Do I need a protein skimmer for a 20 Gallon High tank?

DebraLV

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Hello, I plan on starting up this tank tomorrow and letting in naturally cycle for a month. I'm just going to fill halfway with treated spring water and letting that cycle. I have leftover life rock, and purchased 20 lbs of live sand.

My old 10 gallon is about 6 weeks old with two turbo snails, 2 damsels, and an emerald crab with some chaeto as I think my inverts didn't have enough to eat.

My plan is to set it up, then daily put a cup of sand from the old tank, to the new one for a week to mix it up with my old sand. On the day, my new tank is cycled, I plan on adding my livestock, transferring my old rock in my ten gallon and then siphoning out the 10 gallon to complete the fill for my 20 gallon tank.

I wanted to ask would this be too much shock for the fish if I put them in the newly cycled tank, then add the remaining 10 gallon water from my old tank? I'm in no rush to transfer my old tank and I want to do it naturally with no additives.

I just wanted to know if I need a protein skimmer for a 20 gallon tank. I already purchased an Aqueon QuitePro50 HOB and I plan on putting in a wavemaker.

I hope this makes sense and Thanks for any advice.

20210927_135734_resized.jpg
 

Mywifeisgunnakillme

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I think skimmers do a lot more than just remove organics, just seems tanks really benefit from them. Enough flow may do a similar thing though. That said they are not necessary, especially with lower fish load. Try it without and if issues arise, research if a protein skimmer may address those issues. my 2 cents.
 

Wyvern

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You can use an oversized canister filled with good media.

I'm not keen on HOB skimmers.
 

Mywifeisgunnakillme

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Take a look at innovative marine wavemakers. I think on sale at BRS and on their website. A couple of the bigger ones would give you nice flow... I would be confident with liverock, your fish load, sand, and two innovative marine wavemakers without a skimmer.
 
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DebraLV

DebraLV

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You don’t necessarily need a protein skimmer, but it certainly helps - especially if you end up with 4 or more fish in your 20-gallon.
Good to know as I planned on purchasing two fake clowns and was wondering how I should acclimate them to my damsels?
I purchased a "wild caught" clown a few weeks ago, but he was being bullied by one damsel and was stressed so I brought him back to my LFS for a credit on a future purchase.
Should I purchase the clowns the same day I transfer? I have 4 nano LR arches so each will have a hiding spot.
 

blaxsun

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Good to know as I planned on purchasing two fake clowns and was wondering how I should acclimate them to my damsels?
Should I purchase the clowns the same day I transfer? I have 4 nano LR arches so each will have a hiding spot.
There’s probably not any advantage in introducing them separately, just keep in-mind that some damsels can be jerks (they usually work things out, but not always). Yellow tails and yellow bellies are the most aggressive species of damsels.
 

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Hello, I plan on starting up this tank tomorrow and letting in naturally cycle for a month. I'm just going to fill halfway with treated spring water and letting that cycle. I have leftover life rock, and purchased 20 lbs of live sand.

My old 10 gallon is about 6 weeks old with two turbo snails, 2 damsels, and an emerald crab with some chaeto as I think my inverts didn't have enough to eat.

My plan is to set it up, then daily put a cup of sand from the old tank, to the new one for a week to mix it up with my old sand. On the day, my new tank is cycled, I plan on adding my livestock, transferring my old rock in my ten gallon and then siphoning out the 10 gallon to complete the fill for my 20 gallon tank.

I wanted to ask would this be too much shock for the fish if I put them in the newly cycled tank, then add the remaining 10 gallon water from my old tank? I'm in no rush to transfer my old tank and I want to do it naturally with no additives.

I just wanted to know if I need a protein skimmer for a 20 gallon tank. I already purchased an Aqueon QuitePro50 HOB and I plan on putting in a wavemaker.

I hope this makes sense and Thanks for any advice.

20210927_135734_resized.jpg
Your old tank is new too but I would just transfer everything over. The extra rock and sand will be populated quickly without issue.
you don’t need a skimmer at all especially in the beginning later you may wat to add it tough if yo have no other way to control nutrients or you find not enough origination is becoming a problem.
I would. Especially on a nano. Tanks don't do very well without one and It helps with nutrients. I can't imagine having a tank without one.
I have one without for almost 2 years and not seen any reason to add one yet. I find algae reactor more beneficial for nutrient export and I have air stone in the back chambers of my AIO mainly to mix heated water and mix dosing of elements.
 

