SPS Dominant tank: Skimmer?

[007]

I'm in the design phase of my new set up . . . I feel like a kid in a candy store!!!!
My last tank was LPS and Softies, so this time around, I'm going all SPS.
All I have at this point is the tank and stand, and I'm going to need a custom sump. But in designing the sump, I know I'm going to need a CA reactor, what about a skimmer? Is a skimmer necessary in an SPS tank? The bioload will be pretty light . . . typical invertebrate cleanup crew along with three small fish (probably a pair of clowns, and something else small like a six line wrasse). I was pretty good about water changes in the last tank (5% per week) so I'd keep up that pace.
Thoughts?

 

[teen]

imo, you need a skimmer. sps hate high nutrient levels and the skimmer will keep nutrient levels down. you want a nutrient poor tank for them to flourish.
are you going bare bottom or sand bed?

 

[007]

Most likely BB to prevent detritus accumulation . . . plus I'm planning on a lot of current and don't want a sandstrom.
If space permits, i would add as sandbed to the sump, but I don't forsee that being possible.

 

[fishgeek01]

you will want a skimmer, the corals you are talking about keeping like a nutrient poor system like TEEN said. You would benefit greatly from a skimmer and a refugium with macro algae in it.

 

[kpk]

What size tank you looking at 007? I would definitly recommend a skimmer unless you like brown acros...

 

[007]

Nope, no interest in brown . . . .
I've already got a tank, its an Oceanic 30 cube. I've got a lot of the specs down, but I'm still working in the sump area. The stand has a very small footprint which is going to really make for a tight fit (if even possible) for a CA reactor and Skimmer.
The foot print is only 16" x 18" . . . :help:

 

[bonebrake]

I would say a skimmer is a must, but you can do without the Ca reactor since it is only a 30 gal. tank. If space is a problem, rig up a nice kalkwasser drip or dosing system. With that it would not have to be in the stand, but could sit behind the stand and tank where it is still out of sight.
:joy:

 

[kpk]

Go with a hob cpr remora to hang on the sump, or a urchin for in the sump. It will do a good job on a smaller tank...

 

[teen]

adding a refugium with a sand bed defeats the whole purpose of a bare bottom tank.
and as mentioned above, a thirty gallon tank doesnt call for a calcium reactor. i have a 30 gallon with a ten gallon sump and i just drip kalk.

 

[kpk]

I disagree that a sand bed defeats the purpose of BB. The purpose of barebottom is to have a clean system. If you keep up the flow and the siphoning of detritus you will keep the main display free of crud, and having micron filters on the drains of to the sump, fuge etc you will keep most of the detritus out of there. If you have a dsb you don't want to siphon so you just have crud rotting...

 

[teen]

the purpose of a bare bottom is to keep nutrients next to non-existent. the clean part is pleasing to the eye, but the nutrient free part is what your aiming for with sps.
a deep sand bed in a refugium that is connected to a bare bottom tank is bringing nutrients from the DSB and putting them into the BB tank, which will enable algae to grow and defeat the purpose of a BB tank.
filter socks and siphoning wont get rid of the nutrients.

 

[yosemite sam]

A few thoughts...
My friend has that exact tank with sps, and has an ASM G1x skimmer. He had a custom sump built that it fits in. He put in a few baffles between the skimmer and the area with the return pump, and doesn't have much of a micro bubble problem. He really likes the skimmer.
A calcium reactor on a small system might be overboard. You'll save $$$ and space dosing 2-part.

 

[007]

Originally Posted by Yosemite Sam
A few thoughts...
My friend has that exact tank with sps, and has an ASM G1x skimmer. He had a custom sump built that it fits in. He put in a few baffles between the skimmer and the area with the return pump, and doesn't have much of a micro bubble problem. He really likes the skimmer.
A calcium reactor on a small system might be overboard. You'll save $$$ and space dosing 2-part.
I know that dosing would be less expensive and eliminate the space problem, but I dosed b-ionic for over two years in my old tank and I HATED doing it.
If I can't make it work, then I'm going to build a custom stand too and return the one I've got.