Do you run a Skimmer?

[SaltISlife]

I don't run a skimmer for a couple reasons. Firstly, the smell permeated the house. Secondly, the dry bubbles were constantly forcing the lid off, and making a crown of dried fish poop. After months of trying I gave up, and pulled it out.

I now run the entire sump area of my RSR 625XXL as a refuge. My NO3 and PO4 are pretty low, though not zero. I do run floss in the cups to help export junk. The only negative I've noted is low pH.

I woulda imagine to stop the top from coming off.. you put something on top of it..... and run a airline or tube from the hole on top of the top into the sump so if it does overflow through the bleeder hole it goes back into the water.

Seems simple to me... why dont people think of things like this ?

 

[salty joe]

Thanks! Would an air stone work as well as a needle-wheel pumping skimmer?

I doubt it. I run an air stone inside a two inch PVC pipe with water flowing down. So, countercurrent. I get a little help with pH but I think a high powered needle wheel would exchange a lot more gas.

 

[mdb_talon]

My skimmer is right after my filter socks. I am new and don’t think I likely am going to be changing them every few days. Would it be better to get rid of them and have the skimmer on?

Yes for sure if you wont be changing those socks regularly.

 

[Kevin_Mac]

Use a skimmer and do water changes every two weeks !

 

[anthonygf]

I ran no skimmer for 3 years in my 135g.. no sump either.. all i have is a 55w uv, and 2 gallons of denitrate running at 30gph to keep nitrates in check.

But i habe 5 tangs. A foxface. 3 dwarf angels. 3 wrasses, 3 dottybacks, 2 green chromis, crabs a long spine sea urchins, snails, and a star fish.

So my nitrates range from 20-50 depending on how much i feed or how long its been since i did a water change. And when i do water changes i generally do 40-50% almosy i drop nitrates back down to 20. Without my denitrate. Nitrates will climb very fast and i cant keep up. So its 100% essential to have nitrate export.

Since i have no sump and i wont drill a 40 year old half inch thick glass tank (built in 1982). I finally got myself a skimmer.

I bought a sea clone 150..despit mixed reviews of it not working for anyone.. im pretty crafty at solving problems. I got it yesturday and i noticed it didnt work. I fixed it by sealing the cup with a rubber band on the neck as i noticed it was leaking inside itself.

After that it started skimming like mad. In 9 hours my cup was full of beer color liquid. I need to adjust the air a little as its a wet skim but im very happy.

Skimmers wont take out nitrates.. but im combination with my denitrate and removing orgsnics from the skimmer. I hope i be able to manage nitrates more.

What would happen if your cup overflows?

 

[anthonygf]

I woulda imagine to stop the top from coming off.. you put something on top of it..... and run a airline or tube from the hole on top of the top into the sump so if it does overflow through the bleeder hole it goes back into the water.

Seems simple to me... why dont people think of things like this ?

I have my skimmer draining into filter box, filter will catch large particles and not strip the water of nutrients.

 

[KyOsIBa515]

What would happen if your cup overflows?

One of the best fail safes is a float switch. You can run a drain reservoir as shown before but depending on how your sump or cabinet is set up may not be an option.

I have this on my cup. I really recommend it being it has saved me twice. Once from overflowing and once due to a power blip. It has a 5 minute relay delay. This allows my sump to return to its normal level before it starts and keeps it from going haywire.

It’s relatively inexpensive for complete piece of mind.

 

[Ghost25]

I think a skimmer is the best equipment investment right behind a light and an ATO. I have run a successful tank with a good size skimmer with relatively infrequent water changes, no carbon, no GFO or chemipure, no filter floss, no socks, etc.

 

[CenlaReefer]

I only run mine from 1:00AM to 11:00AM daily. Some of my LPS did not like the low nutrients when I ran it 24/7.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I only run mine from 1:00AM to 11:00AM daily. Some of my LPS did not like the low nutrients when I ran it 24/7.

have you ever checked on startup to see if the water contained in it or the piping might be becoming stagnant, potentially with production of toxic hydrogen sulfide?

IMO, that's a risk when confining aquarium water for 14 hours.

 

[KyOsIBa515]

have you ever checked on startup to see if the water contained in it or the piping might be becoming stagnant, potentially with production of toxic hydrogen sulfide?

IMO, that's a risk when confining aquarium water for 14 hours.

