Skimmer or NO skimmer??

[Diesel]

That's the question!!
Skimmer or NO skimmer?
Have running a 202 gallon custome tank about 80% SPS, it's doing ok but you always want better.
Now I have seen tanks here with awesome color and growht that hardly use a skimmer or sometimes no skimmer at all.
Before I jump in the deep and let my skimmer only run about 12hrs a day or at night.
I like to have some input of you guys.
So lets hear it R2R!

 

[reefjunky24]

Do you have a lot of fish? what are your current parameters? How much live rock do you have? I personally always have run a skimmer but i did have it on timers such as only 6 hours a day or only for a few hours after feeding. I currently run a skimmer but i feed my corals alot probably more than most people so i went over board with LR and a skimmer but that is me.

When i ran an SPS only tank i ran an over sized skimmer for only 6 hours a day and seemed to do fine.

 

[Downbeach]

My feeling is, "If it's working, don't fix it." What other equipment are you using? What is it you're trying to improve on?

 

[Diesel]

Do you have a lot of fish? what are your current parameters? How much live rock do you have? I personally always have run a skimmer but i did have it on timers such as only 6 hours a day or only for a few hours after feeding. I currently run a skimmer but i feed my corals alot probably more than most people so i went over board with LR and a skimmer but that is me.

When i ran an SPS only tank i ran an over sized skimmer for only 6 hours a day and seemed to do fine.

Numbers are good.
Have about 10 fish all small., not bigger than 5".
Have about 150lb of rock in the tank and 20 in the sump.
Running a ZEOvit reactor and carbon only.

 

[Diesel]

My feeling is, "If it's working, don't fix it." What other equipment are you using? What is it you're trying to improve on?

I like to improve color and growth.

 

[Downbeach]

I like to improve color and growth.

What is your N and P reading, with what device? How about your lighting and what you use for water flow? What are you feeding? What are good number?

 

[skinz78]

Definitely skimmer! You'd be amazed at the gunk that comes out and the improvements in the tank inhabitants.

 

[Diesel]

What is your N and P reading, with what device? How about your lighting and what you use for water flow? What are you feeding? What are good number?

N = 0 (red sea and Hanna)
p = 0.02 (red sea and Hanna)
ALK = 9 (red sea and Hanna)
CAL = 450 (red sea and salifert)
MAG = 1420 (red sea)
Running 4 Radions on a 72" x 27' x 24" tank
ATB flow-star 1500 return over the center, coast to coast overflow.
Water flow by 4 mp40wes controlled by apex in wave-mode 100%
Feeding fish twice a day New Era food mix of marine, algae and aegis pellets and mysis/brine shrimp.
Corals feed by Zeovit as recommended.

Thanks.

 

[Diesel]

Definitely skimmer! You'd be amazed at the gunk that comes out and the improvements in the tank inhabitants.

No doubt, that my skimmer is pulling out tons of mate.
Just wondering with if it pulls out not too much of the good stuff.
If you run skimmer for about 12 hrs it still will pull out all the bad stuff but corals can take the good stuff, right?

 

[gmoney243]

No doubt, that my skimmer is pulling out tons of mate.
Just wondering with if it pulls out not too much of the good stuff.
If you run skimmer for about 12 hrs it still will pull out all the bad stuff but corals can take the good stuff, right?

Skimmers arnt effecient enough to remove all the good or bad. Your color of corals isn't going to change because your running your skimmer less.

What intensity and height do you have your radions at? With leds to much light or to much white light will cause corals to look faded and washed out.

Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2

 

[skinz78]

I would think shutting the skimmer off for 12 hours it's gonna dry out and have a little break in each time you fire it up again. Plus the stuff that would have been pulled will just accumulate in the sump and soon you'll have a nitrate factory without regular sump cleanings.

 

[Downbeach]

It sounds to me like you have all you ducks in a row, I don't know what else to tell you to improve things. Have you tried different white/blue balance with your lights? Moving the corals higher or lower, if possible? I know the Zeovit has a regiment of required additives, so if you are following their dosing schedule / recommendation, I don't know that it would be a good idea to deviate from it.

 

[Zack]

Skimmer for sure!!!

 

[Diesel]

Ok, thanks guys.
The skimmer will ring in the new year.
My radions are about 16" above the tank and I'm running them at 65%, white is running also 65% but on a 50% color ballance.

 

[gmoney243]

I don't have radions but I run my blues 100% and whites about 30%. You really need a 20k color with leds to get those colors to come out. After a few weeks exposure to a 20k color should have a lot better color in your corals.

Sent from my Vortex using Tapatalk 2

 

[kevin32]

I say ALWAYS run skimmer. If it works, why not use it to your advantage. :)