanks under 30 gallons, I recommend not running a skimmer with how easy it is to do water changes to address issues. My skimmer will skim here and there. If there is nothing to remove, then it can't skim.

 

[Animal-Chin]

50 gallons with 2 clowns, I'd say you could stop skimming but I dont know why you would. Some people feel with enough rock and waterchanges you don't need other filtration at all. My 55 has a HOB skimmer that I run quite dry and I pull out a cup of gunk every 5 days or so. I have 6 fish though. I'd want to think that if some coral isn't extending it's due to something else other than clean water...

 

[Ravden]

I am tossing this around myself, I am setting up a 30 gal reef for my first as tank I am getting a skimmer but will I need to use it all the time or

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[bribo12]

Op your fish load is super low so the skimmer may not be necessary. But I disagree it is harming your corals.
Ravden- it will depend on your fish load and wc schedule IMO.

 

[jeffaquarius]

A skimmer won't hurt things. In tanks under 30 gallons, I recommend not running a skimmer with how easy it is to do water changes to address issues. My skimmer will skim here and there. If there is nothing to remove, then it can't skim.

It does make sense on less than 30 gal tank. My mistake is I added phosphate remover filter that it went down to 0. Im now raising it up by not using a skimmer.

 

[Ravden]

@bribo I should be starting up by end of may so I'm a ways off but ideally is a clown or 2 a green clown goby and thinking one of the dwarf fire Angels

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[bribo12]

I'd drop the angel and replace it with another fish. A flame in a 30 is asking for problems. With that bioload you probably won't need a skimmer but it wouldn't hurt. I have 4 fish in a 20 and run an eshopps psk75h that pulls out a surprising amount of gunk. I also do 25% weekly wc.

 

[Ravden]

Darn I like that fish too but I don't want aggressive tank mates not sure if I want a single or pair of clown I know I gotta get them together if I do. For filtering I bought a aquatop w/uv sterilizer and prison skimmer my power head will be in this week as will my lights but lfs will hold light till I get it (she had an incredible discount this week from suppliers) so just ordered it to hold for me saving almost 60% on one I wantes

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[Gregcoyote]

I agree smaller tanks don't necessary need them as water exchanges are so easy.

But remember what they actually do. They also help oxygenate the water as so much air and water passes thru them. And they aren't biological at all, they mechanically remove long chain proteins, or uneaten food and poo. I always run one.

 

[uh.oh...]

I agree with Greg, corals and fish need oxygenated water, more so than fresh water tanks. I read an interesting article a year or two ago that argued for what I'll call a "nutritious night." the idea was that while the corals are feeding, typically at night, you turn off the skimmer, dose foods, and any chemicals you use. Then in the morning it all turns on again. For me personally this wouldn't work, as my skimmer is too cheap and as a broken pump, so setting it on a timer would result in catastrophic system failure, but you might consider it.

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[Ravden]

Interesting idea, this is my first sw tank so I'll just go by the numbers the woman at lfs that's awnsered so many questions said I wouldn't need the filter with the prizim skimmer but I got a $120 pump with Uv sterilzer for 75% off at a different local store liquidating fish supplies so I grabbed it

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[TheTodd]

I have a 35g that has no filter and no skimmer. It started as my holding/QT tank but ended up as my frag holding tank as well when my 240g went fallow. So far, everything has gone great with somewhat regular water changes (parameters are zeros), but in the last couple weeks, I had a cyano outbreak...just after I added the seven (now 5) Chromis, so that was probably the cause, even with every other day feeding. I would just be aware that those regular water changes probably need to be regular regardless of what the water tests are showing.

My Zoas are multiplying...my green montipora cap had probably grown close to an inch...My Favia that looked rough when I got it looks great now...My torch had probably grown at least 50%. Something is going okay, but the cyano is nasty.

 

[ChiTownRomeo]

Ill keep the skimmer on. If anything I know it's saturating the hell out of the water with oxygen.

 

[jeffaquarius]

Since you have noticed your corals started to open while the skimmer is out, for me it is no brainer what to do. I would test the phosphate first and if it is below 0.03 I would not put the skimmer back. If it is higher than 0.08 then yes I would put it back and figure out what other reasons affecting the corals.

 

[ChiTownRomeo]

I have a 35g that has no filter and no skimmer. It started as my holding/QT tank but ended up as my frag holding tank as well when my 240g went fallow. So far, everything has gone great with somewhat regular water changes (parameters are zeros), but in the last couple weeks, I had a cyano outbreak...just after I added the seven (now 5) Chromis, so that was probably the cause, even with every other day feeding. I would just be aware that those regular water changes probably need to be regular regardless of what the water tests are showing.

My Zoas are multiplying...my green montipora cap had probably grown close to an inch...My Favia that looked rough when I got it looks great now...My torch had probably grown at least 50%. Something is going okay, but the cyano is nasty.

Hmmm really?

 

[TheTodd]

Yup. It is not going to stay skimmerless though. I hope to have the 60 gallon cube up and running soon and it is all going in there. Should be interesting to see if anything changes with the skimmed water and sump/refugium.

 

[mr_X]

If you are worried that it's taking out too much nutrients, just turn it down. It won't remove anything, but still aerate the water. I wouldn't put a skimmer on a timer because the on-off-on-off is what wears the pumps out prematurely. The pump will last longer ran constantly.

 

[Gregcoyote]

There's also more chance of accidental overflow if you turn it on and off.