dpeter51
Member
Hi, I've got an empty 50 gallon acrylic tank that I'm planning to put together as FOWLR. I plan to put in a clown or two, a royal gramma, a pair of blue damsels, a hawkfish, maybe a flame angel, but no tangs. I'd prefer not to go nuts right away and build a sump, but to take it slow and upgrade to that someday. I also would like to minimize the amount of equipment I buy, partly for cost and partly for noise (my wife is reluctant about this fish tank because she hates trickling noises, so I need to start small and win her over).
I've been to a few LFS's around north Phoenix and there is one that stands out as really nice--it's clean, has beautiful tanks and healthy fish...it seems the most professional. They've been in business for 10 years and they have a 2-week fish guarantee. The weird thing is, they (this being three separate associates who all seem to be fish enthusiasts and have some knowledge of the hobby) have told me that if I'm deciding between a skimmer and a UV sterilizer, that the sterilizer will give more benefit to the health of the fish than a skimmer.
This is driving me nuts because all the opinion I’ve gathered from reading several books (recent ones such as Michael Paletta's book) and from conversations here and on a couple of other forums seem to agree that the skimmer is the more necessary, or at least highly advised, piece of equipment for a beginner.
Here is the LFS' reasoning. They say I should be using a canister to mechanically filter out the solids and the only thing left to worry about is the parasites and stuff that could cause ich, etc. I asked them, “What about the chemicals and whatever other gunk a skimmer would get--don't those need to be removed, and the UV sterilizer won't do anything about them?" I can't remember the exact response but it was something like "Well yes, if you had corals and other more sensitive things then you'd need a skimmer, but fish-only tanks are ok without one".
They point out that every one of their tanks runs a UV sterilizer. They also pointed to a 20-gallon tank with seahorses and a lot of plants inside that only has a sterilizer and no skimmer (they admitted when pressed that the rest of their tanks are on common systems that are skimmed).
So please respond with your sound knowledge and experience—please set me straight on which piece of equipment will give me a higher chance of success, if I am to purchase only one at this time. Extra points to you if you are speaking from years of personal experience, and not just “what you’ve heard” or “what you understand”. Because I’m already there—and my “understanding” is being challenged by this shop!
I've been to a few LFS's around north Phoenix and there is one that stands out as really nice--it's clean, has beautiful tanks and healthy fish...it seems the most professional. They've been in business for 10 years and they have a 2-week fish guarantee. The weird thing is, they (this being three separate associates who all seem to be fish enthusiasts and have some knowledge of the hobby) have told me that if I'm deciding between a skimmer and a UV sterilizer, that the sterilizer will give more benefit to the health of the fish than a skimmer.
This is driving me nuts because all the opinion I’ve gathered from reading several books (recent ones such as Michael Paletta's book) and from conversations here and on a couple of other forums seem to agree that the skimmer is the more necessary, or at least highly advised, piece of equipment for a beginner.
Here is the LFS' reasoning. They say I should be using a canister to mechanically filter out the solids and the only thing left to worry about is the parasites and stuff that could cause ich, etc. I asked them, “What about the chemicals and whatever other gunk a skimmer would get--don't those need to be removed, and the UV sterilizer won't do anything about them?" I can't remember the exact response but it was something like "Well yes, if you had corals and other more sensitive things then you'd need a skimmer, but fish-only tanks are ok without one".
They point out that every one of their tanks runs a UV sterilizer. They also pointed to a 20-gallon tank with seahorses and a lot of plants inside that only has a sterilizer and no skimmer (they admitted when pressed that the rest of their tanks are on common systems that are skimmed).
So please respond with your sound knowledge and experience—please set me straight on which piece of equipment will give me a higher chance of success, if I am to purchase only one at this time. Extra points to you if you are speaking from years of personal experience, and not just “what you’ve heard” or “what you understand”. Because I’m already there—and my “understanding” is being challenged by this shop!
