Skimmer less system possible?

[Rich42082]

I've got one foot out of the hobby. I need your advise. I have a 180 gallon 2 year old reef I need to downsize. With a 1 year old and another on the way I don't have the time and money to maintain my 180. I plan on keeping all or most of my corals.

The plan is to purchase a 55 gallon from petco. Drill some holes on it for a drain and return and have a refugium setup under the tank. Since it will only have corals and no fish can I get away from having a protein skimmer? The maintenance I can afford is a 30 gallon WC once a month. This setup will have lots of flow and no sand in the bottom of the tank. Just live rock and corals. Pls share your thoughts on this.

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[mr_X]

You will need some fish, unless you feed the corals. That said, you don't necessarily need a skimmer....it's just another helping hand in the quest for clean water.

[Rich42082]

OK I'll keep some of my fish but do you think I can run a successful system without running a protein skimmer, gfo or carbon. I plan on dosing Calcium and Alkalinity. I'll have a filter sock and a 10 gallon refugium.

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[Rich42082]

I'll be doing 30 gallon WC once a month. Does anyone run something similar?

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[Sniperhank]

My 55 reef has been skimmerless several times in it's life...not that I was planning it that way...and I've always struggled with skimmers, always feeling that one should be doing more or skimming all of the time for me. Is it possible? Yes. Is my tank happy without it? No, I have cyano in my sandbed currently. But this is also because the pump from my reactor went at the same time and my GFO/purigen isn't running either.

I personally like using gfo, purigen, and similar products on my tank. It might just be from my poor luck with skimmers or even simply doing something wrong with them that leads to my general disdain for them, but I still run it for what I can get it to skim out of my system.

[Rich42082]

How much WC are you doing?

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[Sniperhank]

10% weekly. Rather than a 30 once a month, do 10 gallons a week to keep the numbers as low as possible.

[mr_X]

Rich, what about a skimmer is not going to work for you? The initial cost? Do you have a skimmer on your current 180? You can use that one if so.

[Rich42082]

I had to go with a 40 gallon breeder with a 29 gallon sump / refugium. The 55 gallon that petco sells has tempered glass so change of plans. The skimmer I have on the 180 is huge and I won't be able to fit it inside this new setup. Plus it's kind of loud. I do have a dual reactor I might use and I was also thinking of having a cylinder filter if I can fit it somewhere inside the stand or next to the stand.

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[Rich42082]

Can you recommend a good skimmer that is small enough to fit inside the 29 gallon breeder and still have space for a section of Chaeto and a return section?

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[Sniperhank]

That's an easy one. Eshopps PSK-75. I run it on my 55, though it turns out my issues with it were from power surges that killed the pump.

[mr_X]

29 breeder? Do you mean a 12" wide 29? If so, The Bubble Magus Curve 5 would be my choice.

[Rich42082]

Yes, I meant the standard 29 gallon. I'll consider them both. They are about 150 to 200 on ebay so not too bad. I might be able to cram everything I need in there. Would I need 2 of the dimmable led's on ebay or just 1? They are similar to the taotronics.

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[Sniperhank]

One of those units will cover 2ft of tank.

[Rich42082]

I'm planning on starting my stand build. My wife just threw me a curve ball. She want the stand to have legs. If I build a regular stand can I add 4X4 to the bottom of the stand to lift the stand maybe 2 inches off the ground? I was thinking of putting 1 on each corner and 2 in the middle.

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[Rich42082]

I'll just cut the 4X4 two inches tall.?

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[mr_X]

Is this so she can vacuum and clean under it? You definitely do not need six 4x4s under a 55. One in each corner is fine. My stand is just 4x4's with some trim around it on my 105-

[Rich42082]

Yeah, and incase theirs a leak she wants to be able to dry under it. I'm building a basic stand with 2 X 4's and then adding 4X4's in each corner to raise the tank 2 inches off the ground.

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[Rich42082]

Anyone have a good link on how to build the stand with removable doors?

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[Rich42082]

A little progress.

http://i1357.photobucket.com/albums/...psx5o6gy4e.jpg