skimmerless tanks?
- Thread starter scotty b
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In my 50 some years doing saltwater aquariums (as a hobbyist and professional) only once have I used skimmers. That was at my wholesale facility in 1996 and after running them for about three years I removed them and found no difference in my water quality. BUT I am a HUGE believer in refugium filtration! I will say there is no right way or wrong way as long as it works for you!
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The build I am planning for my basement is going to be designed around no skimmer, although I may still add one into the plumbing but I plan on only having it there in case of some issue that needs it. To pull this off I am planning a large fuge with various macros and mangroves as well an even larger cryptic sump with tons of live rock in it
I don't use a skimmer myself, only a fuge. I have 75 gallon tank with 20 gallon (long) sump/fuge. I do have the water going through a rough filter pad then bioballs to get the big stuff. The fuge section is about 1/2+ the tank since no need of skimmer space. Though mine is only month or so old (so getting more growth in it slowly (soo want to have mine look as think as ValG's shows above)), my softies are doing the best that they have ever done. Only downside I have personally found is it is slower to build up for having full load, vs just flipping a switch. Hope my rambles help. lol
I havent run a skimmer on my tank for 5+ years and I can grow a few zoas here and there pretty well. I will admit though my water is pretty high on phosphates and and not as clear as I know it would be if I were running fresh batches of charcoal and and a skimmer.
* I do how ever think you will be very hard pressed to find a super SPS dominated - Rapidly growing and THRIVING (thriving being optimal word because heck even I can grow SPS - just not rapidly) that is not running a skimmer and pretty well polished up water.
* I do how ever think you will be very hard pressed to find a super SPS dominated - Rapidly growing and THRIVING (thriving being optimal word because heck even I can grow SPS - just not rapidly) that is not running a skimmer and pretty well polished up water.
I have a 17g tank that has been up for 4 years. No fuge, no skimmer, just water changes (30% weekly). It was a mixed reef for 3 years and did great. SPS grew slower than I wanted probably due to ph swings and higher phosphates, but still grew. Tank has since had rock and sand replaced and turned into an anenome tank. Still doing great.
I have heard algae scrubbers work great instead of a skimmer
I have heard algae scrubbers work great instead of a skimmer
Exactly!
Mike's SPS tank wouldn't have looked half as good without an enormous fuge (whole system was 700 gallons, fuge made up 200 gallons of that) and a killer skimmer. He grew those colonies from ordinary frags because the system was set up with good filtration that let him feed profusely. The skimmer was a key part of that filtration. Without a skimmer, your numbers will quickly go haywire if you overfeed. Softies are ok with that, to a point, but SPS don't like it much.
Mike's SPS tank wouldn't have looked half as good without an enormous fuge (whole system was 700 gallons, fuge made up 200 gallons of that) and a killer skimmer. He grew those colonies from ordinary frags because the system was set up with good filtration that let him feed profusely. The skimmer was a key part of that filtration. Without a skimmer, your numbers will quickly go haywire if you overfeed. Softies are ok with that, to a point, but SPS don't like it much.
Just a heads up, if you're wanting a Rubbermaid tub for a fug, Costco in Timnath has 100g tubs for $50. In the back by the dairy.
In a previous life I had a rough time getting the threads to stop leaking. I taped it, leak. I doped it, leak. Tape and dope, leak. Ended up spraying several coats of Flex Seal (inside and out) to get it to stop leaking. Read directions before using it though.
In a previous life I had a rough time getting the threads to stop leaking. I taped it, leak. I doped it, leak. Tape and dope, leak. Ended up spraying several coats of Flex Seal (inside and out) to get it to stop leaking. Read directions before using it though.
skimmerless tanks?
I haven't used a skimmer on either of my tanks, however, as you noted I have mostly softies and the sps that I do have I've kept to only montiporas and they seem to be doing well.
On my 30 nem tank I run chemipure, purigen, a filter sock, and polyfill in my media towers because I feed fairly aggressively. On my 60 I just have corals and the 40 gallon sump w 1/3 dedicated to fuge. Both tanks have macros growing in the dt and fuge areas.
I haven't used a skimmer on either of my tanks, however, as you noted I have mostly softies and the sps that I do have I've kept to only montiporas and they seem to be doing well.
On my 30 nem tank I run chemipure, purigen, a filter sock, and polyfill in my media towers because I feed fairly aggressively. On my 60 I just have corals and the 40 gallon sump w 1/3 dedicated to fuge. Both tanks have macros growing in the dt and fuge areas.
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