Skimmer or No skimmer ?

[icereefer]

Hi All.
I was looking for some feed back on my 40 gal Coral prop tank.
ok I was going to use my 25-250 red sea skimmer in my sump externaly.
but I was thinking since I'm going to be running a refuge, and mostly soft corals in my tank, maybe a few sps. No fish, and your basic inverts in the sump with My Live rock. that I will be getting from. www.liverock.com. :-D sorry had to throw that in there. :lol:
do you think maybe I could get away with out a skimmer? looking for opinions?
Jim

[MikeS]

I'd use a skimmer Jim....IMO, a good one is one of the most dependable ways to lower nutrient levels in any tank.

Mike

[icereefer]

I hear you there but, with my refuge, my xenia. and my cleaning crew. my media bays. my mini aiptasia scub. you say I still should need a skimmer?

[MikeS]

well...let the skimmer do the work, let the fuge critters mop up and be back up for the skimmer...

Mike

[Ocean Singer]

I'd get a skimmer, I'm skimmer crazy, I'm making a 20g fowlr and I'm still getting a skimmer :banana:

[icereefer]

ok instead of running my 25-250 what if I just hung on my Aquarium system on there? my old modified (seaclone).?
and oceansinger, I'm a skimmer buff too. I run one on all my tanks.
I'm just wondering if I could get away with out one Like in the old days when I never used one? I'm going to be running lots of nutrient exporters.

[MikeS]

yeah, the mod seaclone will help....

The good 'ol days...I remember... :-D and remember how much better the good 'ol days were once we got introduced to skimmers? :lol:

No such thing as TOO much nutrient export.... :-D

Mike

[pilotrob]

:thinkhard: :thumbsup: :lmao:

[icereefer]

OK, I would of like to see if I could get away with it, but the skimmer is a good insurance piece I agree.
I guess I could just plumb in my Berlin, and I've never used one before and don't know how they preform, I was wondering do you think the Mag 5 would be enough to run that skimmer, or should I bump it up to a Mag 7?. and should I just use the stock venturi or I could put on my Kent Venturi?
Thanks Jim
PS I was just thinking if the 7 would be better then the 5. man that tank will be smoken.between my skimmer refuge pump and lift pump (Mag 9.5). I will be circulating close to 1100 GPH. :shock:

[Sugar Magnolia]

You knnow Jim, if you plumb in the area for the skimmer it will be there. If you don't and decide you want to add it later...pita probably. I say go ahead and set it up with the skimmer, but don't run it initially. Let the tank do it's thing without it , then after a few weeks get the skimmer going and see how much skimmate you actually get. It'll be interesting to see how much nutrient export you have going with your natural system, then see what the skimmer can do. Just a thought.

[newtofish]

Well Jim, As you have read I am a skimmerless person. My 60 cube has been up and running for over three years (mine for about 1/2), my 42 Hex was running for 1.5 all without a skimmer. Everything does fine. I do not know if I would have better luck with a skimmer, but I have great results without one. The Micro in the sump, which I harvest 2x a month, and about a gizzillion tube worms in the fuge keep all in balance.
I am contemplating putting a skimmer on my system just to see what a difference it would make but I have been contemplating that for about a year.

[Doctor_Reef]

I am also a skimmer fan.... get a skimmer!!! jmho

[icereefer]

Thanks all for your opinions, and sugar thanks yeah I was going to plumb it in I just can't see not using one. but I was going to do what you suggested and run it for awhile. just to see how it does? plus I'll need time for my aiptasia scrub to grow. and like you said about the old times Mike, with my natural filtration and high water flow I really never had a problem with excess nutient problems? and I had Anemones in most of my tank too.? My critters usualy did a good job for me.
I was still wondering though if I should use my Mag 5 or 7 on my skimmer ,and use the Kent venturi or just stick with the stock one ?
again thanks for your points and opinions.
Jim

[MikeS]

like you said about the old times Mike, with my natural filtration and high water flow I really never had a problem with excess nutient problems? and I had Anemones in most of my tank too.? My critters usualy did a good job for me.

I hear ya Jim....I ran FO tanks for many years without a skimmer....the critters and such will do the trick definately...but look at it this way...the skimmer at the very least is a good backup. Critters can die off or do unpredictable things like go sexual...they change as the tank does, and respond to both positive and negetive things going on in the tank. The skimmer won't do this...it's always there and always removing nutrients.

Mike

I hear you there but, with my refuge, my xenia. and my cleaning crew. my media bays. my mini aiptasia scub.

IMO a good EFFICIENT skimmer will do better than all of that combine... unless you have a HUGE refuge.

[icereefer]

yeah I know travis, I will be using a skimmer and I have for the last 15 years on all my tanks, I was just looking to see what kind of responce I would get writing this post and I pretty much got the responce I was thinking I would get. but I do see there is one that has good results with not running a skimmer. you just hear alot on most post the positive parts of parts of your filtration I was just seeing what members would add if I threw a bone in. :-D
Jim

[Matt.D]

why not just make your own skimmer....I am and its not really goona cost over 20 dollars.....and be 2ft tall

[Condiman]

Me I would say run with skimmer. Keeps the water a bit cleaner.