protein skimmer, necessity or not?

[marine]

I've never used a protein skimmer before but am interested to know about its adavantages. I have a reef and fish tank. Both about 55 gal. each. I do 20% water changes weekly. Do I need a skimmer to eliminate waste when I do frequent water changes? What are the pros/cons? Thanks.

 

[joncat24]

there are no cons....once you see what a skimmer pulls out of your water , you will be convinced...

 

[fishgeek01]

i have run my reef systems without a skimmer for years without having any problems. I put the coral life super skimmer on my 75 gal, and even with my weekly water changes it pulls out an amazing amount of awful smelling goop. I would highly recommend it. I have noticed since getting mine that my corals are getting more colorful and that everything seems to be at 110% instead of 100%

 

[renogaw]

absolute necessity.

 

[tangs123]

well there is one con, the price, but it is worth every penny

 

[blackaero1]

I think this is a gret question, could some of the people that have heard about different brands tell us if there are any brands to stay away from? Any that we shoud jump on if we can afford it?

 

[sebae09]

dont get a seaclone. im not sure about the visi-jet. maybe someone will chime in with some info on it.

 

[royal gang]

what about a maxi-jet?

 

[royal gang]

j/k lol i meant coralife?

 

[yote]

Originally Posted by sebae09
dont get a seaclone. im not sure about the visi-jet. maybe someone will chime in with some info on it.
The only thing a visi-jet is good for is filling your tank full of micro-bubbles,,seaclone actually works a whole better than the visi-jet JMO

 

[sebae09]

ive never used it, i figured you guys would say something like that.

 

[phishface]

Yes get one. I would get a sump/trickle model, because they are very effective, but I would buy one rated for a larger tank than my tank size. Dont skimp on the skimmer. But of course just my opinion.

 

[markus09]

I have a coralife super skimmer needle wheel and it works great. I pull out about 1-2 cups per day of nasty brown MUK. Has anyone else used this skimmer? I would recomend this too you. It is touchy. I would not recomend this skimmer to be put in a Ref. or Sump. It needs to be watched to maintain top performance. Skimmers should be watched during feeding, cleaning and water changes anyway. You can put a holding tank on it very easily to prevent overflow.
Anyone else have exp. with this skimmer........PS: Skimmer=Reef ; NO Skimmer=No reef

 

[who dey]

Originally Posted by marine
I've never used a protein skimmer before but am interested to know about its adavantages. I have a reef and fish tank. Both about 55 gal. each. I do 20% water changes weekly. Do I need a skimmer to eliminate waste when I do frequent water changes? What are the pros/cons? Thanks.
here's why u need a skimmer. I sure don't want that nasty crap in my water!

 

[jacksonpt]

IMO, and I'm sure I'm in the minority here... skimmers are NOT a necessity. They offer you a lot of protection from things like overstocking and over feeding and such... but a well planned, well setup, well maintain tank shouldn't need one.
I will say that a tank with VERY VERY sensitive fish/corals may be the exception (I've never kept SPS, so...), but your average tank won't need a skimmer if everything else is done correctly.

 

[who dey]

IMO when entering an expensive hobby like this. It would be wise to strive for the cleanest possible water to alleviate any future headaches. I think the 100-200bucks spent on a skimmer is a wise decision. But, thats just me

 

[goonter]

Is it true that a skimmer helps maintain a proper PH level?

 

[who dey]

Originally Posted by goonter
Is it true that a skimmer helps maintain a proper PH level?
I've never heard of a skimmer contributing directly to proper PH maintenance. but, sure couldn't hurt!! :scared:

 

[jewtity]

why does a protein skimmer overflow? and how does that happen?

 

[fender]

It slices it dices, cleans water, maintains Ph, removes nitrates, makes fish happy, exports DOCs, makes teeth whiter and brighter and gives fish a general feeling of happiness....
ok, doesn't do all of that... but it does remove DOCs (Dissolved organic compounds) its main reason for being. Remember everything you add to the tank stays in the tank (forever) unless you removed it (ok water does evap). All tanks need a excess nutrient export. Water changes, algae harvesting, Skimming, denitrification via DSBs and LR are all methods of export that work. If you don't have a skimmer and have acceptable readings then you don't need one. If you are battling nitrates.... might be worth considering...