Can a saltwater tank flourish without refugiums and skimmers?

[cslawso]

im curious if they can?

 

[saltcreep]

Yes, Really need to keep up with water changes, low bio load andfew feedings. You see restaurants and such do this all the time. It is just harder to keep stable.

 

[bp]

I think that a skimmer is important, but a great tank can be set up with out one if you watch your bio load and water quality. As for a fuge I have seem many great tanks without them but I highly recomend them.

 

[cslawso]

Thanks for the help guys

 

[zanemoseley]

I think it depends on how many large fish you have and what corals you plan to have, with SPS a skimmer is a must. I kinda think refugiums are a waste of time and can be easily replaced by a phosphate fluidized reactor to achieve the same effects.

 

[hondo]

I would have to agree that No it cannot flourish. sure if you keep a very, very, light bioload and do water changes on a regular basis you can maintain a tank this way but if you give into the temptation of adding a fish or two you could easily crash the system and lose everything. better to spend the $$$ on a good skimmer and not spend the $$$ restocking your tank after it crashes.

 

[barry cuda]

I purchased an established nanocube about a week ago...contains two ocellaris, frogspawn and candy cane corals, some GSP, several different colors of zoos, a peppermint shrimp, two hermits and several ceriths and turbos. This tank had been up and running over 9 mos. with no fuge or skimmer, and everything is (as far as I can tell) in great health. Coralline growth is nearly out of control and the water quality (tested as soon as I got home) was totally pristine, without even any nitrates detectable.
It remains to be seen whether this tank will do as well in my less-experienced hands (I have other tanks available to move livestock to should it be necessary), but I'd say it has definitely flourished up to now. That's not to say fuges and skimmers aren't beneficial. I have a Euro-Reef on my 100g and wouldn't run without it. I do also plan to build a DIY skimmer for the nanocube. But, so far it appears to be in great shape without one.