how long can you go without a skimmer?

[Pinstripes]

My p.o.s coralife super skimmer went out today, how long can I go without a skimmer before my new one gets here? its a 75 gallan reef tank!! thanks:nerd:

 

[Salt man]

IMO you can go forever without a skimmer, but that doesn't mean you can stick with your normal husbandry. For every week you go without I would do 10% or more water changes every week, and you should be fine.

It also depends on how heavily stocked you are. Do you have a heavy bioload or small?

 

[Pinstripes]

IMO you can go forever without a skimmer, but that doesn't mean you can stick with your normal husbandry. For every week you go without I would do 10% or more water changes every week, and you should be fine.

It also depends on how heavily stocked you are. Do you have a heavy bioload or small?

I got 7 fishes, bunch of mushrooms, zoas, candy canes and others!!

 

[Salt man]

Are they big fish, dirty fish.? You'll probably be fine with 10% weekly till you get you new skimmer.

Are you getting a new skimmer or pump?

 

[Pinstripes]

maroone clown, pink spotted goby, 2 damsels, a radiant wrasses. Getting a new Vertex skimmer.

Are they big fish, dirty fish.? You'll probably be fine with 10% weekly till you get you new skimmer.

Are you getting a new skimmer or pump?

 

[luvmywrasse09]

no problems, I ran the same type of tank for nearly 2 years with no skimmer.

 

[Salt man]

Yeah, you should be fine with 10%. Test your water and if you start to get spikes, up the amount.
I heard great reviews on the Vertex, but have not tried one myself.

 

[Harry_Y]

When I got into this hobby Skimmers were not even invented

We just did water changes

 

[Troylee]

+1..
Just stay on top of your water changes and you will be fine...just watch your ph it might drop a little due to lack of oxygenation but I doubt much since those skimmers don't put out much bubbles...;)
No worries man I just got a skimmer on my tank 2 days ago and I got a full blown sps reef....;)

 

[amay121]

You'll be fine. I'm running a 120 with no skimmer, no fuge. I also have 11 fish. I don't think you'll have to do water changes all the time, since I do mine at least every 2 weeks to once a month. Tanks also mainly SPS.

Mine's been running this way for almost a year now.

 

[JiggyReefer]

u'll be fine i have a skimmer and still do 25% water changes

 

[stedfast82]

just dont buy an aqua c skimmer they suck ive had mine for over a year and i still cant get it working good all the time!

 

[supmar85]

i agree with the weekly water changes. i did this for a few months before i got a skimmer

 

[beaslbob]

My p.o.s coralife super skimmer went out today, how long can I go without a skimmer before my new one gets here? its a 75 gallan reef tank!! thanks:nerd:

Indefinately.

With a refugium and macros algae refugiums skimmers are not required.

But even without a refugium, the tank will probably do fine but you may have more algae problems.


my .02