To Skimmer or Not to Skimmer on a Refugium

A Fish Called Wanda

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I have 2 questions which has been bothering me for a while and I was hoping someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank that has a 6” DSB that’s been running for 6 yrs. and is pretty mature with a lot of life in it with worms, snails, asterinas and a Sea Cucumber. My refugium is 30 gallons with two filter socks, a skimmer, miracle mud and some Chaeto which is growing with a Zetlight LED light.
My question is with my type of set up do I need to run my skimmer every night, every other night or never. I’ve read so many different thing about skimmers with running them and not running them. Y y
Now if I put on my skimmer it will foam over night with no problem and produce a 1/4” cup. My other question is does my Chaeto need what I’m skimming in order to grow with the phos. and Nitrates.
The Chaeto has a lot of life with Copods and worms but it really doesn’t grow grow like it should.
 
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A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda

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I have 2 questions which has been bothering me for a while and I was hoping someone can help me. I have a 90 gallon tank that has a 6” DSB that’s been running for 6 yrs. and is pretty mature with a lot of life in it with worms, snails, asterinas and a Sea Cucumber. My refugium is 30 gallons with two filter socks, a skimmer, miracle mud and some Chaeto which is growing with a Zetlight LED light.
My question is with my type of set up do I need to run my skimmer every night, every other night or never. I’ve read so many different thing about skimmers with running them and not running them. Y y
Now if I put on my skimmer it will foam over night with no problem and produce a 1/4” cup. My other question is does my Chaeto need what I’m skimming in order to grow with the phos. and Nitrates.
The Chaeto has a lot of life with Copods and worms but it really doesn’t grow grow like it should.
I’m up for any suggestions with help with my skimming or Chaeto growing because I hit the post button prior to finishing…
 

cmoore806

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It would depend on how the tank is looking and if you’re having issues with elevated phosphate and nitrate

a skimmer also provides gas exchange which in my case pulls air through a CO2 scrubber to help raise pH. Otherwise a skimmer could be run intermittently to help bottoming out nitrate and phos (which would starve your corals and plants)
 

Matt Carden

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A diverse microbiome will process the waste that the Skimmer is designed to remove.
 

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