When to implement roller mat and skimmer?

[TJ94851]

Hey all! Cycling a new 75g build. I’ve cycled with a combination of Turbostart and about 30lbs of cured rock from my LFS. Supplemented with dry rock for the scape. Currently have a pair of clowns and a juvenile bicolor angel. Cycling dark with just ambient light.

So far I’ve only been runnng some carbon in mesh bags and doing water changes. I have ability to implement roller mat, skimmer and refugium but I’m not sure about when to start them up. Do you base it on testing? All at once or one at a time?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Skippy The Meh]

congrats on the new build! IMO i would add in the carbon last as it may not be needed at all; unless you have a specific reason for using it? otherwise, i would track your nutrients and when they start to climb put one piece of equipment online at a time, continuing to measure nutrients along the way. i would start with rollermat, then skimmer, then refugium, then media like carbon or gfo if needed.

 

[TJ94851]

congrats on the new build! IMO i would add in the carbon last as it may not be needed at all; unless you have a specific reason for using it? otherwise, i would track your nutrients and when they start to climb put one piece of equipment online at a time, continuing to measure nutrients along the way. i would start with rollermat, then skimmer, then refugium, then media like carbon or gfo if needed.

Thanks! Makes total sense.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Just me personally I feel if you've got a skimmer you might as well use it. It pulls dissolved organics from the water which might fuel algae, but even if not needed then at the very least it oxygenates the water.

 

[get-salty]

I would install both on now that you have fish. Rollermat can help with detritus and skimmer as well as Mr. Mojo have mentioned.

Esp the skimmer - I think skimmers are really cool (weird. i know). I once had 5 skimmers

 

[Velcro]

Install both and enjoy being able to add as much food as you can afford

 

[BryanM]

FWIW, I hate cleaning skimmers. I totally understand their pro's in reefing, but I hate cleaning them.

I run neither, and choose to run an oversized algae turf scrubber. I'm still getting used to this, but I think it will work out well. It has dropped nitrates so low that I'm about to start dosing to fix that ;)