Protein skimmer for fluval evo 13.5

[MrMeanyHead]

I bought a used fluval evo 13.5 and it came with the fluval mini protein skimmer. I was wondering if it was worth using it because I already have it. Or if I should use some filter media instead. Also I’m considering putting it in my room and was wondering how loud it would be.

 

[exnisstech]

I run a 20g with no skimmer or mechanical filtration other than some floss when I'm blowing off rocks or scraping the glass. The tank does fine I think. You'll get varying oppinions from a skimmer is a absolute necessity to one is not needed. I run 5 tanks but only one that I skim but it has a large fish load and runs higher N and P than my other tanks. They are good for aeration and I run one with an outside airline to help raise the PH but it's an SPS tank and corals grow faster. I don't worry about pH in the other tanks.

No filtration IM20

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I bought that fluval skimmer a few years ago for 5 gallon, personally I didn't like it and removed it and its still in a closet. On such a small tank, weekly water changes can easily replace the skimmer function. I have a 5 gallon, a 10, and a 15 gallon all without any filtration at all, just weekly water changes.

 

[MrMeanyHead]

I bought that fluval skimmer a few years ago for 5 gallon, personally I didn't like it and removed it and its still in a closet. On such a small tank, weekly water changes can easily replace the skimmer function. I have a 5 gallon, a 10, and a 15 gallon all without any filtration at all, just weekly water changes.

Is it nice to have say if I miss a water change or if I’m out of town on vacation.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Is it nice to have say if I miss a water change or if I’m out of town on vacation.

I would suggest to go ahead and use it, just for the sake of finding out for yourself what it does for your tank. At the very least it does help to provide oxygen to the water, so there is no downside to using it really. If this is your first tank and you've never used a skimmer before, then again I think you should use it and get the experience, and then decide for yourself later on if you want to keep it or remove it. I didn't mean to dissuade you from using it, I've been keeping tanks for 20 years so sometimes I forget that I am giving advice to brand new hobbyists.

 

[rtparty]

Not worth it. Just change 2g of water each week and you’ll do far more than the skimmer of that size

 

[Fish Fan]

The largest benefit of a protein skimmer on a small tank like this is for gas exchange. If you've already got the skimmer, I'd suggest running it just for that purpose, but I wouldn't suggest that you run out and buy one. Otherwise as mentioned, water changes are a great way to manage a smaller tank

 

[Kooma]

Is it nice to have say if I miss a water change or if I’m out of town on vacation.

I run a 30 gallon. Zero filter floss, zero skimmer, zero filters. The AIO chamber is completely empty other than two heaters, a temp probe for my inkbird and my return pump. Been running like that for about 7 years.

Skip the skimmer, add an air stone and if you don’t have a big coral load just do water changes and adjust your feeding.

I was to the point my SPS was sucking up so much nutrients that my nitrates bottomed out and crashed my tank while I was sticking bed for 4 days.

You do not need a skimmer.

With that said, on my 250 gal system I have one and would t run without one. The water changes would bankrupt me if I didn’t have it. But big system skimmers actually work, nano skimmers are garbage.

 

[MrMeanyHead]

I would suggest to go ahead and use it, just for the sake of finding out for yourself what it does for your tank. At the very least it does help to provide oxygen to the water, so there is no downside to using it really. If this is your first tank and you've never used a skimmer before, then again I think you should use it and get the experience, and then decide for yourself later on if you want to keep it or remove it. I didn't mean to dissuade you from using it, I've been keeping tanks for 20 years so sometimes I forget that I am giving advice to brand new hobbyists.

Thanks for the advice, this is my first tank period. So i was just wondering if the skimmer would harm the tank.