New to saltwater

[Tucker]

hi here is what i have
35 Gallon tank
marineland emperor 400 dual bio wheel filter
50 lbs liverock
crushed coral substrate
airstone
8 damsels(4 yellowtail, 2 four stripe, and 2 domino)
1 maroon clownfish
my temp is 77.6
salinity 1.023
ph 8.4
ammonia,nitrate,and nitrite all at 0
do I really need a skimmer if i perform regular water changes and i was thinking about getting a lionfish any ideas

 

[melosu58]

Usually I would suggest that PWC`s is all you need but your tank IMO is overstocked. If you are going to keep that many fish in that size tank you`ll need a skimmer also. You`d need to get rid of some fish before you got the lionfish.

 

[Tucker]

any ideas on a modestly priced skimmer maybe a hangon model

 

[melosu58]

Here is some good articles in helping you determine what you need for a skimmer

SkimrArt

What is Skimming? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Skimming Basics 101: Understanding Your Skimmer by Frank Marini, Ph.D. - Reefkeeping.com