No Skimmer Nano Reefs

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
How many of you nano keepers don’t run a skimmer?

What things do you do to keep nutrients down?

Also let’s see a photo of your no skimmer nano!
 
Last edited:

SCK1027

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 16, 2019
Messages
68
Reaction score
60
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Two of my nanos are the Biocube 14 and IM Lagoon 25. Both with no skimmers.

I'm actually trying to feed more as the Nitrate level is less than 5 and phosphates comes out 0 with Salifert every week :(
Have a filter pad that I replace every 3-4 days and have been doing routine water changes every week, which I think is helping keep nutrients down.

As mentioned the recent BRS video on nutrients and socks/filter rolls, I think replacing them often offsets the need of skimmers in my nano tanks!

:)
 

s0mthinG

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2021
Messages
92
Reaction score
43
Location
Phoenix
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm actually trying to feed more as the Nitrate level is less than 5 and phosphates comes out 0 with Salifert every week :(
Have a filter pad that I replace every 3-4 days and have been doing routine water changes every week, which I think is helping keep nutrients down.
Do you think you could slow the rate at which you change your filter pads to increase nitrate/ phosphate? Like leaving it in there for an extra day or 2? (ie changing them 1x /wk) This would let you keep feeding the same amount but not have to do much else.
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How many of you nano keepers don’t run a skimmer?

What things do you do to keep nutrients down?

No skimmer or filtration. Just live rock and water changes.

Healthy growing coral will use up nutrients. No need to complicate it.
 

Imaexpat2

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2021
Messages
104
Reaction score
92
Location
Denton
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I got 4 Nanos from 5.5 gallons to 20 gallons...no skimmers on any of them. I just do weekly water changes and feed very sparingly. For fish I only have a couple of pairs of Banggia's, a pair for each 20 gallon tank. My tanks are heavy on coral, mainly LPS/SPS.
 

Mawlbec

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 31, 2020
Messages
46
Reaction score
99
Location
Seattle, WA (Sammamish)
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've been running for six months one skimmer on a 20g and do not run one on a 10g. I'd say it is not necessary however....if you happen to be plagued with low pH like me, the 20g running the skimmer hooked up to a CO2 exchange has been a great call.
 

SCK1027

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 16, 2019
Messages
68
Reaction score
60
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Do you think you could slow the rate at which you change your filter pads to increase nitrate/ phosphate? Like leaving it in there for an extra day or 2? (ie changing them 1x /wk) This would let you keep feeding the same amount but not have to do much else.
Yeah I tried that. It did work with nutrients.

But the problem was that as the filter pads remained longer, it would clog and move less water to the return chamber. So the ATO would kick off to balance. In the end, the salinity decreased a little and because the top off is Kalk, there were swings in Alk.

Then when I change the pads, it would take a day without top off to get to the original point and thus more swings haha
 

Nano sapiens

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 25, 2010
Messages
2,493
Reaction score
3,677
Location
East Bay, CA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
How many of you nano keepers don’t run a skimmer?

What things do you do to keep nutrients down?

I think you'll find that the majority of small nano reefers don't use a skimmer. Besides the fact that small skimmers tend to be noisy, are not all that effective and take up valuable space, there is really little need for one since frequent water changes with these small water volumes is easy and effective.

IME, no real need for chemical or mechanical filtration, either, especially once the system is mature and stable. Weekly gravel vacuuming and an occasional blasting of detritus from under the rocks (then caught in a temporarily installed filter sock which is then rinsed and stored) has worked quite well for over 12 years now on my 12g.

IMO, these little systems tend to be 'at their best when they use the least' :)
 

reefiniteasy

Check me out on IG!
View Badges
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
Messages
2,342
Reaction score
5,317
Location
Orlando, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I ran a skimmer for over a year in my BioCube 16. Had to run it in the display as it didn’t fit in the back. It fell, took a couple corals with it and it’s been out for almost two months now. I use ClearFX Pro and Purigen to export nutrients. I also do weekly water changes. I have no problem keeping .01-.03 PO4 and 2-5ppm NO3.
 

Eagle_Steve

Grandpa of Cronies
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Messages
11,564
Reaction score
60,954
Location
Tennessee
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No skimmer on the home for unwanted creatures 2.5. Feed mysis and benepets daily (very small amount) and change 1/2 gallon of water a week. No3 is 2-5 and po4 is .03-.05. Only a single snail and 0 algae issues.
F780443D-D97C-4C9E-A61E-9BC73C3D92A0.jpeg
 
OP
OP
revhtree

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Thanks everyone!

I’ll be posting my new nano here in a few days or so!
 

Brit’s Fish

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2020
Messages
1,244
Reaction score
1,654
Location
Chicago
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
No skimmer on the home for unwanted creatures 2.5. Feed mysis and benepets daily (very small amount) and change 1/2 gallon of water a week. No3 is 2-5 and po4 is .03-.05. Only a single snail and 0 algae issues.
F780443D-D97C-4C9E-A61E-9BC73C3D92A0.jpeg
What a good idea! I have a few unwanted creatures but I don’t have the heart to kill all of them. I have one rock just like yours with a little aiptasia “garden”. Starting to wonder if I should just name all of them!
what tank are you using for this?
 

Peace River

Thrive Master
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
21,466
Reaction score
164,293
Location
USA
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Water changes replace a skimmer for my 10g nano.
 

Mawlbec

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 31, 2020
Messages
46
Reaction score
99
Location
Seattle, WA (Sammamish)
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No skimmer on the home for unwanted creatures 2.5. Feed mysis and benepets daily (very small amount) and change 1/2 gallon of water a week. No3 is 2-5 and po4 is .03-.05. Only a single snail and 0 algae issues.
F780443D-D97C-4C9E-A61E-9BC73C3D92A0.jpeg
Straight out of Tim Burton and I love it.
 

Eagle_Steve

Grandpa of Cronies
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Messages
11,564
Reaction score
60,954
Location
Tennessee
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What a good idea! I have a few unwanted creatures but I don’t have the heart to kill all of them. I have one rock just like yours with a little aiptasia “garden”. Starting to wonder if I should just name all of them!
what tank are you using for this?
A little 2.5 gallon tank, small HOB filter and a 50w heater. Lighting is a kessil a80 I had lying around. It has aip, majano, and a few hermit nems in it.
 
OP
OP
revhtree

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Y’all should also show your no skimmer nano tanks!

Let’s see some pics!
 
OP
OP
revhtree

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Back
Top