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I vote nay on skimmer. If you keep up on filter pad maintenance, water changes, and can get air exchange other ways. They do have a lot of benefits but not 100% necessary though. With 4 small fish shouldn't be a problem. If you keep adding stuff, or filter cant keep up eventually may need one.
 

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Good to know as I planned on purchasing two fake clowns and was wondering how I should acclimate them to my damsels?
I purchased a "wild caught" clown a few weeks ago, but he was being bullied by one damsel and was stressed so I brought him back to my LFS for a credit on a future purchase.
Should I purchase the clowns the same day I transfer? I have 4 nano LR arches so each will have a hiding spot.
Can try a cheap see through plastic container with holes in it for some time. Just float it around until they get used to each other. Sometimes this works sometimes not.
 

jt8791

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Hob skimmers can be finicky from what I read depending on the model, a hob refugium might be more beneficial and functional maybe even more practical depending how you look at it. Don’t get me wrong from what I read a skimmer has a lot of benefits but also requires a bit of maintenance. All depends on what you want to get out of your tank and how much work you are willing to put into it.

Yeah every bit of research I’ve done has come up with not to mix clowns and damsels. Could be a lot of factors in play though, that 10 gallon wasn’t even big enough for clowns, probably not big enough for damsels either so they could have been stressed.

what type of damsels do you have?
 
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DebraLV

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I vote nay on skimmer. If you keep up on filter pad maintenance, water changes, and can get air exchange other ways. They do have a lot of benefits but not 100% necessary though. With 4 small fish shouldn't be a problem. If you keep adding stuff, or filter cant keep up eventually may need one
 

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I agree with @reefz.
I love skimmers. Started with a nano skimmer that's weak for my Waterbox 20 + a refugium. Replaced with HoB 1.5 that has been running almost 18 months. I only have 4 small fish in my tank; feed them twice a week with a cube of myssis and tiny amount of pellets in between.
See the photos (I just cleaned the skimmer cup 2 days ago). The HoB 1.5 pulls so much gunk that's hard to believe.

My first skimmer Aquamaxx Nano (used less than 6 months; it could be sufficient for 15 gallon or smaller tanks)
skimmer running 02.JPG



The Aquamaxx HoB 1.5 (a bit noisy due to the gurgling from the air in-take; but excellent performance wise)
IMG_0450.JPG
IMG_0454.JPG
 
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DebraLV

DebraLV

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Hob skimmers can be finicky from what I read depending on the model, a hob refugium might be more beneficial and functional maybe even more practical depending how you look at it. Don’t get me wrong from what I read a skimmer has a lot of benefits but also requires a bit of maintenance. All depends on what you want to get out of your tank and how much work you are willing to put into it.

Yeah every bit of research I’ve done has come up with not to mix clowns and damsels. Could be a lot of factors in play though, that 10 gallon wasn’t even big enough for clowns, probably not big enough for damsels either so they could have been stressed.

what type of damsels do you have?
Thanks Jt, I have two juvenile, yellow tailed damsels. I would love to add two tank bred clowns as like I stated, one damsel bullied my one clown, and I had to return to the LFS.

I will stop at 4 fish and just have my 2 turbo snails and emerald crab to do clean up. I just need some advice...if I do purchase my clowns, what is the best way to introduce all 4 to my new tank? I've heard good and bad stories about clowns and damsels.

I'm just thinking my "wild caught" clown was just him vs. two damsels and that's why he was bullied.

I'm thinking if I get a pair of clowns it's 2 damsels vs 2 clowns. My LFS is so busy all the time, the owner is not there, most of the time and he just hires just regular kids who really just need a job. He trains them on tropical but he does all SW maintenance himself. He doesn't allow his workers to touch any SW fish.

I just want to do everything right with this tank instead of asking so many questions to you guys.

My stand is arriving tomorrow and tomorrow is design and set up all day.I'm just wondering the best way to introduce 2 established, small damsels and 2 new clowns to a new tank. Should I wait a full month, then buy my clowns and introduce all 4 to the new tank? I'm just not sure how to do this without them going to war 2 Damsels vs. 2 Clownfish. I will make sure salinity and all test results mirror both tanks before I transfer anything.
 

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