Nebody not run a skimmer on their reef?

chunkysoup

chunkysoup

Member
So i was just wondering if anybody has had success with their reef without using a skimmer or sump. I know both of these items can do nothing but good for a system, but in reality these aren't options for everybody interested in reef keeping (financial/space limitations). Has anyone had success by just using lots of LR, maintaining a high tank turnover rate, and religous water changes alone?
Cheers,
Chunky
 
teen

teen

Active Member
a few pieces of coral will run the same amount of money as a nice skimmer, just hold off a few weeks before adding coral, and use that money for a skimmer. also, the amount of money you will spend on buying salt and water for your tank because of the frequent water changes will all add up, and that can buy you a skimmer.
im sure it can be done, but the time and effort to keep up on the water changes wont be worth it.
 
chunkysoup

chunkysoup

Member
thanks for the reply teen, i understand the costs associated with the hobby. I've been in it for 3 years now and have always ran sump/fuge set-ups accompanied by a skimmer. A year ago I got out of the hobby and now I am being drawn back in. I have a very nice 46 gallon bowfront set-up but the current layout/arrangment in my apartment won't allow me to able to run a sump etc... I just know there are people out there that house reefs via very "low maintance" means. I was just curious to here there experiences on what all it takes....
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
I have been incredibly successful and my tank is going on a year and I have never used a skimmer because it is a small tank (JBJ 24 gal. nano cube). I do a 20% water change every week religiously and run 4 oz. of activated carbon 24/7 and change it once a month, with this routine I have consistently maintained excellent water parameters: less than 2.5 ppm nitrate and less than 0.1 ppm phosphate. However, a 20% water change weekly would be a serious burden on the hobbyist for a tank much larger than mine. If you have a larger tank (55 gal.+) go for a skimmer. It will save you time and money when it comes to water changes because you can stretch them out to twice a month or every three weeks.
:joy:
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
It's a trade off...
We add nutrients to a confined space; we've got to take waste out somehow....
You're either going to have to have a skimmer or do large frequent water changes. There's no way around it.
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
While you could theoretically run a reef tank without a skimmer, I would not recommend it. You are setting your tank back by about 30 technological years by depriving it of a skimmer. It can be done, but not without needless extra work.
My opinion is that a skimmer is one of the most important hardwares of a reef tank, 2nd only to the lighting.
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
I used to run without a skimmer for almost 2 months, but just added it back on. The corals didn't seem to look as good without it.
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Originally Posted by ViPeR_930
I used to run without a skimmer for almost 2 months, but just added it back on. The corals didn't seem to look as good without it.
Viper, were you experimenting?
 
hot883

hot883

Active Member
There is a LFS in Oklahoma City that has the most beautiful tanks and NONE of them have skimmers. They don't even sell them and their reefs are amazing.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
The key again is what is there maintenance regimen? If they look that good, imagine what they'd look like with a skimmer and what type of corals are they keeping as well?
 
chunkysoup

chunkysoup

Member
wow guys.. good stuff, thanks for all the interest. Again, I fully understand the benefits of skimming. I think the main argument that is being made is how skimming "makes things easier," and how it would take "a ton of work" to sustain a reef w/o a protein skimmer. Isn't this all just perspective? For instance, if I don't mind doing a 5 gallon water change once a week then what is the big deal? If you look at two tanks with the exact water parameters and one skims and the other doesn't there should be no distinct difference in water quality between the two right?
I'm aware that an argument could be made that a higher bioload could be maintained more safely while skimming since it eases the load on LR, LS etc...
 
bonebrake

bonebrake

Active Member
Originally Posted by chunkysoup
For instance, if I don't mind doing a 5 gallon water change once a week then what is the big deal? If you look at two tanks with the exact water parameters and one skims and the other doesn't there should be no distinct difference in water quality between the two right?
No.
Two tanks could have the exact same temperature, pH, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, and magnesium, but have totally different concentrations of dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) and/or proteins. A protein skimmer helps to remove excess organic compounds from a tank and thereby removes extra nitrogenous waste that is temporarily "hidden" in proteins before they are broken down into ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.
:joy:
 
rusting

rusting

Member
Originally Posted by mudplayerx
While you could theoretically run a reef tank without a skimmer, I would not recommend it. You are setting your tank back by about 30 technological years by depriving it of a skimmer. It can be done, but not without needless extra work.
My opinion is that a skimmer is one of the most important hardwares of a reef tank, 2nd only to the lighting.
I agree with Mudplayerx, and skimming is not a subsitute for water changes.
 
chunkysoup

chunkysoup

Member
What the whole argument boils down to is the point made by bonebrake. If nitrogenous waste and water parameters are masked or "hidden" by DOC's in the water that aren't yet broken down then I guess there is no way to accurately predict what the water quality is on a skimmerless tank... I just never really knew that DOC's and ammonia, nitrite, nitrate were actually different.
 
biohazard

biohazard

Member
I also live in an apartment and I run an Aqua C Remora skimmer its a HOB and you don`t even notice its back there. With the stuff it draws from the tank I couldn`t imagine not having it. I also have a HOB filter, and HOB phosphate reactor. It all hangs neatly on the back of my 29gal tank.
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
Just imagine you do have a skimmer and pull out something like this every couple days...

Would you be willing to just dump all that skimmate right back into the tank? That's just like how it is when you're not even using a skimmer.
 
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