I think a skimmer is the best equipment investment right behind a light and an ATO. I have run a successful tank with a good size skimmer with relatively infrequent water changes, no carbon, no GFO or chemipure, no filter floss, no socks, etc.

Agree 100%. If people run a system without one with success then hats off. However, doing so I feel would require more discipline.

Historically reef keeping was a thing of impossibility. Reefers in the 70’s would be lucky to keep corals alive for 4 or 5 months. The protein skimmer was the breakthrough that made long term success possible. Of course over the years our knowledge base and understanding of the chemistry has evolved.

However, the argument is the refugium does more or more beneficial. I would love to see results of a system using a refugium and solely a fuge to grow macro and a place to store sand or rock. No miracle mud, no carbons, gfo or biopellets and not dosing. I would then like to see it done with a skimmer and which way would reward the best results.

When you can physically see the evidence of what it is doing...I don’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to run one...to each their own.

 

[anthonygf]

have you ever checked on startup to see if the water contained in it or the piping might be becoming stagnant, potentially with production of toxic hydrogen sulfide?

IMO, that's a risk when confining aquarium water for 14 hours.

Good point.

 

[CenlaReefer]

have you ever checked on startup to see if the water contained in it or the piping might be becoming stagnant, potentially with production of toxic hydrogen sulfide?

IMO, that's a risk when confining aquarium water for 14 hours.

Thanks for that input. I never would have thought of that.. Perhaps the answer is to just run the skimmer super dry instead 24/7 along with an increase in feeding corals and fish. Still, I am having some GHA to manage.

 

[Rmckoy]

Every tank I’ve owned had a skimmer .
Just ph regulation by oxygenation and exporting organics is enough of a reason to believe it’s a essential piece of equipment

 

[DaddyFish]

Initally I was very turned off by everyone telling me "You can't possibly run a saltwater tank without a skimmer, you must have a skimmer!" Just try to find a "saltwater tank equipment startup list" that doesn't include "skimmer".
After studying the various skimmer designs and comparing costs, I became so turned-off and senical that I've vowed to run skimmerless.

And I'm sure this will get me flamed...
I HAVE run skimmers as experiments to see what skimmers can remove that my other export methods were not/could not. So far the traditional skimmer hasn't shown me anything magical except their ability to garner a very high price for acrylic variations of the same functionality.

At this point in time my mind is still very open to new designs, new approaches and the resurrection of some very old salts' successes. I'm just not ready to throw in the towel and pay homage to the overpriced acrylic marketing gods just yet. Ooooo, I can already feel the burn!!!


What I have run and do run is several different systems. At one time I had five tanks, each with a different setup. I have had great success in using HOB filters loaded with biomedia at a very slow flow rate, algae scrubbers and refugium/algae scrubber hybrids, all in place of a traditional skimmer.

IF, someone were to manufacture a reasonably priced skimmer that incorporated a reliable method of pumping out its excrement to a common drain pipe, I might look twice and set one up. I mean after all, you can plumb your dishwasher or garbage disposal to a drain, why not that nasty skimmer?

 

[Mical]

I run skimmer on both of my tanks and between them and fuges that's my nutrient export. I don't run socks and do an annual 10% water change. Since eliminating weekly water changes and socks, tanks have never looked or grown better.

 

[X-37B]

No flaming here!
I run a no scheduled WC system and get the flaming.
If it works for you thats awesome.
I have never had a tank without one.
I run a Tunze skimmer.
Simplest trouble free skimmer out their, imo.
Nothing in this hobby is inexspensive.
I will checkout your build thread.

 

[burningmime]

IF, someone were to manufacture a reasonably priced skimmer that incorporated a reliable method of pumping out its excrement to a common drain pipe, I might look twice and set one up. I mean after all, you can plumb your dishwasher or garbage disposal to a drain, why not that nasty skimmer?

This is a very good idea. Closest I've seen is the Avast Skimmate Locker, which is basically an incredibly overpriced bucket.

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Sure, I run an AquaMaxx filter/skimmer combine; given all the crud it removes from the water it is very useful.

 

[Galvano]

For example if your tank produces 100 nitrates per week and you do a 50% water change weekly the first week the nitrates drop to 50. The end of the next week nitrates are at 150 (50+100) and you do a 50% change again your nitrates are now at 75. Every week it would go up. No matter what you do water changes are not enough to control nitrates over the long term.

Well, the readings in your iteration will approximate, but never exceed 200.
If that's below the nitrate limit you accept, then water changes are sufficient.